Papa Roach
Metamorphosis

As they say, a promise is a promise, so here I am, two and a half years since the last album and I believe also since my last review, to talk to you about the new effort from the great Papa Roach, a band from Vacaville, California. The album's title is "Metamorphosis", which was originally supposed to be "Days of War, Nights of Love", an idea from Jacoby Shaddix, but they eventually settled on the current title. However, the idea of the first pseudonym can still be found among the tracks, as I will illustrate. This sixth album, recorded at NGR Studios in California, features a new band member, drummer Tony Palermo, taking the place of Dave Buckner, whom I personally loved very much.

But let's start talking about this CD, which I must admit left me somewhat puzzled at first listen but, being a fairly knowledgeable and great music lover, I know it's always right to give any work more than one listen.

The first track "Days Of War", the would-have-been title track, in a bit over a minute of very appreciable instrumental, has the task of introducing without any break "Change Or Die", a very powerful piece reminding of Lovehatragedy's sound and in which one can already glimpse Palermo's talent on the drums, confirming Shaddix's powerful vocals mixed with usual rousing riffs.

Next is "Hollywood Whore", the first single from the album, with a dark and sinister sound like its official accompanying video. In my opinion, it's a somewhat anonymous song even if instrumentally interesting. "I Almost Told That I Loved You" follows the previous track comfortably, sharing the same rousing riffs and dark sounds, then continues with Coby's demanding vocal performance, with his voice during the shouted chorus almost disturbed by Palermo's cymbals. It continues and by the fifth track, the satisfaction grows; "Lifeline" arrives, the second official single, a piece in full Rock Radio style but with an engaging sound from start to finish, thrilling especially thanks to Shaddix's voice, which gives the usual unmistakable character to one of the best pieces of this work.

The momentum continues well with "Had Enough", which opens with a nice string dialogue between Tobin Esperance, who assertively starts with his bass, then followed by Jerry Horton, to frame Coby's singing, which slowly and softly brings to a choral refrain that makes the piece explode.

A bit of power with "Live This Down" that brings to mind the sounds of "Getting Away With Murder", which happens in several pieces, characterized by such vocal and musical mold, which in this case is a mix between the notes of "Be free" and "Done with you".

"March Out Of The Darkness", with an almost acoustic character, indeed opens on timid notes, then leads to a powerful and melodic chorus simultaneously. Another episode that once again shows the frontman's engaging vocal skills, with continuous rhythm changes and tonal nuances when needed.

"Into The Light" reignites the sparks, Coby's shout "this is the warning, my final warning!", kicks off another significant piece with a very powerful sound, certainly to testify and do justice in the best way to the "metamorphosis", to the definitive shift towards the rock mold strongly wanted by the band already in the previous work "The Paramour Sessions".

We are approaching the conclusion of the album with the ballad "Carry Me", a piece I personally love very much and listen to continuously. "carry me...why don't you carry me...I can't move on, I can't live on..." really carries us with Jacoby, thanks to the melody and the engaging lyrics, a piece I consider among the most beautiful of the "new musical management" of Roach in the past five years.

"Nights Of Love" echoes the first song and together with it leads to my consideration regarding the supposed and missed title track. Coby opens in an almost off-key way this appreciable piece, though a bit anonymous and "dragged out", almost wanting to bring us wearily to the end of the "speech", which finds conclusion with "State Of Emergency", which instead changes the previously set calm a bit, managing the first calm part with a voice and the significant Charleston sound operated by the new Palermo, then escalating to another powerful chorus driven by Shaddix's vocal cords. The work is closed with the shout: "State of Emergency", which at least for this episode doesn't make us jump out of our seats but gives us another good proof of how much the four from Vacaville have grown, even with some nods to the past, which nonetheless gave satisfaction and cannot be denied either in heart or strings.

In my opinion and trying to be as impartial as possible, though with some difficulty, this new work is very well done and really gives the impression that something has changed, beyond the look or attitude. A work that flows in an upward trend, proposing diverse episodes but always with great quality, which I still struggle to compare with the previous work, as it is usually and especially in this case essential. Compared to "The Paramour Sessions", this "Metamorphosis" shows more maturity and some new ideas. Critically reasoning, however, the first of the two works drew fewer references from recent past notes, but it doesn't mean that doing so is blameworthy.

Therefore, personally, I gladly give it a good rating for having another beautiful work from my favorite band in my hands. Have your say. Until the next work then!