It has already been seven years since Staind emerged as a heavy metal band while touring with Limp Bizkit in 1996. Few bands demonstrate their emotional progress as evidently as Staind, since their discography alone reads like a medical chart. They debuted with "Tormented" (1996), which was followed by "Dysfunction" (1999), their first big-seller "Break The Cycle" (2001) and finally "14 Shades Of Gray". Compared to the distorted and gruesome cover art of their three previous albums, their new album cover is clean, with nothing but their name in the middle of a solid gray background.The overall mood of this album seems to be the continuation of what Aaron Lewis sang about in "It's Been A While"-discovering the better side of life, life without drugs and self-hatred. They have shed a lot of the angst that drove their earlier songs and attracted their heavy metal fans, but it looks like Staind chose to follow their own desires in this versatile album, which is packed with emotive lyrics and exploratory instrumentals.

This album features 14 songs that represent songwriter Lewis' gradual, yet never-ending journey towards peace of mind. The album itself is analogous of Aaron's life, starting off with heavy guitar riffs and tormented outbursts, and more or less simmering down to the last track which features quiet echoes and drowsy vocals.

The first track is actually their first single off the album, "Price To Play," and is more representative of their old style than their recent songs. It is one of the least sophisticated songs of the album, with corny guitar riffs and vague lyrics. Its heavy metal sound misleads one into thinking that Staind is going "back to the basics," only to hear the next song, "How About You," which shows a more cheerful side of Staind that none of us have heard before. The transition between the contrasting songs is a little too drastic to be able to enjoy, yet the rest of the album flows much more smoothly.

In two of the songs, Lewis directly addresses the topic of Staind's somewhat recent fame and how he copes. In "So Far Away," he sings about the illusive and temporary nature of success: "These are my words/ That I've never said before/ I think I'm doing OK/ And this is the smile that I've never shown before/ Somebody shake me 'cause I must be sleeping." Its simple melody adds sincerity and beauty to this memorable song. "Tonight" is more of a quiet rebellion against the public expectations placed on him to keep playing the type of music that he no longer relates to: "I've watched you all grow up and so have I/ Inside this isn't really what I had in mind/ I know longer relate to this world of hate."

"Fray" is the song that most reveals Aaron's true vulnerability, as he talks about his rehabilitation experience: "I know that it never goes away/ All I feel, everything I'm not today/ So I try and I try to make everything right/ I don't feel like I'm doing it, if affects me."

The biggest surprise in this album is "Zoe Jane," a straightforward hymn to his newborn daughter who helped Aaron to rediscover himself. Ironically, she was born on the same day that Layne Staley (from Alice In Chains) died from a drug overdose, which he also sings about in "Layne." Alice In Chains was an important source of inspiration for Staind, and this tragic incident was hard to accept. Yet Aaron's optimism and strength shines through as he sings passionately in his honor.

The one downfall of this album is the fact that half of the songs seem to be either too loud to be ballads or too soft to be Rock. I am not criticizing all the rising bands of the alternative rock genre (e.g. Nickelback or Disturbed), but some of the vocals on the slower songs were drowned out by harsh instrumentals or vice versa. Aside from that, this album has very few fillers and merits hearty praise.

Aaron isn't completely fulfilled and he is still living with the ghosts from his past, so don't think that his music is completely transformed and unrecognizable. If you liked his old music, you should give this album a try. Whether you like the new Staind, it will be hard not to agree that they have improved in terms of artistry and execution. It is an album that truly demonstrates Aaron's professional and personal development. Although they have lost some of their old hardcore-head-rockin' fans, they will undoubtedly continue to broaden their audience with this masterpiece.