"At noon I would go up to the studio and start working. At 3 o'clock I would stop what I was doing in the studio and I would go and I would pick my daughter up from school and then go back up to the studio and work until 2 o'clock in the morning. And then get up at 6:30 in the morning with the baby again."

Lewis and his bandmates worked around that schedule for seven months. The goal was to make the band's heaviest record. Instead it turned out to be the group's most musical, thanks to producer Johnny K (Disturbed, 3 Doors Down).

"We took a lot of time trying to come up with the perfect tone, taking all the different guitars I have and comparing every guitar to every amp," Lewis said. "Sometimes we'd spend eight to 10 hours in a day trying to find the right sound. I think that's probably what was different than other things on the last album," "Chapter Five."

The band--which also includes guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki--was able to take its time because it wasn't in a fancy, expensive studio. As for the title of the album, Lewis said it came about during a conversation he had with his band.

"The illusion of progress applies to so many things in this world today," Lewis said. "I felt like it was a good title for the record. It came about when we were all standing around while we were supposed to be writing songs and just shooting the s--- and not really doing what we were supposed to be doing. Somebody said something and I said, 'It's like the illusion of progress.'

"Me and Johnny K looked at each other and we were like, 'That should be the name of the record.' Then, without any sort of conscious decision in doing it, it seems like every song on the record in one way or another could be applied to the illusion of progress."

Staind is on the road, playing a mix of co-headlining shows with 3 Doors Down, festival dates, and solo headlining dates. The itinerary is below.