Papa Roach Album: “Scars [Canada CD]”

Papa Roach came back strong in 2004, with the album "Getting Away With Murder," and thanks to the album's biggest hit, "Scars," Papa Roach have avoided being stuck in the rap-metal past and/or being labelled a one-hit wonder. Sure, the song may be a bit pandering if you look at it as a cynic (it sounds nothing like the group's previous material) and it does get tiresome after repeated listenings, but at the end of the day, a good song is a good song. When I brought home "Getting Away With Murder" (the first day it came out, mind you), "Scars" was the song that stuck out the most for me.

For the single, the song gets new life, via an acoustic performance of said hit. I'm not sure, but I think this is the first acoustic performance Papa Roach have ever recorded/released, and I have to applaud them. It came out pretty damn good! The quality of this version is a testament to the band's growth over the years. Never would I have thought of them as a band who could pull off acoustic material (imagine "Last Resort" acoustic -- ouch!) and in the past, frontman Jacoby Shaddix's vocals weren't the strongest aspect of Papa Roach. But just as "Getting Away With Murder" revalidated them, this acoustic version proves that the band have truly stepped into new territory.

Also included is a live version of the title track from "Getting Away With Murder," performed on Napster. Personally, I hate these internet concerts that are becoming so popular. This performance is like all others, with no audience (at least not one you can hear) and therefore, adds nothing new to the original version and is, well, boring. The video for "Scars" pops up as a CD-Rom special feature as well, and delivers more bang for your buck. I say this single is worth catching if you really like "Scars" but want to hear a new take on it. Also, I highly recommend seeking the Spanish version of the song as well. It's a bit bizarre, but definitely interesting to hear.