Review by MartinDavey87 for Papa Roach - Infest (2000)

We all remember these days, don't we? The new millennium is kicking in, and nu metal has taken the world by storm. Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and Linkin Park were all at the top of the charts, and heavy metal was getting a much needed rejuvenation. And one of the biggest hits of the time? The profanity-ridden anthem about depression, self-harm and suicide, 'Last Resort' by Papa Roach.

Now, of course, achieving mainstream success and having a hit single that transcends all genres and appeals to everyone is pretty much a huge metal no-no, so obviously a lot of "real metal" fans hated Papa Roach and their brand of rap rocking. But behind the chart-topping four-piece are some solid chops and a knack for catchy songwriting.

'Infest', which was the bands major label debut (they had one self-released album prior to this), was released in 2000 and was the perfect soundtrack to the youth of the day. Hard, gritty and edgy. Lyrical themes that tackled issues on a personal level helped the music reach out to a whole generation of disgruntled youths.

Besides the aforementioned megahit 'Last Resort', there's 'Between Angels & Insects' and 'Broken Home' which also charted worldwide, as well as songs like 'Blood Brothers' appearing in multi-platinum selling video games, Papa Roach were on top of the world. And there's an abundance of great songs that get lost amongst all of that, such as 'Dead Cell', 'Never Enough', 'Revenge', 'Binge' and hidden track 'Tightrope'. While the musicianship isn't flashy, what the band lack in technical prowess they more than make up for with competence and enthusiasm.

Papa Roach will always live in the shadow of 'Last Resort', and while they have changed style quite a bit over the years, shunning casual fans and not winning over any metal ones, the bottom line is that 'Infest', if you can look beyond the hit singles, is a solid album that defined a generation and further established nu metal as a worldwide phenomenon.