Last week we gave Staind's new album quite a hard time, so will it be more of the same for another bunch of emotional nu-metal scenesters, Taproot? Actually no, because their third album Blue-Sky Research has more ideas and ambition in one song than Staind managed in the entirity of Chapter V of their tiresome story.

Sure, there are moments on Blue-Sky Research where singer Stephen Richards indulges the cliched nu-metal howls that the Def Korn Bizkit groups all made essential all those years ago, but there's plenty more going on here than mere Jonathan Davis impersonations.

Producer Toby Wright, who was at the helm for second album Welcome, apparently made Taproot come up with around 80 songs for this album, which should, in theory at least, mean that only the very best made it.

Even more intruigingly, Smashing Pumpkins legend Billy Corgan co-wrote three of the songs for BSR, giving it a much more melodic edge than their previous work, but without compromising their 'integrity', which is of course so important for those hoodie-wearing sk8er bois and grrls.

One of the Corgan co-penned songs is Violent Seas, which is both anthemic and heavy without being too 'commercial' or too 'extreme'. First single Calling is another great mix of old and new-style Taproot, which earned a lot of airplay on US alternative rock radio stations.

Corgan's influence really comes through on Promise, which starts off with a very Pumpkins-esque guitar riff, quite reminiscent of 1979 in fact. It is certainly the poppiest song on BSR, which could annoy the purists but could also be another potential crossover hit for the band, which is of course what the record label would love.

Bands have to try and make money for their companies otherwise they get dropped, and while some fans won't like the softening of Taproot's sound, there are still enough songs like the creepy Nightmare to keep them feeling happily depressed. And it's certainly a hell of a lot better than that Staind album...