Papa Roach

The Connection

Written by: PP on 16/01/2013 20:12:28

Papa Roach released their seventh album "The Connection" quite a while ago, but I had to de-prioritize it because of other, more relevant albums took up my time and space I mean, can you blame me? Who really cares about Papa Roach in this day and age? It's actually a bit of a shame that the band's self-styled sleaze rock with alternative/nu-metal vibes isn't relevant musically anymore, because the band has consistently put out some of the best albums in mainstream rock while facing mounting criticism for their style, their attitude, and pretty much their entire existence as a band. Some people would question does Papa Roach even need to exist anymore? According to "The Connection", the answer is a resounding yes.

Why's that, you say? Surely no serious music enthusiast will be caught listening to a Papa Roach record for other reasons than a guilty pleasure sort of thing? But actually the answer is quite simple: they're a stepping stone band to more complex and challenging music for a lot of young kids still struggling to find their musical self in the sea of crap (read: pop/etc) out there. If we convert a few thousand kids over to rock music through ridiculously catchy sleaze rockers like "Breathe You In" or "Still Swinging", I say that's a good thing.

But enough about secondary topics. "The Connection" is basically more of the same from Papa Roach. Jacoby Shaddix sings in his inimitable scratchy voice while dropping chorus bombs left and right, while the band play simple, formulaic hard rock melodies to act as a platform for his rock star persona. As something new, there's a bit of an electronic backdrop in a few songs, but it's nothing more than a playback melody on the background, not an intentional exploration of new territory for the band. And you know what? I say that's a good thing. The band re-invented themselves on "Getting Away With Murder" and have since then put out album after album containing quality sleaze rock songs that are hard to resist when you find it in you to actually play the record. "The Connection", in that sense, is no different, except it's better than "Metamorphosis" was three years ago. It shows yet again that they get far more crap than they deserve.

7

Download: Breathe You In, Still Swinging
For the fans of: The Used, Lostprophets, Cage9, Hoobastank, P.O.D
Listen: Facebook

Release date 02.10.2012
Eleven Seven Music

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