Year in Rock 2012 Nominee: Stone Sour

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STONE SOUR
Taciturn
From: House Of Gold & Bones Part 1
Released: October 23

It's ironic that Taciturn is my favourite song from the first half of Stone Sour's double album opus; after all, my biggest concern with Audio Secrecy was its over dependance on balladry. House Of Gold & Bones Part 1, for the most part, rocks much harder than Stone Sour's last couple of albums; some of its songs approach Slipknot levels of heavy. With Part 2 due in spring, it's too early to tell if House Of Gold & Bones will become my favourite Stone Sour album, but the consistency in quality of the first half is very encouraging. Which brings me to Tactiturn; an outright ballad that should have drawn my exasperation finds another gear at the four-minute mark, its wheels leave tarmac and the song soars. Go figure: I scoff at ballads, they give me their heaviest album, I like the ballad best. I'm so fickle sometimes.

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