Papa Roach - Infest
(DreamWorks, 2000)

Aside from the now legendary Rage Against The Machine, Papa Roach are the only other relatively recent mainstream rap rock outfit of much worth. They present a potent combination of old british metal style guitars, brutish nu-metal stylings, and an added urban element from Coby Dick's rap vocals, something never really accomplished (or accomplished well, for that matter) before. These are the bands that continue to devise new albums for our listening pleasure year after year, because originality counts in today's world, and identifying with an artist on each subsequent listen allows the general public to truly remember the band. Papa Roach's debut album, Infest, is a good debut album, starting out strong and leaving room for potential in the future. The first single released, Last Resort, scorches through a melodic, instantly distinguishable guitar verse that rocks with a constant, forceful momentum. Other tracks of note include the pulsating Broken Home, the throbbing Dead Cell, and my personal favorite, the sonically complex modern masterpiece Blood Brothers.

The rhythm section of Papa Roach holds together excellently, but an essential constituent is missing: while he can rap decently, Coby Dick's singing voice is detestable, considerably conspicuous on Between Angels And Insects, and to a lesser extent, Broken Home. And, when he does rap on the title song and scant other tracks, he has a slight tendency to sound obnoxious like Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. However, most of the time, he possesses an innovative style untypical of most white rap artists.

The first six tracks of Infest chug along phenomenously, then, without any premonitions, the album takes a nose dive, the band abandoning their individuality and spewing out several nameless tracks, all of which any modern nu-metal rap outfit could have foolishly mixed up. In spite of these faults, the first half of Infest more than makes up for it, advancing this group above the rest of the dreary modern metal scene. This band has amazing potential, and without a doubt, through polishing and refining, this band will be one of the premier saviors of mainstream metal. I am eagerly awaiting their next album.

Rating: 3/5