Papa Roach Album: “Infest [PA]”

Okay, so yeah, it is VERY Disturbing to see that "People who bought this title also bought titles from: Nelly." But hey, don't even pay any mind to the MTV kids under 13. Papa Roach is a very good band who happened to have a song that blew up on TRL. That doesn't make them sell-outs, and it especially doesn't make the music any worse than it was before it got big. Hear me, Amir? Fact is Papa Roach mix alot of styles, and the one thing that caught my ear was how they mix punk and reggae in with the usual Iron Maiden-type riffs and aggro-male lyrics. Even though the lyrics aren't great, for some reason it's easier to take P-Roach seriously than say, Limp Bizkit. Why? Maybe it's because this band actually has some indie cred, unlike say, Disturbed. Okay, so Coby Dick comes off as his last name sometimes when he's on TV, but the music is good. The best songs on this album are probably the ultra-catchy Last Resort, Broken Home, Between Angels and Insects, and the bonus track which I absolutely love for it's deep reggae-tinged bass. You can say what you want, but this is for the kids who voted for Incubus and the deftones on TRL, not the kids who voted for Nelly.

no offense to those who actually like them, but to me, an impartial listener who neither liked nor disliked the band before i bought INFEST, this band seems kind of fake. they seem to be cashing in on the trend of rebelling for no real reason, and encourage impressionable youngsters to play into their fake "angst." I mean, what's this singer's problem, anyway? What is he rebelling against? Making a lot of money? Getting played on MTV and being hounded by young women? It seems to me that this person is one of those types who tries to sell a product by trying to come off as "deep" and "troubled." Listening to his snotty vocals and fake word-emphasis ('saaahfachhation,' noooo breathing...) is really just annoying and I'd much rather listen to some other band do it who has a less transparent version of a "message."

This is a band that has been around for several years rocking out their brand of rap-core. I have a couple of their earlier cds/demos and here on their major-label debut you can easily tell just how much this band has matured. Though I call it rap-core the music really has more of a laid-back groove dominated by clever and memorable guitar riffs and accentuated by a steady drum beat. Not nearly as aggressive as "Old Friends From Young Years", "Infest" does have some agressive moments though with more of an emphasis on melody likened to their cd "Five Tracks Deep". Vocally, the lead singer has a kind of ragesque voice that leads the listener on a voyage of rap-laden lyrics accompanied by catchy melodic choruses. Fave tracks on the cd include "Revenge" (an updated version of one of their older songs), "Thrown Away", "Last Resort", "Between Angels & Insects", and "Infest". Most of the songs will have you rockin, rappin and singin along but about 3-4 songs just sound childish and not deserving of what Papa Roach is capable of creating; hence the four stars rather than five. Nevertheless an impressive cd and highly recommended. Other upcoming debuts to check out: Glassjaw, A Perfect Circle, Professional Murder Music, Taproot, Sicboy, Apartment 26, Saliva, and Systematic. Also check out Papa Roach's earlier stuff if you can.

This actually isn't the first Papa Roach album, but it's the first one that was heard about. The disks songs are great and definetly worth buying. Here's what I think of the songs:

1. Infest (3/5) - Not the best, but a decent introduction.

2. Last Resort (4/5) - Everyone knows this song. Its a great song, but I dont really think it's one the albums bests. If your one of those people who only buy singles of the popular song, or the get the full album but only listen to this song, your missing out on a lot, but its still a very good song.

3. Broken Home (5/5) - Awesome. This song really got me into Pap Roach after I got the CD. It's a harder CD that shows the groups hard rock elements.

4. Dead Cell (4/5) - Another hard song. One of the best on the cd.

5. Between Angels and Insects (3/5) - Another trendy song that sort of got over played. It isnt the best on the album, but listenable.

6. Blood Brothers (5/5) - Another one of there great songs. The guitar is awesome, and the lyrics mean something. This song is only on the explicit version tho, and "Legacy" is on the edited one, which is an awful song.

7. Revenge (3/5) - Uhh...ok song, I guess.

8. Snakes (2/5) - Probably the worst song on the album. It doesnt really have a good beat, and the lyrics suck. One flaw on the disc.

9. Never Enough (5/5) - The Best song on the cd. The song sticks in your head, and has really meaningful lyrics. Everything about this song is great.

10. Binge (5/5) - Another great song that sticks in your head.

11. Thrown Away (5/5) - And once again another very good hard rock song. It shows the bands heavy metal emotional side. Second best song of the CD.

12. Tightrope (5/5) - The CD's secret track at the end of 11. The end of this CD is really good, and this shows Papa Roach's more melodic sound.

Hope this helps u out! I actually am reviewing the cd one day before Lovehatetragedy comes out, and I hope its as good maybe even better than Infest.

Why is it when a genre is created tons of Xerox bands must surface? Think of how many bands were just bad carbon copies of the Beatles, the Clash, Nirvana, and now Faith No More/Rage Against the Machine/Korn. Don't get me wrong, I hate Korn too but I don't deny they were one of the forefathers of "rap-metal". I don't even know what to say about these guys because I can't believe their faults aren't obvious to everyone: they make a living ripping off the ideas presented by past artists, their songwriting is completely worthless (just take a look at Broken Home's lyrics, it sounds like something a 7th grader wrote), and none of them are particularly great musicians. Please track down every copy of this album in your hometown and break them with a hammer in the name of innovative music.