Break the Cycle finds the band settling into a comfort zone somewhere between heavy death rock and introspective acoustic rock ballads. It's a perilous territory of inevitable humiliation and failure, but these New Englanders pull it off. The early runaway hits "Outside" and "It's Been a While" are dark acoustic rips that certainly dazed Staind's early fans, but come as no surprise to the band. "Once Staind was formed, Aaron and I would jam around town as this little mellow acoustic thing where I would play with brushes or whatever. We actually did 'Outside' and 'It's Been Awhile' back then. That was over three years ago right before we got signed. So those songs are that old."

Team Staind used all the ice while creating the new album. "The main riff is usually written by Mike but as far as arranging the song goes, it's a full-on collaboration. When I'm writing my drum part I pay most attention to the guitar because sometimes it can get a lit­tle busy and I don't want to stomp on him. I want to make him sound better so I try and think for the song. These guys are professionals and they know what they're doing. We've all been playing for a long time and I just let it happen. As long as it's always us and it sounds like us, then I'm good with it. I think we have a pretty diverse band where we can write acoustic songs and then be right in your face with something heavy. I'm totally down with that. 'Open Your Eyes' is probably my favorite track because it touches on everything. It's heavy, it's melodic, it's got a mellow part, and I like the groove.

"I think drumming should be straight up drums without all the electronic stuff. Although there is one song, 'Epiphany,' that is a drum machine. I didn't even play on it. That was the last song written on the record and Aaron went down to Miami to do the vocal track and I didn't even go. I didn't even know it was happening to be honest with you. And it ended up on the record. But, I'm totally cool with that. If it works for the band and the record then I'm down with it. Just because I didn't come up with it is really no big deal to me."

The record was produced by Josh Abraham (Korn, Crazy Town) and according to Wysocki, "Josh brought a lot to the studio. He helped us get some great sounds and he brought a real relaxed vibe that made the studio a comfortable working atmosphere. He had a lot of great ideas. A lot of times they would work out and sometimes it didn't feel like Staind and we wouldn't do it. He sat down with me in pre-production and we went over where I was placing my fills and made sure we were happy with it. He took the time to focus on the drums."

And it shows. Wysocki's kick drum gives more thud than Louie Anderson high diving into an empty pool. "The drums I used were amazing. I used an old Gretsch drum kit with an Orange County Percussion kick drum. It's a long kick drum (22" x 20") and I think that's where I get that punch. It's set up with PowerStroke heads, an Evans EQ pad inside, and a flat felt-top beater. I used Ross [Garfield] the Drum Doctor and he really helped me out. I think we used a different snare on every song. We used three mikes on the snare, to pick up a nice loud crack. I like my snare drum really tight. I like my kick drum to have a lot of punch to it and my toms really natural and open — a very live kind of sound. Playing live I use clear Emperors on my toms and in the studio I used clear Ambassadors just to bet a brighter sound."

Staind's live show is the epicenter of their success. Their high-energy open-heart performances not only landed them a record deal, but also continue to inspire thousands of new fans. "We're just pounding as hard as we can when we're up there. That's the most important part of our day. Everything else can suck with your whole day and you get up there on stage and that's your time. People are watching you and it has to be right. I try to play live exactly like the record. My band gets pissed when I don't. Sometimes different things come out though, [laughs]  "I'll kill myself when I'm up there [on stage] and not even realize it." So stamina and fitness are real considerations for the athletic thwacker. "I hit either the treadmill or the bike at least three or four times a week. And some very light weightlifting. I had some problems with my rotator cuff last year. I pulled it while weightlifting about three or four years ago and it came back last year while we were touring. I really struggled with it for a while. I had it looked at and it's healed up pretty good, but my arms still get a little sore. I do a lot of stretching before going on stage and I just moved up a stick size from 5A's to 5B's. I was trying to hit too hard and not getting enough power from the stick. It works out perfectly now."

Once the show gets started, surprisingly, it's usually every man for himself. "We don't really communicate much on stage. I thought it was weird when we first started, but everyone gets locked into their zone and it sounds tight. Hey, whatever works — and that seems to work for this band. We tape ourselves because we're critical of our performances and we always want to get better."

Part of getting better means practicing. Yes, even the touring pros take the time to concentrate on their craft and chisel those chops. Well, at least some of them do. Okay, most of them don't, but remember, Wysocki ain't the ordinary. "I just bought a V-Drum kit and I practice my chops on that. I definitely don't prac­tice Staind songs! [laughs] I work on different grooves that I can maybe use in different songs down the road. My playing plateaus everyone else's and to get out of that rut I'll go buy drumming videos and try to pick up stuff that they're doing and play it in my own way. Like I remember picking up a Dennis Chambers video and one by Gregg Bissonette. You get inspired by those guys because they're unbelievable. It gives you a different perspective and you can be creative again. And listening to CDs helps too. Right now I'm listening to Steely Dan's new album, the new Stereomud, and Tool — they're absolutely amazing.

"You can never be afraid to learn from someone else. You have to drop your pride sometimes. Just because you're a better player than someone doesn't mean you can't learn from them. Once you stop learning and you think you're the man, you're done. Because you're not the man. There's someone who is going to come along and kick your ass all over the place." A lesson no doubt learned from a crushing stick check in a lonely corner of the rink.

"We've learned so much from other bands' mistakes. And we've been really fortunate to be surrounded by really good people," says Wysocki of the band's admittedly good fortune. "A lot of times in this business you're pushed into things you don't want to do. The business is treacherous and it boils down to a money thing. Every band will tell you you're going to get screwed on your first album. It doesn't matter who you are, you're going to get screwed. It's just part of the business and there's really nothing anyone can do about it. But, whatever, you have to do it. You have to go through with the process. You have to make a first record and go on tour for no money and do photo shoots and do in-store appearances and meet-and-greets and some things you really don't want to do at the time. But you have to do it and it's all good. It's part of the job and it's something I've always wanted to do, so I really can't bitch about it."

The irony of the double-edged music business keeps many skeptics anxiously awaiting the ultimate demise of a quick rising band like Staind. "That's going to happen. There's a lot of jealousy out there and ultimately that's the way this business is too. You know, 'Here today gone tomorrow.' And we're fully aware of that. All we can really do is to not think about that and just keep writing music and doing what we do — being real to ourselves and being real to our fans. Hopefully we can hang in there as long as possible. We have so many other places to go and so many other songs to write. We have a lot of talent in this band and I think we'll stick around."

Springfield Massachusetts can't be that big of a town. Surely Wysocki made it to the tattoo shop by now. "Yeah, I'm getting this piece on my arm finished up. It's like this skull and flame thing. You know, your typical tattoo thing. I have all this other whacked stuff on my arm, so I thought I needed some skulls." Hey, why not?

Jon once had long hair...