> Switch to Advanced Search

New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

60 31Knots
71 The Academy Is...
68 Adele
67 The Airborne Toxic Event
70 Alkaline Trio
77 Theresa Andersson
74 Apollo Sunshine
43 The Automatic
79 Joan Baez
84 Bajofondo
56 David Banner
76 The Baseball Project
77 Beck
77 Black Affair
59 Black Ghosts
76 Black Kids
73 Brazilian Girls
90 The Bug
58 Caesars
80 Calexico
70 Glen Campbell
74 Brendan Canning
69 The Charlatans
76 The Chemical Brothers
72 Coldplay
65 Alice Cooper
77 Rodney Crowell
65 CSS
67 Miley Cyrus
44 Dandy Warhols
81 Danny!
68 Kimya Dawson
74 Death Vessel
75 Delta Spirit
79 Damien Dempsey
58 Dirty Pretty Things
72 Dr. Dog
80 DragonForce
78 The Duhks
75 Jakob Dylan
77 Earlimart
77 Brian Eno + David Byrne
83 Alejandro Escovedo
62 The Faint
56 Feeder
65 The Fiery Furnaces
64 iForward, Russia!
61 The Fratellis
68 Fujiya & Miyagi
59 G Love & Special Sauce
65 The Game
74 Inara George With Van Dyke Parks
74 Giant Sand
80 Girl Talk
61 Golden Animals
64 Mike Gordon
42 G-Unit
63 Gym Class Heroes
81 GZA
64 Albert Hammond, Jr.
78 Emmylou Harris
73 Juliana Hatfield
61 Hawthorne Heights
86 Hercules And Love Affair
82 High Places
76 Zach Hill
85 The Hold Steady
63 Vanessa Hudgens
71 Human Highway
77 James Hunter
68 Ice Cube
66 Ida Maria
70 Jaguar Love
76 Joan As Police Woman
81 Jamey Johnson
70 Jonas Brothers
59 Judas Priest
57 Kerli
72 Leila
76 Lykke Li
82 Lil Wayne
82 Lindstrom
72 Little Jackie
60 Lloyd
55 Los Lonely Boys
74 Love As Laughter
85 Patty Loveless
80 Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
76 John Mellencamp
71 The Melvins
71 Men Without Pants
80 Metallica
74 Mirah
63 Alanis Morissette
56 Motley Crue
72 Motorhead
78 Nico Muhly
84 The Music Tapes
54 The Music
71 My Brightest Diamond
70 My Morning Jacket
63 N.E.R.D. [The Neptunes]
71 Nas
79 Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis
51 New Kids On The Block
84 Randy Newman
78 Nine Inch Nails
75 The Notwist
75 Conor Oberst
52 The Offspring
79 Okkervil River
80 One Day As A Lion
75 Oneida
62 The Orb
75 Oxford Collapse
89 Aaron Parks
43 Katy Perry
74 Lee "Scratch" Perry
72 Plies
73 Robert Pollard
81 Ponytail
64 Primal Scream
78 Ra Ra Riot
48 The Rascals
71 Ratatat
63 Re-Up Gang
71 The Rumble Strips
65 RZA
73 Scars On Broadway
70 Ron Sexsmith
39 Shwayze
81 Sigur Rós
78 Silver Jews
58 Jessica Simpson
70 Slipknot
74 Sloan
79 Patti Smith and Kevin Shields
73 Solange
69 Son, Ambulance
63 Sam Sparro
65 Rick Springfield
65 Staind
47 Stereo MC's
72 Stereolab
71 The Stills
71 The Subways
83 Sugarland
67 Supergrass
67 Matthew Sweet
77 Irma Thomas
84 Teddy Thompson
57 Three 6 Mafia
73 Tilly And The Wall
72 Tittsworth
63 James Jackson Toth
72 Randy Travis
69 Tricky
92 Underoath
58 UNKLE
58 David Vandervelde
71 The Verve
69 Loudon Wainwright III
77 Martha Wainwright
81 The Walkmen
67 The Watson Twins
67 Ben Weaver
81 The Week That Was
77 Paul Weller
76 White Denim
70 Brian Wilson
79 Cassandra Wilson
87 Dennis Wilson
77 Wire
78 Wolf Parade
61 XX Teens
71 Young Jeezy
55 Yung Berg

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Illusion Of Progress
by Staind


6.4

based on 6 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Official Artist Site

Staind returns with its sixth album, produced by Johnny K.

LABEL:	Atlantic
RELEASE DATE:	19 August 2008
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Alternative

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Hartford Courant

Lewis and Staind sound as though they have emerged from a long, dark tunnel, and that kind of progress is more than just an illusion.

Boston Globe

Most of all, the music packs as much punch as ever--and more variety, as Staind sometimes departs from its rock-metal power ballads for tunes that suggest Pink Floyd and even Brit band Oasis in the chiming-guitar pop of 'All I Want.'

Billboard

The title of Staind's sixth album is a bit of a misnomer, but there are a few new stylistic directions here.

All Music Guide

Ballads have always been his forte, a convenient vehicle for his quivering sensitivity and accidental melodicism, yet it's still startling how slow The Illusion of Progress unfolds, as Staind rarely muster the energy to move beyond midtempo even when they deign to crank up their amps for anthems of mild alienation or vague inspiration.

Rolling Stone

Most of the time, though, the band sticks to its comfort zone, with songs that proceed through a sequence of genre clichés as Lewis howls out woe-is-me's and lists of grievances.

Los Angeles Times

One formula replaces another and another.

The average user rating for this album is 6.4 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sherry gave it a9:
Staind rules period. No matter what, it always platinum. LOVE YOU GUYS!

T Ward gave it a10:
Not the same old hard staind, but Lewis' amazing voice and the bands better than average music makes this cd one of the best rock albums out there.

Curt W. gave it a9:
I like the new direction the band has taken. They went into the studio with the intention of making a heavy album and walked out with this. The band would be selling out if they wrote music to appease "metal heads" instead of writing from the heart. I applaud the new approach and wish them the best.

Brandon G gave it a5:
Too generic pop sounding, they went from dark and meaningful to forgettable.

Peter F. gave it a9:
Staind are always developing and this is an excellent new direction for them. I'll listen again and again.

Discuss this album in our forums

Return to top of page

The Illusion Of Progress by Staind

The Illusion Of Progress
by Staind