Staind

Staind is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The classic lineup featured Aaron Lewis on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Mike Mushok on lead guitar, Johnny April on bass and backing vocals, and Jon Wysocki on drums until his departure in 2011, after which Sam Giancarelli took over behind the kit. The band emerged from the late-1990s post-grunge and nu-metal scene, marked by a heavy, downtuned guitar sound paired with Lewis's raw, emotionally charged vocal delivery that could shift from a menacing growl to a vulnerable croon within the same song.

Staind broke through with «Dysfunction» (1999) after being championed by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, and reached mainstream prominence with «Break the Cycle» (2001), which produced the massive ballad «It's Been Awhile» and cemented the band as one of the defining acts of early-2000s alternative radio. Later albums such as «14 Shades of Grey» (2003), «Chapter V» (2005), «The Illusion of Progress» (2008), and the self-titled «Staind» (2011) continued to blend heavy riffing with introspective, confessional lyrics about addiction, anger, and personal struggle.

The band went on hiatus in 2012, briefly reconvened in 2014, and returned more fully to touring and recording in the following years, with Aaron Lewis also pursuing a parallel solo country career. Staind's catalog remains a touchstone of the post-grunge era for its combination of aggressive instrumentation and unusually candid songwriting.