Viva La Cucaracha!!!
My name's Coby Dick
Mr. Dick if you're nasty
Rock a mic with a voice that's raspy
And I'm poetic in my operations
My God given talent is to rock all the nations"
If that's not one of the coolest openings to an album, I don't know what is. This is the opening to 2000's Infest, an album that turned 25 years old this April 25th. I decided to reflect on it in this post because it was one of the landmark albums of my college years and early concert going. Before the album even came out, my friend had been sharing with me demos of songs from artists like Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, and more. I could be wrong, but I think the first song I heard from Papa Roach was Dead Cell. That's right. It wasn't Last Resort like most people. It was what would become the fourth single from the major label debut. And I was still an instant fan. Then the video for Last Resort started appearing on MTV's TRL and I, like many, was hooked. Papa Roach's popularity soon skyrocketed with their songs being on TV, movies, and video games as well as relentlessly touring and putting on energetic shows.
Two days before I saw them live for the first time I saw Papa Roach perform "Last Resort" on Late Night with Conan O'Brian where I saw Jacoby slamming the microphone into his head, stomping around stage, and doing a front summersault. I remember being amped by that. I would see them on July 16, 2000 in Asbury Park for Warped Tour and then again on September 4 headline at the Stone Pony. What I remember most was that Jacoby commanded the crowds, even as a younger band, whether in a small venue or huge parking lot. The band typically wore all black and sounded really tight, especially for a hard rock band. When I wore my Papa Roach shirt to see Linkin Park in November the bass player, Phoenix, would strike up a conversation with me about them! I also saw Papa Roach kill it on the main stage at Ozzfest 2001. Their live show energy was so amazing, especially for these early Infest shows.
After the second album came out I got to go to soundcheck and do a meet and greet with the band in March of 2003 at the Birch Hill Nite Club. Jacoby (singer), Jerry (guitar), and Tobin (bass) were all super nice to talk to and signed merchandise for me. Dave the drummer did not hang out much. Later I would hear that this was common behavior for him, unfortunately. I would go on to see them a total of nine times at different venues over the years. The final time being in 2015 when I was shoulder tackled in a Papa Roach mosh pit!
While they have also gone on to release nine more albums and stay relevant on the charts, Infest has been their most popular at 4x Platinum. The official "Last Resort" video has nearly 300 million views on YouTube. To commemorate the anniversary, I'll give a quick comment on each track of this legendary album:
1. Infest - A manifesto to "infest" the crowds like the cockroaches of rock and an indictment of "the government, the media, or your family." Many people didn't think Papa Roach would still be relevant or playing in 2025, but they are still going strong and this album anthem still holds up.
2. Last Resort - Their best known song which is anti-suicide. Lyrically and thematically it was way ahead of its time as it would be years later that we would start to hear about destigmatizing mental health issues following the suicides of Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Avicii, and others.
3. Broken Home - Another song about a difficult subject that has become an anthem for many listeners. It comes off very cathartic at live shows and features some of Jacoby's best screams.
4. Dead Cell - Verses feature rapping and the chorus is a simple one meant to get the crowd to sing along. Lyrically it warns of the dangers of digital technology on the mind. This was the first song I heard that turned me on to P-Roach and the last single from the album.
5. Between Angels and Insects - This was the third single and another song that comes off very well in a live setting. Lyrically it is about not being materialistic. Sonically, there are some unique bass lines and guitar riffs.
6. Blood Brothers - Quick riffing introduces this track which has more rap-like verses and big clean-singing choruses. This song keeps the energy up mid-album.
7. Revenge - Another guitar intro gives way to a rapping verse and big chorus. This song also features record scratching, which was a common element in the nu-metal genre, and a breakdown with kind of a reggae drum beat.
8. Snakes - A very nu-metal style song about betrayal inspired by a roommate of Jacoby's that spent rent money on weed and got them evicted.
9. Never Enough - Straight forward rock song about self worth and a negative self-perception. This song was on the soundtrack to Gran Turismo 3 for Playstation 2. This game went on to become the best selling Playstation exclusive and to be considered one of the best video games of all time.
10. Binge - A cautionary tale about drinking. Jacoby admitted to underage drinking as a teenager. As an adult he started to have health problems that eventually led to his decision to get sober in 2012.
11. Thrown Away - Driving rhythms provide the backdrop for Jacoby to sing about the voices in his head and battling with mental health. Sound effects lead into a hidden track called "Tight Rope" that has a reggae sound.
12. Legacy - "Clean edit" versions of Infest had this as a bonus track. It features rapping and singing over staccato riffing. Thematically it brings the manifesto full circle and repeats the idea that Papa Roach "was here from the start and will be here in the end."
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| Me, Jacoby, and Chris 3/8/03 |
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| Me, Jerry, and Chris 3/8/03 |
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