Tormented and Dysfunction were excellent albums. Everything after those two has been a steady stream of feculence. Please go back to your roots... STOP WHINING AND GET ANGRY AGAIN!

The iTunes description of this album is a little harsh! Who doesn't dig a band that does music relevent to their place in life and does it well?? iTunes will rave about pop artists whose lyrics are written by someone else with meager talent and who sing into filters and lip sync at concerts, but they'll half-badmouth Staind?? Doesn't make much sense to me. Want the truth? Staind HAS mellowed out a lot! What's wrong with that? The band is still making top-quality music with heartfelt, real lyrics that are artfully expressed vocally by their writer, Aaron Lewis. If you want something real; if you want something you can relate to; if you enjoy quality lyrics accompanied by quality instrumental; then you'll probably love this album. If you wish Staind would keep their style the way it was back in the Tormented days, then you may not enjoy it so much. If you fit into the latter group, you can join the hoards of Metallica fans who abandoned the band when they came out with "Nothing Else Matters." I suggest that we enjoy the changes Staind has made. It's easy to find their roots in the music and still enjoy what the music has recently become.

As I'm sure some of you fellow longtime Staind fans will agree, there are two versions of this band: the band that made music for themselves, and the band that made music for the record company. I loved Staind when they released "Dysfunction", went out and found "Tormented" (awesome!), and eagerly awaited "Break The Cycle". However, every album since then has consistently gone downhill. Sure, I know... they grow up a little, find success, have some kids, but come on! To compare "The Illusion of Progress" to anything from "Break the Cycle" and before is like comparing Metallica to Maroon 5. Cmon, Staind... find your edge again!!!

Goodness gracious! IT'S TOO SOFT! >:( How could this happen?!

After Almost 13 Years Staind Is Still Doing It..And Very Well..One Of The Best albums Of 2008 Easily

Now, this is good music. I like it. But if I couldn't recognize Aaron's voice, I would have no clue that this was Staind. It is completly different music than what you are used to. Now, it is NOT bad at all, that is not my point. My point is that this is not the Staind you are used to listening to.

This is the album I have been waiting for. After being let down by "14 Shades of Grey," THIS is the album I have been wanting for for YEARS. Good job to the guys behind the Instruments. Well done!

I absolutely love this album. Aaron is a wonderful vocalist and I am in love with the song "Believe." Yeah, yeah, yeah - they aren't as heavy as they once were but it doesn't mean that people can't produce a beautiful album like this. It's a definate must have.

I've had to listen to this CD several times before the songs really began to grab me. Now, it's the only thing I'm listening to right now. Lost Along the Way, All I Want, Break Away, and Tangled Up In You are my favorites. Lyrics are generally on the darker side... right in line with reality. I bought the CD with bonus tracks, well worth the extra money. It's time to go back in fill in my Staind collection!

Staind has evolved as a band with each album. If you liked Chapter V, you will like this one. There are a couple of surpirses, like Tangled up in You and other favorites Nothing Left to Say and Pardon Me. Aaron Lewis has one of the most prolific rock voices in the industry rivaling those of Brad Arnold (3 Doors) and new comer Chris Daughtry. The instrumentation of the band has also stepped up a level or two. In the past, there has been a lot of reoccuring themes and even phrases, which tends to happen when the lyrics are born from person experience. but the content on this album is more varied. Staind is one of my favorites, though I don't like hearing the profanity in most every song. I know, it's supposed to make it more real. It doesn't. (Aaron, fans won't stop buying your music if you drop the profanity, but many won't buy if you don't), you can download the clean version though you still hear the unspoken words. And Mike the pain IS in one song: Tangled up in You). This album is definitely worth the change.