Flash back to early 2000’s; Nu-metal was at the forefront of music, and Papa Roach led the way with a vengeance. Now, 15 years later, the Californian rock monsters have dominated, once again, with their explosive new album.
Their 8th full length studio album, F.E.A.R ( Face Everything And Rise), is everything you’d expect from these seasoned stars. It’s bigger, louder, faster, heavier. They seem to have stepped away from their typically safe sound and replaced it with a tighter composition of massive drum beats, climactic guitars and the occasional ethereal electronic synth melody – as can be seen in the records anthemic title track, ‘Face everything and rise’.
Even more surprisingly, however, is front man, Jacoby Shaddix, trading in his trade mark rap breakdowns, save for a couple of verses in ‘Gravity’ and ‘Warriors’, for some hard-hitting harmonies.
But, if this new sound steps too far from the Papa Roach you know and love so well, do not fear, they appear to have covered all bases. Tracks like ‘Never have to say goodbye’ still provide a torrent of angst ridden feeling, with lyrics like “you always loved me when I couldn’t even love myself”.
For die hard fans that have grown up with Papa Roach, this record simply validates everything we love about them and proves that things really do get better with age; and for the new listeners to the Cali quartet, you couldn’t ask for a better introduction.
The whole album is a must hear, but my recommended tracks would be ‘Face everything and rise’, ‘love me ’till it hurts’ and ‘Fear Hate Love’.
Sinners and Symphonies 