Papa Roach: F.E.A.R.

Still keeping the nu metal flag flying.

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The eighth Papa Roach album is a TARDIS of angst, time travelling to 2015 from 2000 with all of its nu metal tropes intact. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix remains the most angst-ridden creature stalking Planet Rock, setting out his stall with a gnashed ’My pain is a blessing in disguise, I feel it cutting and it’s cutting like a knife.’

Hopelessly dated electronics fart and squelch over admittedly meaty riffs as he bares all – again – about addiction and hatred, self-loathing and fear.

Love Me Til It Hurts is begging for someone to point out that you can get ointment for that, while Gravity is further hindered by a weird guest vocal from In This Moment’s Maria Brink.

Papa Roach’s hearts are clearly in the right place, but F.E.A.R. is so overripe it’s fermenting./o:p

Emma Johnston

Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.