Stone Sour (2007)

Josh Rand: We had an absolutely amazing time here last year. Metallica were the headliners, and getting to see them live and watch them play the songs off Master Of Puppets, that was the only time I’ve ever seen them play a whole set in strict album order, and it was incredible. As for our show here this year… True, we were here last year, but this time you’re actually going to see the band as a whole. I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but you’ll definitely hear that we’ve changed quite a bit between last year and this one. Moved forward. At least in terms of energy level and how everyone’s clicked together into one new whole, and how much tighter we’ve become.

RockLine: And the main difference from last year is…? You’ve put out a new album, Come What(ever) May. So what do you think people have gotten out of this new package of Stone Sour music?

Josh Rand: The response so far has been really good. Personally, I think we’ve topped what we did before, which is always the main goal we’re chasing anyway. Carrying on and building on the work so far has moved into a new phase. And just how much more alive and authentic we can be only became clear this year. Where we are right now is really something else. A great view of the whole picture. We cleared out all the confusion and got past any old traumas.

RockLine: And the common thread of the album?

Josh Rand: It’s definitely about fusing the chemistry of all five of us into something whole and powerful. Corey handles the lyrics, so it’d be easier to talk about the concept and the common threads with him. But of course we talked about the record a lot during and after recording, and the shared link is the drive to squeeze perfect feelings out of ourselves, not judge what kind they are, and serve them up in pure form. Like when you’re thinking it all over after the day you’ve had. So it’s not a concept in the sense of a linear story from start to finish. Not in the Dream Theatre sense, or like other conceptualists. Queensryche… From where I stand, it’s a condensed story of the last two and a half years of ups and downs. It’s about cleansing.

RockLine: So what musically pulled the threads of creativity out of your depths? What were you listening to for inspiration? Everything you hear and listen to surely shapes the creativity and the directions you weave as writers and musicians while you’re creating?

Josh Rand: We were all soaked in different influences. During the two and a half months we spent recording the record, I was listening to Dream Theatre and the album Octavarium, and right behind it on my favorites list was Motörhead’s Inferno. Probably because of the album’s name… (laughs)

RockLine: What about the other guys?

Josh Rand: Honestly, I don’t know… We were still getting used to the new guys, and (James) Root and Corey (Taylor; vocalist) were probably listening to some obscure, crappy pop… (laughs)

RockLine: You’ll have to get onstage soon, so I’ll just ask what you’d count as your long-term and short-term plans: can we talk about the ones you share as Stone Sour, and the ones each of you carries in your own head and heart?

Josh Rand: As a band, the short-term plan is to defend the colors of the album with dignity. Long-term, we want to keep doing what we started (laughs). On a personal level, I only have one hope: I just want us to keep evolving and follow the direction we instinctively took between the last record and this one. This record took a lot of time. We don’t have to answer to the fans, since we stay true to our own decisions and creative flow. Maybe on the next record we’ll feel like working in a bit more piano. We’re maturing, that’s all. And that’s the principle we’d like to keep growing by in the future, too.

RockLine: And a message for our readers?

Josh Rand: First off, I’d like to say: “Thanks for the support, Slovenia.” Even while we were out of sight for a while. Thanks, everyone, and I hope we see you (again) soon!