Audio Secrecy [Special Edition, CD+DVD]

Stone Sour | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 7, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Special Edition, CD+DVD
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B003UNNAZ6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,029 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Audio Secrecy

2. Mission Statement

3. Digital (Did You Tell)

4. Say You'll Haunt Me

5. Dying

6. Let's Be Honest

7. Unfinished

8. Hesitate

9. Nylon 6/6

10. Miracles

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. 45 Minute in-studio documentary on the MAKING OF 'AUDIO SECRECY'

2. Made of Scars (Live from the Download Festival 2010)

3. Hell and Consequences (Live from the Download Festival 2010)

4. Mission Statement (Live from the Download Festival 2010)

Editorial Reviews

-Special Edition includes 3 bonus tracks, a 45 minute documentary on 'The Making of Audio Secrecy' and 3 live videos from their Download 2010 performance.

'Audio Secrecy' is an album free of stylistic limitations. 'It's everything I've ever wanted to do on one album,' says vocalist Corey Taylor. 'It's heavy, it's melodic, it's dark, it's slow, it's light and it's beautiful. You'll hear something different with each listen.
Stone Sour recorded 'Audio Secrecy' with 'Come What(ever) May' producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Deftones) at Nashville's Blackbird Studios.
The album's title is a play on words for idiosyncrasy. 'I'm a fan of double meanings and metaphorical speak,' muses Taylor. 'There are so many levels to what those two words combined could mean. As a title, it perfectly fit the album.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stone Sour flex their melodic muscles to the limit on Audio Secrecy..., September 11, 2010

By 

Hostile Apostle (Midwestern Somewhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Audio Secrecy (Audio CD)

I attended the Rockstar Uproar Festival 2010 concert in Chicago in August and all three main bands -- Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, and Stone Sour -- put on a terrific live show. Out of the three, A7X put on the best performance (unbelievable pyrotechnics), but the other two did not disappoint. Furthermore, all three bands have put out recent albums: A7X - Nightmare; Disturbed - Asylum; and Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy. While Asylum was a bit of a bore to me (three or four solid tunes), A7X and Stone Sour delivered very enjoyable discs.

Audio Secrecy is undoubtedly much more melodic and heavy on harmonies than previous releases. Stone Sour's self-titled debut and Come What(ever) May each had tender moments, but ultimately showed off the Slipknot-ier side of the band -- raw and powerful riffs coupled with Corey's unmistakable screams/growls. Audio Secrecy is quite diverse, ranging from a few heavier tracks ("Mission Statement," "Unfinished," "The Bitter End") to those that strive for the mainstream appeal that previous singles have ("Dying," "Hesitate," and most notably "Imperfect," the latter of which could be labeled as this album's "Bother"). Most of the tracks, however, manage to find a medium-balance in heavy and poppy hooks, with lead singer Corey Taylor showing off his vocal range more than ever, opening the door for a broader audience. The hardcore fans will agree that the sound is a bit watered down, while the casual fan will find delight and satisfaction with Audio Secrecy's expanded diversity.

I suggest reaching for the deluxe version, which includes some of the album's best songs: "Hate Not Gone," "Anna," and "Home Again." Three stars for the standard version and four stars for the deluxe.

Highlights:

Hate Not Gone
Anna
Unfinished
Imperfect
Threadbare
The Bitter End
Say You'll Haunt Me

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fans Might Find Some Idiosyncrasies on Audio Secrecy, September 11, 2010

By 

Sky (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Audio Secrecy (Audio CD)

Corey Taylor (Slipknot) leads Stone Sour with the best Hard Rock release of 2010, and there's no mistaking Taylor's signature Slipknot sound. But Stone Sour moves far away from Slipknot's complicated, chaotic arrangements to a more clearly sung, melodic rock sound. Make no mistake...Audio Secrecy is full of pounding Heavy Metal arrangements, but the vocals never stray into the hardcore Lamb of God I'm-the-Devil-and-I'm-pissed department. Instead you get driving music with quality singing.

These guys are as Hard Rock as it gets. Unlike the infestation of guitar sololess, unlistenable pop hard rock bands that dominate the radio today, the guitars are set free in Stone Sour. James Root (also from Slipknot) and Josh Rand share the 6-string duties and blister their way through the disk. Ex-Soulfly drummer Ray Mayorga impresses on the skins. And Slipknot's stage manager Shawn Economaki rocks the bass. And don't expect Nu Metal with Stone Sour either...expect mostly Hard Rock...period.

There are standout tracks aplenty. The first track aptly named Audio Secrecy is a 2 minute intro, then tracks 2 through 7 just start to tear it up. Mission Statement (Track 2) and Digital (track 3) are two of the best Hard Rock songs that I've heard in a while. Track 4 called Say You'll Haunt Me is already getting some radio play, and my guess is that there could be a few songs that the radio will notice on this disk, the next most likely being track 10 called Miracles.

And songs like Miracles might disappoint some Hard Rockers. Miracles has a ballady rhythm, the kind of ballady sound that gave Through Glass so much air time from their last disk Come Whatever May. And Audio Secrecy has its share of kinder, gentler radio friendly rock. And there a couple of pure ballads. So dedicated Metal Heads beware. But it's all really good. I would stop way short of saying that some of the songs on Audio Secrecy come close to being the type of Pop Hard Rock that I mentioned earlier as unlistenable. Not a single song on Audio Secrecy is unlistenable or makes you want to skip the track. I'm tellin' ya, this is one great overall record.

Often times head-banging, often times straight melodic rock. Either way, Corey Taylor's vocals are always understandable and he sings his lungs (and on a couple of tacks his heart) out on Audio Secrecy.

On the Special Edition you get 3 bonus tracks that are actually pretty good for bonus tracks. And of course the big delight with the Special Edition is the DVD. You get an enjoyable look inside the band with about a 45 minute long Making of Audio Secrecy documentary...albeit quite unprofessionally produced. The most interesting thing for me was learning what a crazy guy Taylor is, and not in a Slipknot kind of way, in a comical, clowning around all the time, big teddy bear kind of way. And then the DVD also shows you some of Stone Sour's performances from the 2010 Download Festival. There's no Digital Surround sound for any of the DVD, but the 3 performances absolutely kick it out of Donington Park. You get Mission Statement. Made of Scars and Hell & Consequences.

I highly recommend the Audio Secrecy Special Edition to all Hard Rockers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This band just keeps getting better., October 7, 2010

By 

Ryder - See all my reviews

This review is from: Audio Secrecy (Audio CD)

Stone Sour is not Slipknot. Sure the similarities are obvious, but this is not even the same band as their last album, "Come (what)ever May". The members are the same, the producer is the same, but this is a band growing into it's own. The heavier songs are great, "Unfinished" and "Mission Statement" being the highlights of that genre, and the ballads are as haunting as ever. "Miracles" is the song everyone talks about, but I found myself humming "Hesitate" more. I am not a real ballad fan, but can appreciate them when they are done well (Slipknot's "Snuff" comes to mind), and these songs are extremely well done. The band is tight as ever, with Corey Taylor's vocals always being the showcase, but the twin guitar attack of Root and Rand is awesome. These two can flat out play. The rhythm section section is good, with Roy Mangora's drums really standing out. I love every song on this album, and find it curious that the 3 extra songs, "Hate Not Gone", "Anna" and "Home Again" are "bonus" tracks and not part of the original album. I have heard a ton of complaints that the album is not like their debut or it's follow-up, but who wants to hear the same album 3 years later? I loved Disturbed but found myself listening to "Asylum" thinking that every song could have easily belonged on "Indestructible". "Audio Secrecy" and "Asylum" came out a week apart and Stone Sour is the one I find myself coming back to over and over. A great album all the way through, this is a true rarity in today's music scene. Well done.