Hydrograd

by Stone Sour

Overview

The veteran hard rockers' sixth studio long-player, Hydrograd takes its name from an airport sign that frontman Corey Taylor misread while racing to make a connecting flight in Eastern Europe. It's a fitting metaphor for the group, which, since its inception in 1992, has refused to be pigeonholed; carving out its own stylistically neutral brand of accessible modern heavy metal that's flirted with nearly every iteration of the genre. Notably, Hydrograd is the first Stone Sour outing not to feature guitarist and co-founder Jim Root, who left rather acrimoniously in 2013. The band has stated that Christian Martucci, who joined up in 2015, played a huge role in shaping the sound of the album, which is far more textural and cinematic, though no less heavy, than prior outings. Recorded live in the studio with Jay Ruston (Steel Panther, Anthrax, the Donnas), the sprawling 15-track set, which clocks in at just over an hour, can feel a little unruly, but there's more than enough meat here to make a proper sandwich. The melody-rich "Song #3," the vaguely Queensryche-ian closer "When the Fever Broke," and "Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)," the latter of which flirts with a Beatlesque verse melody before launching into a vintage arena rock chorus, are all radio-friendly enough to make it to primetime, but Stone Sour have always been at their best when they inject their more commercial side with a little venom. They do just that on the knotty opener "Taipei Person/Allah Tea" and the galvanic single "Fabuless" -- the singularly titled "Whiplash Pants" also hits that sweet spot -- and it's in those grey areas where Hydrograd begins to make sense. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	06/30/2017
Label:	Roadrunner Records
UPC:	0016861745424

Tracks

1. YSIF
2. Taipei Person/Allah Tea
3. Knievel Has Landed
4. Hydrograd
5. Song #3
6. Fabuless
7. The Witness Trees
8. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)
9. Thank God It's Over
10. St. Marie
11. Mercy
12. Whiplash Pants
13. Friday Knights
14. Somebody Stole My Eyes
15. When the Fever Broke

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Stone Sour   Primary Artist
Pearl Aday   Vocals (Background)
Roy Mayorga   Drums,Vocals
Matthew Phillips   Vocals
Francesco Cameli   Vocals
Josh Rand   Guitar,Vocals,Soloist
Joel Ekman   Soloist
Brian Mantz   Trumpet
Alejandro Baima   Vocals
Christian Martucci   Guitar,Vocals
Rem Massingill   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Dan Kaneyuki   Saxophone
Matthew Philips   Vocals (Background),Vocals
Sergei Ponzirelli   Voices,Voiceover
George Adrian   Vocals
Megan Milius   Vocals
Corey Taylor   Guitar,Vocals
Joel Martin   Pedal Steel
Johny Chow   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Jason Christopher   Vocals

Technical Credits

Roy Mayorga   Composer,Engineer,Group Member
Jon Nicholson   Technician,Drum Technician
Zack de la Rocha   Composer
Francesco Cameli   Engineer
Josh Rand   Composer,Group Member
Ryan Clark   Design
Michael Anthony   Composer
Gary Myerberg   Technician,Studio Technician
Dave Rath   A&R
Brian Mantz   Musician
Travis Shinn   Photography
Johnny Chow   Composer
Daniel Brooks   Engineer
John Douglass   Engineer
John Douglas   Engineer
Alejandro Baima   Engineer
Rob Drauden   Engineer
Christian Martucci   Composer,Group Member
Rem Massingill   Technician,Bass Technician,Guitar Technician
Dan Kaneyuki   Musician
George Adrian   Engineer
Daniel Morris   Engineer
Corey Taylor   Composer,Group Member
Eddie Van Halen   Composer
David Lee Roth   Composer
Johny Chow   Composer,Group Member
Tim Commerford   Composer
Brad Wilk   Composer
Tom Morello   Composer
Alex Van Halen   Composer
Stone Sour   Composer,Producer,Art Direction
Camila Grey   Engineer
Jay Ruston   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Paul Logus   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Chris Cornell   Composer