Review Summary: Far more than simply "Corey Taylor's side project," Stone Sour show themselves to be a competent hard rock band with a varied set of tracks
As a band initially known simply as "Corey Taylor's side project," Stone Sour have created a body of work that has stood independent of that tag, earning legions of fans of their own along the way. Their self-titled debut album sold well enough to be certified gold, and each subsequent record has charted in the top ten in the United States, with their two-part epic 'House of Gold and Bones' receiving particularly strong reviews and maintaining a high average on this particular website. The band have an identity of their own, and I would argue that this began with 2006's 'Come What(ever) May,' which remains their most successful album to date.
The sound of this album can be likened to a mixture of the harder-edged rock of Alter Bridge and the more accessible metal sound of 'Fever' era Bullet For My Valentine. The riffing here is mostly solid and catchy, with opener "30/30-150" best showcasing the low-tuned guitars chugging out hypnotic mid-paced moments mixing with some alternate picking. The riffs are nothing too special, but the stop-start of "Hell And Consequences" is a real standout, alongside the ringing notes in "Made Of Scars" that make it instantly recognizable. The other instruments have their moments to shine also, with the drumming on "Reborn" complimenting the heavier side of that song perfectly. Each hit rings out through a crisp production, whilst the tone here isn't so heavy that it would alienate fans of bands such as the aforementioned Alter Bridge. People who enjoy some of the louder cuts from 'Fortress' by that band will no doubt find something entertaining here.
Corey Taylor is one member here that truly goes above and beyond to make this album something other than pedestrian metal-tinged hard rock. The juxtaposition of his strong clean singing and the screamed vocals works perfectly on tracks like "Reborn," whilst the title track shows him go from those same clean vocals in the verses to a much heavier and more intense closing forty seconds. His screams are not the unhinged Slipknot ones here, but instead suit the rock sound much more effectively. The lyrical content here is nicely varied, from the love-themed "Through Glass," to the political title track, and the self-ham of "Made Of Scars." They aren't perfectly written, but are effective enough, and convey the emotions necessary.
The songs themselves are varied, and this is one of the strengths of the album. "30/30-150" is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, and opens it up in style, before the title track shows both the more traditional hard rock and the heavier conclusion. "Through Glass" and "Sillyworld" are both power ballads, with acoustic verses that build into louder instrumental segments involving the rest of the band members. Sillyworld works well due to the sudden and expected leap from those calm acoustic verses to the louder chorus, whilst the build-up of "Through Glass" and the accompanying lyrics make it a highlight here. There are a couple of real stinkers here, with "Your God" and "Cardiff" dragging the quality down, but "Zzyzx Rd." closes things off nicely.
'Come What(ever) May' was a really solid album from an up-and-coming band attempting to shake off the mantle of simply "the guy from Slipknot's side project." This is an interesting collection of songs, sadly hampered by some formulaic writing at times and a couple of poorly written efforts. Overall, however, this is an album I highly recommend, and one that they would struggle to top to date.
