21. February 2025
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Media Review

Papa Roach – Ego Trip

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Papa Roach - Ego Trip

Papa Roach - Ego Trip
3.7

Rating

 3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Some really good songs
  • Very good instrumental performance

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Quite some too weak tracks

Papa Roach are on the final straight to complete their (first?) thirty years of band history in 2023. On 8th April 2022, however, they release their eleventh studio album, Ego Trip. I had a listen.

 

Papa Roach – About The Artists

Papa Roach is a US rock and hard rock band. They are active since 1993, when they have been found in Vacaville, California, a town between San Francisco and Sacramento. While Papa Roach had six members at its very early days, they soon reduced to four members. Singer Jacoby Shaddix and guitarists Jerry Horton are founding members of the band. Tobin Esperance (bass, programming) joined them in 1996, drummer Tony Palermo is drumming since 2007. After a commercially rather less successful debut album, Old Friends from Young Years, the band had a great global success in 2000 with Infest. The album was Top 10 in the USA, Belgium (Dutch), Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. The key driver was the leading single, Last Resort, which even was a Alternative Airplay chart-topper in their home country.

Even though Papa Roach had some more #1 songs in the US Mainstream Rock chart, no song could connect to the success of the single, neither domestically nor internationally. The band was a constant Top 10 act in several countries’ album charts, though. Their last releases, for example the 2019 Who Do You Trust, had significantly better chart placements in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other countries than they had in the United States.

 

Papa Roach – Ego Trip – Track by Track

The fourteen track album lasts 43 minutes.

1. Kill The Noise

There is likely just a limited need to write about the first three tracks of the album – Papa Roach fans know the tracks anyway. The song is beaming you right from your seat into the Papa Roach comfort zone. The California guys as you know him: massive rock, paired with rap parts. Sounds like Papa Roach – and it this somehow also means: Sounds good.

2. Stand Up

Stand Up has a nice melodic chorus – the rap parts feel more dominant than in the opener, though. The main theme is just too good, even a bit of pop-ish. Like it.

3. Swerve (feat. FEVER 333 & Sueco)

I have to admit: I don’t like it: too few rock, too much rap. Papa Roach just does not sound as cool as other rap acts – and the rock part is simply too soft. Good that songs like Kill The Noise give us the “traditional” rock style of the four guys as well.

4. Bloodline

The first really new song for the listener. Will Bloodline rather be another rapper with rock elements or remind of traditional sounds? The song is touching rock, but the song is not as present as the three tracks before. 2:26 minutes only, by the way (and thus, the shortest one on the album).

5. Liar

Liar reminds me of Stand Up: the chorus is great. Such an easy to remember melody, a lot of sing-a-long potential. The song has a nice groove and somehow catches you, even though the stanzas are rather average to me.

6. Ego Trip

Papa Roach are on that 2022 Ego Trip – and this is their title track to it. Fast vocals, fast rhythm – even though the chorus is almost feeling like meditation compared to the opening of the title track – that’s a good one. Nice work on the guitar and bass.

7. Unglued

Unglued feels like a reference to the opener. Maybe the song is not as powerful and goes straight to your ear as Kill the Noise does, but it is a good listen. I am sure it is also a favorite of long-lasting Papa Roach listeners.

8. Dying To Believe

Dying To Believe strongly reminds me of Linkin Park. The song is just rather hard, compared to the other songs on the Ego Trip. Almost screaming rap parts, strong guitars and a loud and present chorus. Good one.

9. Killing Time

Back to the roots: Killing Time is not a song like Last Resort, but there are a lot of elements in this track which remind you of the early band years. Nice.

10. Leave A Light On

Leave A Light On surprises as a gentle ballad with a strong concentration on Shaddix’ voice and acoustic guitar sounds. There are still some parts which may encourage fans to join in at future show. Good one.

11. Always Wandering

Always Wondering is not soft enough to be a ballad and feels not hard enough as well. The song is not really arousing my attention as it should do. Feels a bit like a filler on the album list of songs.

12. No Apologies

I like the guitar theme of No Apologies and the general melody. However, the song does not sound like Papa Roach. Too less rock power. Overall, the song is too average to me.

13. Cut The Line

After two rather average tracks, Cut The Line is making me smile again. A mature, powerful song, which is making much more use of the skills and talents of the band. One of my favorite songs.

14. I Surrender

Maybe not the most optimistic way to close an album with a song called I surrender… However, Papa Roach do a pretty good job in here. A rather emotional touch towards the end of the album. Nice one.

 

Papa Roach – Ego Trip – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Papa Roach – Ego Trip – My View

There are a lot of good sounds, some references to the golden times of Papa Roach as well. Some songs, however, just don’t exceed average level and prevent the album receiving a really high rating. You will find the bits and pieces you like, though.

 

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