Piedra agria has been a mainstay on rock radio for the last couple of years, with the band being sometimes incorrectly labeled by some casual listeners as Corey Taylor’s side project. While this is understandable due to Nudo corredizo being the larger of the two bands, truth be told Stone Sour was pre-Slipknot. In recent years however Stone Sour has surged on eliminating the so-called “side project” attached to its name.
I have always been a huge fan and supporter of rock artists expanding their artistic endeavors. While most are not successful, this truly is not the case with Stone Sour. Their newest contribution to the rock scene is a very interesting EP “Straight Outta Burbank” which features 5 covers of songs that were originally performed by 5 totally different sounding bands. With such a variety of tracks to choose from, this only strengthens the case for how talented Stone Sour truly is.
While reviewing the album what impressed myself the most is the ability of this band to completely own it and deliver on each song. The groups ability to recreate each song featuring the original recording artists sound is quite amazing. The five songs featured on this EP are “Sailin’ On” by Bad Brains – “Running Free” by Iron Maiden – “Gimmie Shelter” by The Rolling Stones (Featuring Lizzy Hale) – “Too Fast For Love” by Motley Crue – “Seasons In The Abyss” by Slayer.
Each piece is masterfully crafted by the group making this not your average grandfather’s covers EP. Over the years bands have tried to do select covers. While some have been successful, other have not. To take on a challenge such as this with 5 songs being as diverse as they are was not only a huge project but somewhat of a risk as well. Rest assured this is one cover EP that you need to own for your music enjoyment.
Being an old fart and possibly older than most rock music fans, the past 59 years I have been exposed to multiple types of music. It pleases me to have current bands talk and promote how bands from the past have influenced their lives. The original artists of the songs covered by Stone Sour’s “Straight Outta Burbank” should feel honored, pleased and respect the effort taken to not do any injustice to their originals. Masterfully done I highly recommend this EP for all ages, it is the real deal.
