Papa Roach: 'Metamorphosis'
Back in the early 2000s’ when NuMetal was the music genre of the youth, Papa Roach were king. Along with other teen bothering bands Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, they reigned supreme through the stereos of baggy trouser wearing youths all across the world. Their songs were anthems to misunderstood teens and adults alike, with their powerful lyrics and addictive riffs living long in the memory. However, it is no longer the early 2000s’, and Papa Roach are no longer King. After struggling to live up to their monumental rise, they have failed to come close to debut Infest after almost a decade of near misses and flops. Unfortunately, Metamorphosis is no exception.
Struggle seems to be very much the key word for Papa Roach these days. Songs appear laboured and almost forced, with the natural flow that made their first released songs so irresistible all but gone. Opener “Change Or Die” shows great promise early on, with a dramatic intro filled with pinch harmonics and pounding drums. The base riff is also pleasing, with the familiar dirty distortion and overdrive reminiscent of the Nu Metal heyday. Unfortunately this joy is short lived, with vocalist Shaddix stripping away any credibility with substandard lyrics and vocal melodies of a base level. The guitars also follow suit, reverting to power metal chords of such a simple nature that it is impossible not to give a sigh and wonder what you’ve let yourself in for. What is frustrating is seeing potential that, with a more conscientious approach, could be cultivated but is instead destroyed out of hand in one fell swoop.
It is the lifelessness of the lyrics that is most instrumental in destroying the morale of anyone listening. The songs themselves are good; they hold a solid structure and the musical implementation is sound. Yet when combined with such shallow lyrical content there is little that can salvage a track. “Hollywood Whore”, despite it’s pleasant name, is filled with such crass rhyming and base content that it is almost cringe worthy. “Cocaine nose and trendy clothes, gotta send her to rehab/she found out she’s got no soul, but it really doesn’t bother her” may make a substantial point in the scheme of the song, but such poor execution is simply inexcusable. The song its self is run by a classic metal riff, but with a chorus of “Hollywood whore, passed out on the floor, can’t take it no more/I’m sorry but the party’s over” makes it almost unlistenable. Similarly, “I Almost Told You That I Loved You” contains fantastic instrumentation, with a truly inventive riff and solid drumming, but the sexually orientated lyrical content is poorly executed at best. The shout-a-long breakdown only serves to compound the track to failure, yet again leaving the feeling that it could have been so much better. “Had Enough” is perhaps the worst offender of them all. Using the Iraq war as its subject matter, Shaddix’s clumsy lyrics trample across what is an extremely sensitive area. “Turn the channel on the TV, another boy shot tonight/I can’t believe what I am seeing, a body bag, a mother cries…The time has come for me to face it/I can’t refuse the war inside” No doubt there is sincerity in the message its self, but such crass and confusing lyrics simply render the entire song useless and gimmicky, something that should not be attributed to such a subject.
There are a few exceptions to the general rule however. “March Out Of The Darkness” is a rare ballard driven track, and with a delicate yet forceful guitar melody coupled with intricate bass work it is a success. Shaddix is on form also, using his growling delivering on key and to great effect. It certainly is different, but it goes to show what the band can be capable of. “Into The Light” is also a success, reminiscent of an early Avenged Sevenfold with screeching guitars and chugging riffs. Despite there being several positives amongst the carnage, curiously this only serves to worsen the blow as it demonstrates what the band could achieve were it not for some awful lyrics and base ideas. Ironically, the best part of the album are two bonus tracks at the end, one of which being the magnificent “Broken Home” from Infest. Hearing a song that began their rise to prominence again proves to be melancholic, only highlighting just how far away there current ideas are from such triumphs.
For all the positives in Metamorphosis, there are far too many negatives. The objective of ticking every emotional box is by no means the way to gain favour with an audience, and Shaddix’s constant attempts to pull on the heartstrings fall flat with embarrassment. Such is the extent of the bands “metal-by-numbers” attitude it is possible to predict the content of a track by merely glancing at it’s title. It is great shame that such a renowned and talented band have fallen to such levels, but reiterating the introduction, it is no longer the early 2000s’.
Words: Dan Grose
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