In 1997 hard-rock/heavy-metal group Papa Roach released their first album, “Old Friends from Young Years.” Since then, Papa Roach has released eight albums, and is most known for their single “Last Resort.” After its release in 2000, Papa Roach more or less fell in between the cracks of lesser known, obscure bands. However, now it seems that Papa Roach is beginning their trek back into the limelight. And from the album, one will notice that Papa Roach is “Still Swingin.”
Overall, “The Connection” is just something to listen to. Seemingly, this album does seem to have more depth than more recent music such as Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Kiss.” All of the songs are more or less okay, with some standing out, and some sounding too similar. However, what are great about this album are the lyrics, which evoke emotion. Even those who are not fans of hard rock should give this album a chance.
In terms of the best and the worst songs of the album as a whole, five songs become most prevalent. “Still Swingin,” “Wish You Never Met Me,” “Before I Die,” ”Walking Dead” and “Won’t Let Up.”
The worst songs on the album would have to be the final two listed above. The main problem with “Walking Dead” is the song has an awful chorus. This comes about due to the fact that vocalist Jacoby Shaddix over-screams. While it is a hard-rock album, the overuse of screaming and repetition of “we are the walking dead,” takes away from the song as a whole. The second song that needs addressing is “Won’t Let Up.” The problem with this song rests in the instruments and an overuse of the screech. In this song, the instruments do not sound cohesive with the lyrics or the overall tone of the song.
The album’s best lead single Still Swingin” proves that Papa Roach is back. The song sounds somewhat like “Last Resort,” and brings very strong energy to the album. In addition, the power and speed of the song, along with that of the elaborately worded lyrics, makes this song a strong contender to end up on a TV show such as Vh1’s “Top 20 Countdown.” Another song that makes this album something to listen to is “Before I Die.” In what may be the only ballad on the album, “Before I Die” should evoke emotion due to its intense, yet emotional lyrics. “Wish You Never Met Me,” will certainly bring in revenue for the band. What was so good about this song was its pace, as well as its ability to be different from the other songs on the album: not putting an over-reliance on screaming, make this one of the best songs overall.
The album is something to listen to. A definite must for fans, and even a must for anyone into bands such as Breaking Benjamin or Three Days Grace. Papa Roach definitely brought things back to a current and contemporary version of hard-rock.
