Single Review: “Fabuless” by Stone Sour

Stone Sour photo by Travis Shinn

Many years ago before we would be well accustomed to Corey Taylor putting on his different masks in Slipknot, he was in a band called Stone Sour whose music leaned more towards the adult alternative scene reminiscent of bands that emerged from the mid-90’s to late 90’s.

In Stone Sour, Corey Taylor is able to showcase his more melodic chops in his singing with less screaming, and more balanced out vocals that did not strain his voice so much. This strikingly different vocal style he utilizes in Stone Sour compared to that in Slipknot pleasantly surprised many of his fans and followers that he could sing this way proving there is much versatility in his singing voice.

Stone Sour was, in fact, the band that Corey Taylor was first a member of before he was recruited to join Slipknot after their original lead vocalist parted ways with them. Interestingly enough, it was not difficult for the original members to recruit Corey Taylor to become the new frontman of their band because he was a fan of the original incarnation of Slipknot and thus was very familiar with their brand of music. Uncannily, Corey Taylor became the missing puzzle found that took Slipknot to new and greater heights.

While Slipknot would become one of the biggest and most commercially successful rock bands from the late 90’s to mid-2000’s, what some do not know is that even when Corey Taylor had dedicated more of his time with Slipknot, his other band Stone Sour was always there for him to come back to and perform with.

To be clear, Stone Sour is not a side-project or “a band on the side” for Corey Taylor. Stone Sour is his band also. And now that Slipknot is in “hibernation status” for the time being, Stone Sour has come back to the forefront once more.

Below is my single review of Stone Sour’s brand new lead single “Fabuless” from the band’s soon-to-be-released studio album ‘Hydrograd’ from Roadrunner Records.

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What is the production value of “Fabuless”?

From the pounding of the drums, the fiery guitar riff, and to hear such strong vocal work coming from Corey Taylor… you will be hooked and would want to finish listening to “Fabuless” to the very end. This single just grabs you from the get-go and demands your whole attention.

This is one of the heavier tracks to have come from Stone Sour in some time and it is perfectly suited for the theme of “Fabuless”. When you listen to it, you will know why.

For me, this is a perfect example of how rock music should sound–straightforward, no nonsense. Listening to a track like this just brings back memories for me of why rock music will always be one of my most favorite genres.

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What is the overall meaning of “Fabuless”?

To my understanding, in “Fabuless” Corey Taylor is singing about how the “Pop Bubble” has now seemingly ruled everything we hear on the radio and watch on music channels. It is dominating streaming services and what we get to see often utilized on social networking sites. It is the absurd reality of not living in the real world. It is refusing to acknowledge what is right there in front of you. It is purposely turning a blind eye to current events and important issues.

While it is not rare to hear songs like this coming from rock bands, what caught my attention was hearing a few lines that sounded like an admission to me… that Corey Taylor ironically sees himself being classified as belonging in that “Pop Bubble” for some reason by people who do not know better. He may be categorized as a popular artist but he definitely does not belong to the so-called “Pop Bubble” because he has repeatedly stated so in many interviews that he, in fact, abhors Pop music.

And to add to that, Corey Taylor is one of the most passionate artists when it comes to speaking out against any rules of conformity that “must be followed” when one is part of the music industry because he believes it will suppress the true individuality of the artist. And he is absolutely correct about that.

Stone Sour’s brand new lead single “Fabuless” is anything but ordinary.

Thumbs Up!