Reviewed by Ian Webber

With nearly 20 years under their belts, the Californian nu-metallers release here their ninth full-length album. Papa Roach's previous offering, 'F.E.A.R.', revealed new elements to the tone of their music after their singer and songwriter Jacoby Shaddix's Christian conversion and this follow up, whilst matching many of the same lyrical themes, musically represents a return to nu-metal home ground. Their rock rap along with hip-hop beats at times reminded me of an early Linkin Park. What Papa Roach do well are their huge melodic choruses with hooks galore. "My Medication" is a particular example that starts with exposed vocals and builds to rapped verses before sumptuous guitars and expansive drums open up in the refrain. Another track that will please long-time fans is "Help" which features all the elements of a Roach track of old with its fat bass line. On the other hand "Born For Greatness" has a strange mixture of electronic beats and pitch-changed vocals in the style of Skillet that jars against some of the other cuts on the recording. It seems that this veteran outfit have continued to try and develop their sound further and have been only partially successful. The outcome is a recording that does include some strong elements but also one which stumbles at times. One other word of warning for potential listeners is the frequent use of expletives that appear throughout the recording.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.