OK, so we're not all born with a Minor Threat seven inch in our Fisher Price Phonograph. We all stumble while developing our musical interests and for a time I was into nu-metal. What's important is that we learn and grow. What was kind of embarrassing was watching some hardcore bands try to jump on the nu-metal bandwagon to cash in only to later find out that they were blazing a trail that left nu-metal bands scrambling to change their oversized jnco's and fishnets for girls jeans and black band T's. It was too late for the those who jumped the hardcore catamaran for the nu-metal Titanic, though. The damage to credibility and fan base had already been sustained.
Anyway, I still have the first 2 Korn records in my library, and rejoiced when Deftones were finally able to shed the "nu" label. I was curious if any other bands I used to listen to in the mid-90's (even though this came out in 2000) still resonated with me so I went back and downloaded a few (what? I'm not paying for that garbage... again). First was Coal Chamber. I had always seen DevilDriver tour dates being listed and didn't even realize it was the same singer. I checked out DevilDriver (not a fan) and it reminded me to go back and listen to Coal Chamber's self titled debut. I figured I liked it when it came out, surely there would be a song or 2 that were still listenable. Nope. It's really bad, and if you're contemplating the same self-exploratory experiment, I'll save you the time, and details, just don't do it.
A deep feeling of reluctance came over me as I was downloading Gift by Taproot. I even checked out a song before downloading and wasn't really feeling it, but still followed through anyway. Then I felt a brief moment of joy before the shame kicked in. Everything in me was telling me that I shouldn't like this record. The simple drop D chords that sound too close to Korn's "Blind", the white guy with spiky hair occasionally rapping, the whiny Fred Durst-esque vocals. None of that could deter me, I still really like this record. It's just so much heavier than those other depressing alterna-rock wannabe metal bands with singers who tried way too hard to sound like Layne Staley.
Now I'm not saying this record isn't without faults. There's plenty, but these guys just knew how to write some of the heaviest, yet catchiest choruses. In fact, sometimes they'll even stumble through the song and it feels like the track should be skipped, but then they pull themselves together and there's that feeling of shame again as you're banging your head (specifically the attempt at a trite screamy pre-chorus on "Now" only to be followed by a much more memorable singing chorus). That's all that they really have, actually and so many successful artists write crap songs, but the hooks get you. So, string in a little destruction for the chorus and the hit or miss verses won't matter. The screaming on Gift works best when it's just a one off inclusion rather than yelling through an entire verse or chorus. The album definitely sputters when it approaches the middle tracks and has a few sparkling moments towards the end, but never quite returns to the consistency of the first 1/3 of the record.
Upon catching up on what Taproot was up to I saw that their latest release had been put out by Victory. I thought maybe they were one of those nu-metal bands that had experimented with a hardcore sound and that's why Victory was interested. I couldn't even make it through one song before I realized this was post-2000 Victory and not 1996 Victory so why would they be interested in anything hardcore or even legitimate?
If you have a soft spot for that nu-metal fad, but somehow skipped over Gift, go ahead and give it a spin. Screw what your elitist friends say. It's only a problem if after listening you go and get an eyebrow piercing.
(A two week hiatus and I can't believe I chose to write about this and not the Coalesce or Botch ideas I had been throwing around.)
