Review Summary: Welcome to the new generic. Now with more filler and forgettable choruses than ever before!
Poor Papa Roach. They seem to get more and more forgettable with each release, but were they ever even that good in the first place? Their record sales for their breakthrough album,
Infest suggests so. Released in 2000, the album had the well known hit ‘Last Resort’ as well as the popular ‘Broken Home’. To be fair, the album had its moments and the singles were pretty damn catchy. However, their newest album
The Connection finds the band at an all time low, struggling to stay relevant while releasing yet another generic and rehashed collection of songs.
Not only is every song painfully dull, but we have to suffer through a whopping thirteen of them. Some of them are so uninspired and completely devoid of energy they make Linkin Park’s latest album seem like a work of art. At least Linkin Park have been able to change it up and incorporate some genuine energy into their songs. The album opens with the pointless and poorly executed opening instrumental ‘Engage’. It is too short and lacks the creativity to make it a successful opening. This is followed by the album's first singe, ‘Still Swingin’. The fact that it is one of the albums best offerings is rather sad. Even though the chorus has the potential to be catchy, the watered down vocals and lack of emotion make it rather forgettable.
The next few songs don’t do anything to improve the bands situation as they are some of the most contrived and boring radio friendly tracks I’ve ever heard. The band attempts to be upbeat but the songs ultimately feel lifeless. To add to the list of the album's failures, the lyrics are also as cringe worthy as ever. Singer Jacoby Shaddix sounds quite similar to the vocalist of Skillet on this album which suggests maybe he is trying too hard. Unfortunately, all it does is give the album a disappointing “been there, done that” feeling. Rather than being a bad album with a few good songs, it is instead a terrible album that barely has a memorable moment. Anybody who can make it all the way to the end of the thirteenth track truly deserves a gold star.
Judging by the sound of Papa Roach's latest effort
The Connection, it’s as if the band actually believes that their rehashed formula somehow works. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some bands manage to recreate the sounds of their previous endeavors, but when done right we can forgive the feeling of deja vu. This is simply not the case on the band’s new album as it has a familiar sound, but the poor execution keeps it from being an album worth diving into.
The Connection really is an ironic album name. If anything, the release is the exact opposite; an absolute disconnect from the Papa Roach we used to know and love. Not only is it one of the worst albums I’ve heard in recent years, it makes me wonder why this band ever received so much attention in the first place. The only thing that keeps this album from being a complete and utter failure is its use of electronics. They don't save the songs, but in some cases they make them slightly more enjoyable. If they ever plan on digging themselves out of this rut, it’s going to take time and creativity, but most likely a miracle.
