Infest 25th Anniversary

"Welcome to the original Papa Roach soundfire
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."

Me, Jacoby, and Chris 3/8/03

Me, Jerry, and Chris 3/8/03

Chris Cornell and some new releases

So another rocker has been lost too soon.  This sentence is getting old real quick.  Chris died late last Wednesday night (technically pronounced dead at 1:30AM Thursday morning 5/18/17) in his hotel room the night after playing a Soundgarden gig.  The cause of death was apparently self-inflicted hanging, but his wife seems to think Ativan or other drugs are to blame.  Regardless of the cause, Chris was one of the most talented rock vocalists to ever live and his music touched millions.  I never had the pleasure of seeing him live in concert and now I never will.

Soundgarden is without a doubt one of the leaders of the grunge movement that began from Seattle's alternative rock scene.  They are arguably the most successful bands of the genre (selling over 22 million albums worldwide) and one of the most popular.  They also have more crossover appeal and a wider influence than most grunge bands, including Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains.

I first remember hearing about them in 1991 when "Jesus Christ Pose," the first single from Badmotorfinger came out and soon after the video was banned by MTV because of controversial religious imagery.  Subsequent singles "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" established that this band was not going to be a flash in the pan.  In fact, they still stand up as two of their best songs to date.  From 1991-1992 Soundgarden opened for Guns 'N Roses on the Use Your Illusion tour, Skid Row on the Slave to the Grind Tour, and played Lollapalooza with Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers gaining fans along the way.

It wasn't until 1994's Superunknown that I really fell in love with the band, cemented by the song Black Hole Sun.  For some reason it was an earworm of a song and I remember playing it over and over in my mind on the ski slopes that year.  The song wasn't their heaviest.  It was slower than I usually like.  The video was freaky.  The song just touched a nerve and had a great hook and great resonance.  Spoonman, The Day I Tried to Live, and Fell on Black Days are also phenomenal.

Recent Releases (May 12-19)

Linkin Park - One More Light
I knew Linkin Park before their major label debut, Hybrid Theory, hit the stores.  I fell in love with them when I saw them tour for that album and I got to shake hands with the guys after the concert.  In my opinion, they perfected the rap-rock-metal hybrid with that first album.  I knew they would be multi-platinum.  Sadly, they have been veering further from the sound that made them famous in recent years.  This latest album sounds nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like any of their previous albums.  It is straight up pop-rock.  I can't even make it through one song, let alone a chunk of the album.  Chester's voice still sounds good, but this is nothing that I can bear to listen to.  Given Chester's recent comments I won't be supporting them again anytime soon; not until they get back to their roots and what made millions love them in the beginning.

Paramore - After Laughter
Basically I have the same criticism as for Linkin Park except that Paramore were never hard rock or metal.  They were punk though.  This album sounds like 80s pop.  I hate most 80s music.  With the exception of some pop artists, like Cyndi Lauper, you can take this music and shove it.

Seether - Poison the Parish
Seether just released their 6th major full length album. If you like their previous work, you should like this. If you're unsure, but you think a South African hybrid of Nirvana and Shinedown sounds intriguing, you should definitely give it a listen. This isn't their heaviest nor poppiest album. There's a good mix of sounds and influences here with a few more screams than on a typical Seether album.  This is the first disc to be fully produced by the band which lets them be a little more unbridled.  Standout tracks to me include Stoke the Fire, Against the Wall, Saviours, and Nothing Left.  Stoke the Fire is heavy with medium tempo and thick distortion.  To me it exemplifies the evolution of Seether's music with elements of grunge and metal, what some have dubbed nu-grunge.  This track has a screaming breakdown and outro which I would like to hear more of from Shaun in the future. Betray and Degrade is reminiscent of Country Song in the verses, but with more rock distortion in the choruses.  Varied guitar sounds from chugging power chords, to simple strumming can be found on this disc.

Papa Roach - Crooked Teeth
By now you should know who these guys are and you either love them or hate them.  I have been a fan since Last Resort and I've seen them 9 times and met the guys from the band who were very cool in person. "Break the Fall" starts the album off uncharacteristically with only strings which are soon disrupted by Jacoby's rapping verses followed by singing choruses.  Papa Roach seem to be keeping with their patented mix of vocal stylings on most subsequent tracks. "Born for Greatness" is a little more hip-hop influenced, with some dup-step beats and a big sing along refrain, complete with some echo effects and synthesizer sounds.  Their are contributions from rapper Machine Gun Kelly and singer/songwriter Skylar Grey who has worked with Fort Minor and co-wrote "Love the Way You Lie" with Eminem.  The Roach boys come with another anti-suicide anthem called "Help" that is all the social commentary of Last Resort, but lacking any of the angsty grit.  I'd say this album is a more radio-friendly version of the Papa Roach than I prefer, but it will tide me over and it is worth checking out if you are a fan of theirs.  The deluxe version of the album comes with three additional studio tracks and a bunch of live recordings as well.

F.E.A.R.

A mythology professor once told me that "fear" stood for "future events appearing real."  It makes sense because we are often afraid of what we think is going to happen or what might happen and the fact that the future isn't certain is sometimes scary.  If you ask Papa Roach, "fear" stands for "Face Everything and Rise."  It kind of goes with their attitude of Viva La Cucaracha from back in the day and their new positive outlook on life given their current sobriety and continued success.

Papa Roach has been a band since 1993 and blew up with 2000's album Infest and the popularity of the song "Last Resort."  Though the band has matured and evolved a lot since then, they still usually close their live show with their first hit.  In fact, when I saw them on 1/17/15 with Seether, Kyng, and Islander at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair they played a mix of new and old songs including Broken Home, Between Angels and Insects, and Infest off the debut album before closing the night with arguably the most famous anti-suicide song Last Resort.

Islander opened the night.  They have been on some people's lists for album of the year "XX" or song of the year with "Coconut Dracula."  They are an alternative metal band with some nu-metal tendencies.  They are a good new band, but I am not sold yet on their sound or that they are the best new band to break out.  Kyng played second and they were a lot more interesting.  They are more of a groove and riff metal band with heavy blues undertones and some songs reminiscent of old school Alice and Chains, Soundgarden, and Corrosion of Conformity.  Before they came on I ran into Jose Mangin from SiriusXM radio.  He was friendly and when I told him I met him at Ozzfest 2007, without missing a beat he goes, "Two of the guys from Kyng played in the band Ankla at that time...remember them?"  I recognized the name, but hadn't seen their set.  I later realized that this was a Latin metal band that used to tour with the likes of Nonpoint and ill Nino.  They were good, but Kyng are better.  Apparently Jose has been a big promoter for their music - here's an example.  I thought that Seether had top billing on this show and they definitely could have headlined after coming off of a big tour with Godsmack and having a new album that is charting.  They have never disappointed me and played a good mix of songs, listed here  However, this was definitely a Papa Roach crowd and they had the Wellmont about as electric as I have seen it.

I have been a fan of P-Roach since the beginning and I have seen them 9 times, more than any other band.  I was seeing them so much I almost got burned out.  It wasn't special anymore - even though Jacoby always brought mad energy to the shows.  I still kept up with their music and with 2010's Time for Annihilation and 2012's The Connection I knew they weren't going away and certainly were still a great hard rock band.  After seeing them recently for the first time in about five years they have cemented themselves as one of my all time favorites.  The new songs rock and they are still one of the best live bands out there.  I even got my first real battle wounds in this mosh pit and I have survived the likes of Slipknot and Hatebreed with fewer black and blue marks.

The album title track and opener Face Everything and Rise is an energetic and inspiring song in the vain of what we've heard from Papa Roach in recent years.  What gets me even more excited is some of the deeper cuts like Falling Apart, Love Me Till It Hurts, and Gravity.  The former two are hard rocking, but melodic.  They are emotional, but not in a whiny or self loathing way.  The sound production on this album is incredible and I think these songs are really taking Papa Roach's sound in a new direction.  Gravity harkens back to the rap-rock days as Jacoby raps over a beat and piano track at the beginning of the song and then it opens up with a melodic chorus that features vocals from Maria Brink of In This Moment as sort of a duet.  If you have been a fan before or think you might be given what I mentioned above, do yourself a favor and pick up F.E.A.R.  What do you have to be afraid of?

Papa Roach rocking the Wellmont 1/17/15