The sixth full-length effort from the stalwart Florida alt-rockers, The Things We Can't Stop is Cold's first new collection of songs in eight years. Far removed from the harsh Korn- and Tool-influenced sound that earned the group commercial accolades in the early 2000s, the 12-track set hews closer to the dour post-grunge atmospherics of 2011's Superfiction. Commencing with the anti-bullying anthem "Shine," the first of a slew of midtempo rockers that flex both sonic and emotional heft, The Things We Can't Stop paces and frets, but unlike the group's early works, it does its best to bear the weight of the world instead of just raging against it. Frontman Scooter Ward may be the lone original member, but Nick Coyle (guitar, keys, backing vocals), Lindsay Manfredi (bass), and Aaron Fulton (drums) are locked into the Cold vibe, administering dense soundscapes for the brooding crooner to reckon with. There's an icy metallic sheen to "Without You" and "Systems Fail," both of which benefit from a much-needed shift in tempo, and "Devil in You," with its rolling backbeat and widescreen atmospherics, builds to a roaring crescendo, but The Things We Can't Stop never really takes off. Cold have always been nu-metal outliers who are just as interested in texture -- and inducing a sea of Bic lighters/cell phones -- as they are decibels, and six albums in, they've officially left the scene. This is commercial-grade active rock angst made with great care and sincerity, and it resonates, but on a mostly superficial/ripped-from-the-headlines level. Longtime fans and aging nu-metallers might get a charge out of it, but slick, midtempo alternative rock with elements of post-grunge, shoegaze, and a dusting of heavy metal is a hard sell in 2019.The sixth full-length effort from the stalwart Florida alt-rockers, The Things We Can't Stop is Cold's first new collection of songs in eight years. Far removed from the harsh Korn- and Tool-influenced sound that earned the group commercial accolades in the early 2000s, the 12-track set hews closer to the dour post-grunge atmospherics of 2011's Superfiction. Commencing with the anti-bullying anthem "Shine," the first of a slew of midtempo rockers that flex both sonic and emotional heft, The Things We Can't Stop paces and frets, but unlike the group's early works, it does its best to bear the weight of the world instead of just raging against it. Frontman Scooter Ward may be the lone original member, but Nick Coyle (guitar, keys, backing vocals), Lindsay Manfredi (bass), and Aaron Fulton (drums) are locked into the Cold vibe, administering dense soundscapes for the brooding crooner to reckon with. There's an icy metallic sheen to "Without You" and "Systems Fail," both of which benefit from a much-needed shift in tempo, and "Devil in You," with its rolling backbeat and widescreen atmospherics, builds to a roaring crescendo, but The Things We Can't Stop never really takes off. Cold have always been nu-metal outliers who are just as interested in texture -- and inducing a sea of Bic lighters/cell phones -- as they are decibels, and six albums in, they've officially left the scene. This is commercial-grade active rock angst made with great care and sincerity, and it resonates, but on a mostly superficial/ripped-from-the-headlines level. Longtime fans and aging nu-metallers might get a charge out of it, but slick, midtempo alternative rock with elements of post-grunge, shoegaze, and a dusting of heavy metal is a hard sell in 2019.false2022-11-22 02:50:44The Things We Can't Stop720192019-01-012019-01-0146Alternative RockGrungeHeavy MetalNu MetalPost-GrungeRock1146412327989d37fa55a-1c3e-4c73-865c-55550b6d1b4bd9a2f1e6-6429-41ce-9d32-9a66188fb39c4872f0da-e683-4b5d-93ad-46f8c7d1e0dbColdAlbumArtistColdArtistColdColdCold is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 1986 by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Scooter Ward, drummer Sam McCandless, bassist Jeremy Marshall and lead guitarist Matt Loughran. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes during its existence, with Ward being the band’s only constant member.
In 1997, at the urging of Fred Durst, Flip Records/A&M Records signed Cold to a recording contract. The band's debut album, Cold (1998), sold poorly due to A&M's closure in the months following its release, resulting in the band moving to Geffen Records. Cold found mainstream success with 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage (2000) and its follow-up Year of the Spider (2003), which saw the band incorporate influences of post-grunge and alternative rock into their sound; both albums were certified Gold by the RIAA, with the latter reaching number three on the Billboard 200 chart and producing the band's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, "Stupid Girl". However, Cold would soon part ways with Geffen in March 2004 over disputes surrounding the promotion of Year of the Spider, and went through a succession of lineup changes throughout the rest of the year.
Cold signed with Lava Records in July 2004, who released their fourth album, A Different Kind of Pain (2005); the album's more sombre, downbeat tone alienated fans and subsequently failed to repeat the success of the band's prior albums. After a period of uncertainty, Cold announced their disbandment In November 2006. In July 2008, it was announced that the original line-up would reunite for a tour in early 2009, which later spiralled into a fully fledged reunion. The band have since released two more studio albums; Superfiction in 2011, and their most recent album, The Things We Can't Stop, in 2019.