ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 17, 2007
By Steve Newton
Neil Young’s “Shock and Awe” was the best rock song condemning the U.S.–led invasion of Iraq to come out last year, but Stone Sour’s “Come What(ever) May” is certainly tops in the heavy-metal category. The title track of the band’s second CD—mixed here in Van by Nickelback knob-twiddler Randy Staub—sees lyricist and lead vocalist Corey Taylor skewering George W. Bush’s unforgivable antics under a storm of hellfire guitars and raging rhythms.
“Show your pretty face, hide the bitter taste,” rages Taylor, “You’re still the rapist of an entire nation/You wanna be The Man? You gotta be a man/But you are nothing but a sad insinuation.”
Taylor has had plenty of practice focusing his fury; his other group is the thrashy, masked nu-metal ensemble Slipknot. But the vehemently anti-Bush sentiments of “Come What(ever) May” aren’t eagerly embraced by Stone Sour guitarist Josh Rand.
“I agree on certain things,” hedges Rand, on the line from an Ottawa tour stop. “As far as the big argument goes, should we have gone over there [to Iraq], no, we shouldn’t have. But I’m a musician/entertainer, not a politician. I think if you’re gonna make those comments, you need to pick up the torch and fully run with it, and I’m not a Tom Morello.”
Rand and Taylor may have differing ideals on the activist front, but they’re definitely on the same page musically with Stone Sour. The on-and-off quintet—which Taylor founded in Iowa back in 1992—scored a Grammy nomination for its gold-selling, self- titled debut from 2002. So how did Rand manage to lure Taylor away from the multiplatinum Slipknot long enough for Stone Sour to get a shot at success?
“I actually approached him in 2000 with all this music that I’d written,” he recalls, “and we just started workin’ on it. The whole point of it was that he wanted to be able to show a different side of himself, ’cause all everybody knew that he could do was scream, basically, and he’s actually a great singer.”
Taylor’s powerful vocals and pointed lyrics are swept along by the six-string damage of Rand and coguitarist James Root (also from Slipknot).
“Jim’s more of a freestyle, improvisational guy,” notes Rand, “and I’m completely the opposite. When you come and see us live, every note in my solos is spot-on what the record is. I take pride in being able to duplicate that.”
Stone Sour is currently taking part in a cross-Canada arena tour with goth-metal headliner Evanescence. When the tour–which hits the Pacific Coliseum on January 18–has run its course and Taylor and Root return to Slipknot, Rand will be thankful that he’s not joining them in their demented duties.
“It’s nothing to take away from them,” stresses the 32-year-old father of two, “it’s just not where I’m at, you know. Plus, I just can’t picture wearing masks. They have to be uncomfortable. Me, I would probably have one I couldn’t see out of and would fall off the stage or somethin’. I could just see that happening.”
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