What do you when all of the pain in your music that you’ve drawn on for years fades away?

After three albums of misery and suffering, Staind’s “14 Shades of Grey,” set for release May 20, digresses from lyricist and vocalist Aaron Lewis’ troubled past. The scars of heartache are still there, sure. But “Shades” shows remarkable growth for the band – if not musically, then at least emotionally. The newer elements on the album – forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude and love among them – immediately jump out.

The change in message that Lewis penned for the album is easily explained.

“His life’s changed a lot,” drummer Jon Wysocki said, explaining that Lewis is now happily married with a one-year-old daughter. “You can’t keep writing the same old record over and over.”

Wysocki says that while “there’s no sunshine on it,” there are lighter sides on “14 Shades” that did not appear on the band’s past albums. He attributes it to the growth and evolution of the band’s members, both as people and musicians.

The Springfield natives openly experiment with parts of the new album, releasing some of the softest music they have ever touched before. While Wysocki says he thinks listeners will find the music heavier, the band comes across shockingly tender on other tracks, leaving listeners with multiple “shades of grey” to digest.

Lewis’ improved outlook on life is immediately apparent with the record’s third track, “So Far Away.” Lewis pensively sings about the way his life has changed for the better, with swirling guitars behind him building to a chorus many listeners probably thought they would never hear from Staind.

“Now that we’re here, so far away/ And I feel like I can face the day/ I can forgive, and I’m not ashamed/ To be the person that I am today,” Lewis sings.

It’s a revelation for the band: a song doesn’t have to be brooding, angry or sad to be good. A standout track on the album, “Fill Me Up,” also breaks ground for the band. While the track features the riff from hell that could compete with much of the heavy music the band has released before, the song is about being in love.

“You fill me up,” Lewis sings. “You’re in my veins/ Our love could take my breath away/ And all these things you give away/ Sometimes I take for granted.”

This isn’t to say that all of the songs with brighter lyrics are exceptional. While “Zoe Jane,” a song Lewis wrote to his daughter, will probably win the hearts of mothers nationwide, many longtime Staind fans will mourn it as the end of the band’s snarling persona.

Gratitude is another element to “14 Shades” that was before void for Staind – especially in the aptly titled “Layne,” a song thanking the late Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley for the positive influence his music had on the band’s lives.

“It had a pretty big one, actually,” Wysocki said of the Alice in Chains influence on Staind. “I think even more so for Aaron.”

In “Layne,” Lewis directly addresses Staley post-mortem. “The words you sang/ They will always be a part of me/ The words you sang/ You made me feel like I was not alone/ The words you sang/ You gave me strength to carry on,” Lewis sings.

Lewis’ past does surface several times on the album despite the newer feelings expressed, and those tend to be the stronger tracks on the album. On “Fray,” a dark, reflective number, the lyrics betray the older feelings: “Would you listen even if I told you?/ Who the f— am I to say/ You’re too busy with the lies they sold you/ …While the edges slowly fray.”

That song, and several standouts like it, including “Yesterday,” “Reality” and the first single, “Price to Play,” serve as strong reminders of where the band’s roots lie: Anger and frustration.

Overall, it is clear that the band’s sound is gradually evolving. With the anger toned down, the throaty roars and buzzing guitars of past tunes like “Suffocate,” “Mudshovel,” and “Can’t Believe” are gone. Perhaps half of the album would fit in on “Break the Cycle,” which lamented not only personal failings, but failings in the world at large. Little of it would fit in on their older albums, “Dysfunction” and “Tormented,” with the roaring rage and isolation that coursed through them.

The end product on “14 Shades of Grey” is good, but it has some weaknesses too. Several of the later tracks on the album, such as “Tonight” and “Intro,” fade together into monotony. At times, it sounds the band is still trying to find their way. Staind is no longer comfortable sitting in the niche it has as one of the preeminent pained rockers on the market. While it’s good that the band is trying something new, there are hits and misses with those things they try.

“14 Shades of Grey” isn’t as compelling as 2001’s “Break the Cycle,” but if it’s taken for what it is, fans will still find it worth a listen. Staind may be changing with newfound personal happinesses, but they can still put together a pretty good rock album.