It was 2006. Slipknot was coming off the back of Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), and the metal world was essentially holding its breath to see if Corey Taylor’s "other" band was just a side project or a legitimate force. Then came Stone Sour Come Whatever May. It didn't just answer the question. It blew the doors off the hinges.
Honestly, looking back at that mid-2000s era, rock music was in a weird spot. Post-grunge was getting stale. Nu-metal was dying a slow, noisy death. But this album? It felt different. It was heavy, sure, but it had this polished, melodic grit that felt like a bridge between the chaotic Iowa woods and the radio-friendly airwaves of Los Angeles.
The Nick Raskulinecz Factor and a Band Finding Its Teeth
You can't talk about Stone Sour Come Whatever May without mentioning Nick Raskulinecz. The man is a legend for a reason. He’d already worked with Foo Fighters, and he knew exactly how to capture Corey Taylor’s voice without making it sound like a Slipknot Lite version.
The production on this record is massive. It's thick. It’s the kind of sound that makes your car speakers rattle in a way that feels intentional rather than broken. Jim Root’s guitar work here is often overlooked because people focus so much on his Slipknot riffs, but his interplay with Josh Rand on tracks like "30/30-150" is basically a masterclass in modern hard rock rhythm. They weren't just playing chords; they were building a wall of sound.
Wait. Let’s talk about that opening track. "30/30-150." What a statement. It’s named after Taylor’s jeans and shirt size at the time—a weirdly personal bit of trivia—but the song itself is an absolute monster. It set the tone for the entire album. If you thought Stone Sour was just the "Bother" band, you were wrong. Very wrong.
Breaking Down the "Through Glass" Phenomenon
If you were alive and had a radio in 2006, you heard "Through Glass." You probably heard it twice an hour. It’s one of those rare songs that manages to be a massive commercial success without losing its soul. Taylor wrote it in a hotel room while staring at a music video channel, feeling disgusted by the "plastic" nature of the industry. The irony? It became one of the biggest industry hits of the year.
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The song is simple. It’s a few acoustic chords and a haunting vocal melody. But the build-up? That’s where the magic happens. By the time the full band kicks in, it feels earned. It’s not just a ballad; it’s an anthem about disconnection.
"I'm looking at you through the glass... I don't know how much time has passed."
It’s crazy how well those lyrics have aged. In a world of social media and digital barriers, "Through Glass" feels more relevant today than it did twenty years ago. We are all looking through glass now.
The Tracks Most People Ignore (But Shouldn't)
Everyone knows the singles. "Sillyworld," "Made of Scars," "Through Glass." But the real meat of Stone Sour Come Whatever May is buried in the deep cuts.
Take "Reborn," for example. It’s fast. It’s aggressive. It borders on thrash metal at points. Then you have "Your God," which is basically a middle finger to religious hypocrisy. It shows a side of the band that wasn't afraid to get political or confrontational.
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And then there’s "Zzyzx Rd."
What a weird, beautiful way to end an album. Named after a real road in the Mojave Desert, it’s a piano-driven ballad that sounds like something Elton John might have written if he grew up listening to Black Sabbath. It’s vulnerable in a way that felt almost uncomfortable for a "tough" rock band back then. But that’s the thing about Stone Sour—they never cared about staying in one lane.
The Special Edition and the Bonus Content
If you only have the standard version, you're missing out. The 2007 Special Edition added tracks like "Freeze Dry Seal" and a cover of Chris Isaak’s "Wicked Game." Covering "Wicked Game" is a rite of passage for rock singers, but Taylor’s version is genuinely haunting. It strips away the 80s gloss and replaces it with raw, gravelly desperation.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of singles. People don't really listen to "albums" as cohesive journeys anymore. But Stone Sour Come Whatever May was built to be heard from start to finish. It has an arc. It starts with a punch to the face, moves into social commentary, dips into deep depression, and ends with a glimmer of hope on a desert road.
It’s also a reminder of when rock music felt dangerous but accessible. It didn't need a viral TikTok dance to succeed. It succeeded because the songs were undeniably good and the performances were lethal. Roy Mayorga’s drumming on this record—his first with the band—brought a swing and a power that redefined their sound. He didn't just keep time; he drove the bus.
The Legacy of the "Second" Album
They say you have your whole life to write your first album and six months to write your second. Stone Sour took four years. That gap between their self-titled debut and this record allowed them to grow up. They weren't kids anymore. They were world-class musicians who had toured the globe and seen the ugly side of the dream.
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You can hear that exhaustion and experience in every note. It’s a "grown-up" rock record. It deals with heartbreak, addiction, and the vapid nature of fame without sounding whiny. It’s stoic.
Common Misconceptions About the Record
Some people claim this album was the beginning of the end for the "heavy" Stone Sour. That's nonsense. While it definitely embraced more melody, it’s arguably heavier than the debut because the heaviness is more calculated. It's not just noise for the sake of noise.
Others think it was just a Slipknot side project. If you listen to "Made of Scars," you’ll realize Slipknot could never have recorded that song. It requires a specific type of groove that only this lineup possessed. Jim Root and Corey Taylor were clearly using Stone Sour to scratch a different itch, and that itch resulted in some of the best songwriting of their careers.
Actionable Ways to Rediscover the Album
If it's been a decade since you spun this record, or if you're a new fan coming from the Corey Taylor solo stuff, here is how to actually digest this beast:
- Listen to the "Live at the Moscow" versions. Several tracks from this era were recorded live and show just how much more aggressive these songs become on stage.
- Compare "Sillyworld" to modern news cycles. The lyrics about "protesting the protesters" and the "brand-name" revolution feel eerily prophetic.
- Check out the "30/30-150" music video. It’s a time capsule of 2006 aesthetic—gritty, high-contrast, and full of raw energy.
- A/B test the mixing. Listen to the original mix and then the 10th-anniversary remaster. You'll notice the low end on the remaster is much tighter, making the guitars pop in a way the 2006 CD couldn't quite manage.
Stone Sour Come Whatever May isn't just a nostalgia trip. It's a high-water mark for 21st-century hard rock. It proved that you could be heavy, melodic, and commercially successful without selling your soul. It’s an album that demands to be played loud, preferably while driving too fast on a highway that leads nowhere.
Grab your best headphones. Turn off your phone. Let the feedback of "30/30-150" rip through your skull. You’ll remember why you fell in love with this genre in the first place.