Few artists have survived the aftermath of the nu-metal implosion like Papa Roach. Having tapped into the zeitgeist of the hip hop and metal-infused sub-genre, launching them into Grammy-nominated, platinum selling leaders of alternative metal, the quartet have managed to avoid fading away in the same vein as many of their tangential peers. After recently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal debut, ‘Infest’, Papa Roach return in 2022 with their eleventh studio album, ‘Ego Trip.’ An album that aids in sustaining their relevance by retaining a sense of what attracted fans to them in the first place while exploring new, and sometimes bolder pastures. Some of them are worth the leap of faith, though not all.
‘Ego Trip’ serves as the band’s first release since 2019’s ‘Who Do You Trust?’ An offering built around a strong focus on pop-punk and wafer-thin tones across its lackluster twelve tracks. In contrast, ‘Ego Trip’ delivers something a great deal grittier in tone as “Kill The Noise” demonstrates. In the album’s opening track, guitarist Jerry Horton punishes the instrument to achieve the song’s exceptional tones. Despite being heavily reminiscent of Linkin Park tracks “Given Up” within its percussive intro, and “One Step Closer”, both midsections serving up the words “shut up” repeated with a healthy dose of guttural vocals, “Kill The Noise” remains a stunning opener.
Carving a path through their fourth decade, Papa Roach pepper ‘Ego Trip’ with powerful, purposeful, and provocative pieces. “Cut The Line” finds vocalist Jacoby Shaddix masterfully traipsing the line between cocky and confident, dishing out one glorious hook line after another. By the time listeners reach “I Surrender”, the record’s closing track, you are left wanting more. Because while ‘Ego Trip” has its fair share of standouts, some stand out for the wrong reasons.
Where ‘Ego Trip’ unfortunately falls short is in its attempt to strike a balance between consistent energy and proficiency. Cited as sprouting “almost by mistake” in the throes of a global lockdown, the connotations of that sentiment ring true throughout. Uninspired, pop-based, and hip-hop-heavy tracks do little to fulfill the promise shown early on. If “Stand Up” feels like recreational outrage, ‘Liar” and “Bloodline” sound like the result of commercial thought. Working in tandem with the album’s stronger moments, it feels like steak and ice cream instead of chocolate and peanut butter (unless you’re into that sort of thing).
Papa Roach are perfectly designed for live performance. But this can also be their curse, with some studio offerings getting lost in translation. If ‘Ego Trip’ shifts toward being another notable staple for the band, it lurches away from becoming the truly memorable chapter it should have been. Even so, if ‘Ego Trip’ is not a convincing first listen, never quite scaling the same summits Papa Roach did in yesteryear, it has its moments of glory. Even as many more are trying to get out.
