Papa Roach - Metamorphosis Review

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 03.26.2009

Papa Roach returns with their sixth album, and first without drummer Dave Buckner. With a new line-up, can the band come out on top yet again?

The Band

Jacoby Shaddix- Vocals
Jerry Horton- Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tobin Esperance- Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tony Palermo- Drums


The Track Listing

1. Days Of War-1:25
2. Change Or Die-3:19
3. Hollywood Whore-3:54
4. I Almost Told You I Loved You-3:11
5. Lifeline-4:06
6. Had Enough-4:02
7. Live This Down-3:36
8. March Out Of Darkness-4:22
9. Into The Light-3:28
10. Carry Me-4:26
11. Nights Of Love-5:16
12. State Of Emergency-5:06





The Review

For over a decade, Papa Roach has stood strong, outlasting the nu-metal wave of the late 90’s, and evolving their sound with the times. Throughout it all, the line-up was consistent, four guys sticking together to create catchy rock music. That bond was broken with the messy departure of drummer Dave Buckner. In his place came ex-Unwritten Law Tony Palermo, who started out as a live drummer before joining the band full time.

Metamorphosis , the band’s sixth album, is a turning point in the band’s career. Papa Roach has a loyal fan base, one that has followed the band through thick and thin since the very beginning, but the band has become known more for their memorable singles then their collective bodies of work. Papa Roach hasn’t had a great album of consistent material since the Infest days. With fresh blood in the ranks, the band has a perfect opportunity to show that the flame hasn’t died out yet, and that there is enough left in the tank to put on a masterful performance.

At first, Metamorphosis seems posed to become Papa Roach’s strongest effort to date. The opening moments have a burst of energy, a spark not seen by the band in years. All of a sudden, about halfway through, Metamorphosis trails off, with the energy seeped right out of the album, as the band sticks to formulaic material; one mid-paced sappy song after another. There are brief moments where the fire seems to burn bright again, but that’s all they are: short and fleeting.

The band itself isn’t to blame for this. Jacoby Shaddix has a powerful set of pipes, and over the years he has steadily improved his range. Metamorphosis shows every side of Shaddix, save for the “white rapper” gimmick from Infest. He screams with conviction, and the slower tracks benefit from an emotional punch from Shaddix’s crooning. Guitarist Jerry Horton has always been the heavy-hitter of the band, and his guitar work is solid, if rudimentary at this point in the band’s career. The rhythm section gets a kick in the balls from the addition of Palmerno, who fits in quite well with the rest of Papa Roach. The sense of chemistry between himself and Esperance wasn’t immediate, but that can grow with a little bit of time.

Where the faults lie is the same place it has always for years: songwriting, plain and simple. Papa Roach can write singles, but when it comes to albums, they stumble more than a band with this much experience should be. In this day and age, having a few singles is enough to get by, but the full album package is the Golden Icon of the music industry, an elusive treasure that Papa Roach misses out on.

After a short instrumental, “Change Or Die” hits the speakers with a blast of rock that can only be described as a firm kick in the ass. It’s the best opening track Papa Roach has ever had, and the mini-solos each instrument gets in the bridge is a nice touch, almost a “Last Time On…” segment meant for those who may have forgotten about the band after three years. “Hollywood Whore” continues this upward momentum with a hard-hitting tune that has Shaddix ranting about the glorification of the entertainment industry. “Wake up, the party’s over,” Shaddix yells at the top of his lungs, letting everybody know that Papa Roach is ready with gas can in hand to burn everything to the ground.

“I Almost Told You I Loved You” has this sleazy, 80’s glam-metal feel to it that is way out of place on Metamorphosis; however, Papa Roach makes it work somehow. The lyrics, though, are quite weak, with the bulk of it chock-filled with unnecessary coarse language that got bands like Buckcherry to the top of the charts. Single “Lifeline” has gotten mixed reactions from fans, but it is a catchy number and suited for radio airplay.

This is where the point in Metamorphosis where the momentum is stalled and the flow of the album is compromised. “Live This Down” and “Into The Light” are the only tracks which have any sort of forceful impact to them, with the latter track featuring a low-key guitar solo from Mötley Crüe’s own Mick Mars. The rest of the material is slower tunes, with some experimentation in Horton’s guitar playing, utilizing a jazz-influenced style on “Nights Of Love.” None of this material is essentially offensive, but it lacks a certain pizazz that was evident on past albums.

Metamorphosis had a chance to be Papa Roach’s shining moment, a defining statement to those who were hesitant if the band had enough life left in them to pull out another winner. Instead, it is an album of lost opportunity, with fleeting moments of brilliance in the first half. Papa Roach fans will eat the album up, but most rock fans will find solace with a couple of tracks and nothing more. The potential was endless for the foursome, but Metamorphosis turns out to be nothing more than a glimmer of hope in the vast emptiness that has become modern rock.

The 411: Metamorphosis starts out strong, but putters to a mediocre conclusion. The first half is where the catchy and hard-rockers are situated, while the second half is too jam-packed with the melodic material that Papa Roach has always been competent at, and nothing more. The singles are the best songs on here, but the sleazy "I Almost Told You I Loved You" and anthem rock-sounding "Change Or Die" are solid as well.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]