Hydrograd

Hydrograd is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stone Sour. Recorded at Sphere Studios in Los Angeles, it is the follow-up to the band's 2012–2013 double concept album, House of Gold & Bones Part 1 and 2. It was released worldwide on June 30, 2017 via Roadrunner Records. Hydrograd also had a special album premier with commentary on each song from frontman Corey Taylor on June 29, 2017 on Octane (Sirius XM). Two singles were released in promotion of the album ahead of its release: "Fabuless" and "Song #3". A third single, "Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)", was released on September 13, 2017. On October 24, 2017, Hydrograd won the award for Hard Rock Album of the Year at the Loudwire Music Awards. On April 4, 2018, the album’s fourth single, “St. Marie” was released. Hydrograd is the first album to be produced without founding guitarist Jim Root, as he departed Stone Sour in 2014 to focus more on his and Corey's other band Slipknot. On August 23, 2018, the album's fifth single, "Knievel Has Landed" has been released. Hydrograd is the last album before singer Corey Taylor announced that Stone Sour will enter a indefinite hiatus on August 10, 2020.

Hydrograd
Studio album by Stone Sour
Released	June 30, 2017 (2017-06-30)
Recorded	2017
Studio	Sphere Studios, North Hollywood, Los Angeles
Genre	Hard rock[1][2] heavy metal alternative metal
Length	65:14
Label	Roadrunner 1686-174542
Producer	Jay Ruston
Stone Sour chronology
Straight Outta Burbank... (2015) Hydrograd (2017)

Development

According to Johny Chow, the record is said to be a departure from previous Stone Sour albums, more of a rock-and-roll album. He also mentions that the album has more of a groove feel to it and very melodic with large choruses added to it. A total of 19 songs were recorded, with 15 making the final cut on the standard edition, while the other 4 were later released on the deluxe version.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	73/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Blabbermouth.net	[6]
Cryptic Rock	[7]
Kerrang!	[8]
Loudwire	(Positive)[9]
Rock Sins	[10]
Metal Injection	[11]

Reviews for Hydrograd were very positive. Ali Cooper of Rock Sins gave the record a 10 out of 10, calling it a risk-taking gem for Stone Sour and Slipknot fans.[10]

Commercial performance

Hydrograd debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 with 33,000 album-equivalent units, with 30,000 of that figure coming from pure album sales.[12] Hydrograd would go on to win Hard Rock Album of the Year in the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards

Track listing

All lyrics written by Corey Taylor; all music composed and performed by Stone Sour.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"YSIF"	2:02
2.	"Taipei Person/Allah Tea"	5:16
3.	"Knievel Has Landed"	4:01
4.	"Hydrograd"	4:37
5.	"Song #3"	4:16
6.	"Fabuless"	4:00
7.	"The Witness Trees"	4:45
8.	"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)"	4:56
9.	"Thank God It's Over"	3:36
10.	"St. Marie"	4:27
11.	"Mercy"	3:23
12.	"Whiplash Pants"	4:19
13.	"Friday Knights"	5:17
14.	"Somebody Stole My Eyes"	3:47
15.	"When the Fever Broke"	6:32
Total length:		65:14

Japanese Bonus Track

No.	Title	Length
16.	"Burn One Turn One"	3:19
17.	"Unchained" (Van Halen cover)	3:25
Total length:		71:58

Deluxe Edition [13]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Burn One Turn One"	3:19
2.	"Bootleg Ginger"	3:36
3.	"Live Like You're on Fire"	4:33
4.	"Subversive"	3:55
5.	"Unchained" (Van Halen cover)	3:25
6.	"Bombtrack" (Rage Against the Machine cover)	4:13
7.	"Outshined" (Soundgarden cover Live at Sphere Studios)	5:15
8.	"Song #3" (acoustic)	3:56
9.	"Mercy" (acoustic)	3:21
10.	"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)" (acoustic)	4:53
11.	"The Witness Trees" (acoustic)	4:25
12.	"Mercy" (Live at Sphere Studios)	3:25
13.	"Fabuless" (Live at Sphere Studios)	4:03
Total length:		52:10

Personnel

Stone Sour Corey Taylor – lead vocals, guitars, backing vocals Josh Rand – guitars, backing vocals Roy Mayorga – drums, backing vocals Christian Martucci – guitar, backing vocals, talk-box on "Live Like You're on Fire" Johny Chow – bass, backing vocals Artwork Stone Sour, Invisible Creature, INC. – art direction Ryan Clark for Invisible Creature, INC. – album design Travis Shinn – photography Production Jay Ruston − producer, engineering, mixing Francesco Cameli – engineering Alejndo Baima – engineering John Douglass – additional engineering Paul Logus – mastering Ron "REM" Massingill – guitar and bass technician Jon Nicholson – drum technician Gary Myerberg – studio technician

Additional musicians Pearl Aday – backing vocals on "St. Marie" Joel Martin – Pedal steel guitar on "St. Marie" Sergei Ponzirelli – special voice-over on "YSIF" Dan Kaneyuki – orchestral musicians Brian Mantz – orchestral musicians Megan Milius – backing vocals George Adrian – backing vocals Alejandro Baima – backing vocals Francesco Cameli – backing vocals Rem Massingill – backing vocals Jason Christopher – backing vocals Matthew "Stubs" Phillips – backing vocals

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14]	2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15]	5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16]	22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17]	27
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[18]	7
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[19]	16
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[20]	14
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21]	4
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[22]	17
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[23]	6
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24]	3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25]	4
UK Albums (OCC)[26]	5
US Billboard 200[27]	8
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[28]	1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[29]	2

References

1. "In Stone Sour's 'Hydrograd,' Corey Taylor trades anger for absolution - Reviews - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
2. "2017 Loudwire Music Awards Nominees Revealed".
3. "Watch Stone Sour's Video For New Single 'Fabuless'". Blabbermouth.net. April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
4. "Reviews and Tracks for Hydrograd by Stone Sour". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
5. Monger, James Christopher. "Allmusic review". AllMusic.
6. Gorania, Jay (2017-06-30). "CD Reviews - Hydrograd Stone Sour". Blabbermouth.net.
7. "Stone Sour - Hydrograd (Album Review) - Cryptic Rock". crypticrock.com. 2017-06-28.
8. "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com.
9. Bowar, Chad. "Stone Sour, 'Hydrograd' – Album Review". Loudwire.
10. Cooper, Ali (2017-06-29). "Stone Sour – Hydrograd". Rock Sins.
11. "Album Review: STONE SOUR Hydrograd". 2017-07-10.
12. Caulfield, Keith (July 9, 2017). "DJ Khaled Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Calvin Harris Debuts at No. 2". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
13. "Stone Sour announce Hydrograd deluxe edition".
14. "Australiancharts.com – Stone Sour – Hydrograd". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
15. "Austriancharts.at – Stone Sour – Hydrograd" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
16. "Ultratop.be – Stone Sour – Hydrograd" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
17. "Ultratop.be – Stone Sour – Hydrograd" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
18. "Stone Sour Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
19. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201727 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
20. "Stone Sour: Hydrograd" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Stone Sour – Hydrograd" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
22. "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2017. 27. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
23. "Charts.nz – Stone Sour – Hydrograd". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
24. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
25. "Swisscharts.com – Stone Sour – Hydrograd". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
26. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
27. "Stone Sour Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
28. "Stone Sour Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
29. "Stone Sour Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.