The surprise of 2004 -- Papa Roach doesn't suck

There's legitimate debate to be had among music lovers as to whether nü-metal has much lasting value, but about some bands there seemed to be little room to argue -- if Linkin Park frequently epitomized the subgenre's strengths, Papa Roach was universally agreed to epitomize its pitfalls. The band's debut, Infest had occasional glimmers of the raw power of a proper metal debut, but got bogged down in parental and relational angst, along with excessively gimmicky rapping. And the band's followup, Lovehatetragedy, seemed to be nothing but a watered-down rehash of its predecessor, with much less listening value. As such, Papa Roach was pegged as a one-trick pony, and any rational observer could have observed that the band's junior album would have been the final nail in their coffin. And that's the most confusing thing about the arrival of the band's junior effort, Getting Away With Murder -- it doesn't suck. In fact, one might even call it (deep breath) good.

Drop "Papa Roach" and "good" in the same sentence around music snobs, and you're likely to get some derisive looks, so let's clarify what's meant by good on this album. Papa Roach offers up a social conscience, personal growth and musical dynamics on an album that's mostly devoid of the usual nü-metal gimmickry. It would be a huge stretch to call the album flawless or to pretend that it doesn't have a few weak spots, but that doesn't keep the disc from being one of the year's more pleasant surprises.

From the outset of "Blood (Empty Promises)," the band makes clear the things that have changed on this record. Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix doesn't once burst into a poorly executed rapping solo, and the band establishes a strong vibe without getting bogged down in the Limp Bizkit-esque riff mimickry that's so pervasive in their scene. Meanwhile, the group constructs a song that ebbs and flows admirably and energetically. The track is engaging, working in Shaddix's scream only at peak moments, and flipping effortlessly between smooth melodies and heartfelt cries the rest of the time.

Take a look in the CD's liner notes, and you'll see "To the Commander in Chief" scrawled out above the lyrics to "Not Listening." Papa Roach, a political outfit? Surprisingly, yes -- and what's more impressive, the band executes the concept cleanly, without Rage Agaisnt The Machine-like rants, opting instead to let the music speak for itself and weave in social material on the perimeter. As Shaddix cries out "I'm not listening, not anymore / The more I learn, the more I ignore," the frustration of the left wing with the current administration seems to take on life without the paranoia or ridiculousness of Michael Moore or his ilk. The band carries this theme on with "Stop Looking / Start Seeing," which, as its title hints, is a call to action for the jaded youth of the metal scene. And the social material comes to a head later in the album with "Tyranny of Normality," whose closing absolutely captivates as Shaddix wails out "I mourn the death of outrage / The obituary's on the front page."

Lest anyone expect this album to take up the mantle that punk rock officially left behind with the birth of Good Charlotte, it should be emphasized that the album still offers up a strong helping of personal material. Even here, though, the band seems to have grown up significantly, as the tracks take a more defined angst and attempt to move past it rather than dwell on it. Nowhere is this growth more evident than "Scars," a rock ballad falling in the album's middle. The track may sound typical at first, with Shaddix singing about a relationship past and sounding angst-ridden as usual, but as the track winds shut, he cries out the heartfelt line, "Sorry, but I gotta move on with my own life," and even the most skeptical listener is forced to admit that things have changed for this once-immature group.

That's not to say that everything works perfectly on Getting Away With Murder, though. "Be Free" is a track more in the vein of what one might have expected from this album -- mediocre musical displays and trite lyrics revolving around undefined angst and alcoholism. This one will merit a skip from most listeners, especially falling after the album's strong opening section. Equally disappointing is the album's closer, "Do Or Die," which is a fairly predictable carpe diem sort of track, without the strong musical dynamics that make many of its counterpart tracks play so well. Not quite so weak, but also not as strong as the album's best sections, are tracks like "Take Me" and "Sometimes," which don't distract but don't have much to add, either.

Taken as a whole product, Getting Away With Murder is most certainly Papa Roach's strongest work to date -- though to many, that means very little. But even coming from another band, the album would hold its own quite capably, landing as it does with urgency and social consciousness during a time of war and bitter politics. That the band avoids overt ranting and opts to make its commentary more subtle is impressive; that they do so while developing themes of hope and growth is nothing sort of shocking when one considers their previous efforts. Getting Away With Murder is an album that will turn more than a few heads, and will likely establish a future for Papa Roach outside of the world's short-lived obsession with rap-metal.


Papa Roach Discography

Infest (2000)
Lovehatetragedy (2002)
Getting Away With Murder (2004)
The Paramour Sessions (2006)