To be frank, Papa Roach is just phoning it in with its new album, "Time for Annihilation." To even call it an album would be a stretch. Of the 14 total tracks, only five are unreleased originals, amounting to an EP's worth of new content. The rest of the tracks contain mostly true−to−studio renditions of their so−called greatest hits, occasionally interrupted by brief clusters of generic banter that border on pandering. The audience and the band certainly sound like they're having the time of their lives on the live tracks, but anyone who buys "Time for Annihilation" will soon discover that it's a waste of money.
Chances are, however, that many, many people will buy this album anyway. Of the band's previous six albums, four have sold over a million copies worldwide and another is inching extremely close to that mark. This nearly flawless commercial streak has done little to earn the band much critical acclaim, though.
Since their major label debut "Infest" (2000), the band has adopted a sound that leans toward alternative metal while blending elements from its dated nu metal roots. While this sound has earned the band mainstream popularity, it does not evolve in any of their previous albums.
When listening to "Time for Annihilation," it becomes evident that Papa Roach is still stuck in creative limbo. The album makes a modicum of positive progress by abandoning many dated conventions of the dying genre of nu metal, but it is not wholly successful in this attempt. The first seconds of opening track "Burn" feature a warped fade−in intro, violent lyrics and relentless power chords, leaving listeners questioning whether they accidentally popped in their old Linkin Park CD.
The parade of familiar alternative metal sounds and sentiments continues on the equally dull "One Track Mind." Thankfully, this is followed by "Kick in the Teeth," the only new track with replay value. Wisely chosen as the first single, it pulls out all the stops and broadcasts the rage and frenzy that the first two tracks couldn't effectively convey.
Just when "Kick in the Teeth" starts to build up momentum, "No Matter What" immediately shatters any semblance of hope for the album. If there's one thing that Papa Roach should not write, it's a ballad. The track features lead singer Jacoby Shaddix singing in a pop−metal croon how he'd take a bullet for his love for three grating minutes.
The final new track, "The Enemy," would need to be a bona fide masterpiece to redeem Papa Roach's new material. Suffice it to say, it is not.
A collection of live songs that effectively doubles as a greatest hits collection follows these new releases. None of the live tracks are offensively bad, but they add nothing new to the originals. Very few qualities differentiate these songs from their studio versions. The only noticeable difference in "Forever" is the addition of an extended guitar introduction, which lengthens an already overlong track. That leaves the high−pitched blaring of the audience as the most notable addition to the live tracks, adding a sound more Jonas Brothers than Disturbed. The endless cheering is often mixed at the same volume as the band itself, a troubling indication that people out there still really, really enjoy these songs.
For a band that has the potential to rock fairly hard, a live album should be an opportunity to showcase the talents that studio productions limit. Instead, they pad the songs out with requests to jump and audience sing−alongs. They pulled brawn out of pop on "Kick in the Teeth," but Papa Roach couldn't get much else right on "Time for Annihilation." Getting from the first track to the last is the only thing that's brutal about this album.
