Are you ready for a new Staind album? Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Since the music industry devolved into Dysfunction with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, that scuttled most of the band’s plans for the last 2+ years as well. The illusion of progress for new material has furthered more anticipation from the band’s loyal fanbase – but that last happened in 2011. However, it appears Staind are gearing up for 2023 with the release of a new album.
Now the band is preparing their first album in over a decade, set for a release sometime in 2023, according to guitarist Mike Mushok. In a new interview with Western Mass News, Mushok discussed the album’s timeline and probable release date, in a video which you can also watch below.
Revealing in an interview that the new record should drop sometime next year, he also revealed the band’s future plans with Aaron Lewis’s solo career, Mushok’s work in Saint Asonia, and more:
“Aaron’s built up a great following and great career that he’ll fully pursue. If we can do some Staind shows in there, it would be great. If we can find a week here or there or maybe a tour every now and then, I’d be cool with that. Like we are looking to do a (Staind) record, so we’ll see how much we do to promote that. Honestly, I’m kind of taking it as it comes, one day at a time. It’s hard to plan, you know what I mean. Who would have thought the world would shut down? So you’ve got to take it as it comes.”
Left unaddressed, notably, are all the controversial statements frontman Aaron Lewis has made over the last few years. Instead of relating stories about how he grew up and normal, you know, relationship stuff, he’s now writing country (“country”) songs about how he doesn’t like singing along to Bruce Springsteen songs, wearing “I Could Shit A Better President” t-shirts on stage (wow, how subtle), and displaying a keen understanding (sarcasm) of medical science in on-stage rants. Fantastic.
These statements don’t seem to be affecting the band’s current run of tour dates, or even Lewis’s solo career, minus the obvious bad press. Interestingly, Staind’s last album in 2011 was probably their heaviest since their Tormented // Dysfunction days, so it’ll be interesting to see (and hear) if Lewis’s lyrics for the new Staind album take from his country career at all.
