Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy

Corey Taylor promised us a more mature and darker record and he delivered it

Rating: 9Corey Taylor promised us it’d be “more mature sounding and darker” than previous efforts and we can safely say that album number three fulfils that criteria on all levels. Building on 02’s self-titled debut and 06’s Billboard-charting ‘Come What(ever) May’, ‘Audio Secrecy’ demonstrates a band heading for their pinnacle via an assortment of fi nely executed tracks each tempered by different textures, moods and tones. Take ‘Hesitate’ – a truly heartfelt lamentation via tender lyrics that display Taylor’s more fragile side yet, although it’s one of the album’s most touching tracks, it’s also one of the biggest sounding, recalling the power ballads of the late 80s.

Set to a slow tempo, ‘Miracles’ is also deep in its sentiment, demonstrating a touch of regret that only those hard of heart will fail to recognise. As if to punctuate these moments, we’re back in familiar territory with tracks like the hard and hefty ‘The Bitter End’ loaded with crunching riffery and a pulsing beat, while there are hints of Alice In Chains in ‘Let’s Be Honest’ before the “fuck you!” vitriol kicks in. For all those teens who grew up disgracefully with Taylor and Jim Root’s other band, ‘Audio Secrecy’ is the soundtrack to the rest of their lives.

For fans of: Seether, Slipknot, Cold

Ronnie Kerswell

source : http://www.rocksound.tv/reviews/article/stone-sour-audio-secrecy