Papa Roach – Metamorphosis

Artist Name: Papa Roach

Album Name: Metamorphosis

Year: 2009

Genre: Alternative Rock

Judging by my reaction to the single ‘Lifeline’, I wasn’t too excited to listen to Metamorphosis. I’ve been a Papa Roach fan for a couple of years and have always defended them against the people who criticise their corny lyrics, but jeez, that song really does suck – “I’ve been looking for a lifeline, for what seems like a lifetime” – yawn, so are hundreds of depressed teenagers. Just call 0861 322 322 for free counselling.

Luckily, ‘Lifeline’ is probably the worst track on the album. While, there are some memorable songs on the album, such as ‘Hollywood Whore’ and ‘I Almost Told You That I Loved You’, Metamorphosis never really leaves the starting blocks or explode into a rocking album. Ultimately, it fails in comparison to recent releases by other alt rock bands like Buckcherry, Seether and Shinedown. Even, the ballads and softer songs are quite poor judging by the standards of their previous hit songs such as ‘Scars’ and ‘Forever’.

I’ve heard whispers from people in the music industry saying that Metamorphosis is “the album of the decade” – please do me a favour and slap the next person who tells you this. While Metamorphosis is an okay album, it certainly is by no means a career-defining, timeless record with countless hours of replay value. Sorry Papa Roach, your album is just slightly above average, but only slightly.

Best Tracks: ‘I Almost Told You That I Loved You’, ‘Hollywood Whore’, ‘Change or Die’ and ‘Live This Down’

63/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za