Papa Roach – “Crooked Teeth” [Album Review]

Recent press reports saw American hard rockers Papa Roach promise that their ninth and latest album, Crooked Teeth, would see them take everyone’s favourite elements of their sound and give it a bit of an update bringing it into the 21st century. So, how does this revamped Papa Roach sound on Crooked Teeth?

Well, setting the benchmark with opener “Break The Fall”, all sounds good. You’ve got the big guitar sound, the machine-gun vocals of vocalist Jacoby Shaddix and the kind of angsty lyrics that made the band such a huge hit when Infest dropped on a scene obsessed with flannel shirts and Kurt Cobain. Following a similar formula with the title track “Crooked Teeth” and “My Medication” both delivering a modern twist on their nu-metal roots, “Born For Greatness” sees the band crank things up to stadium-sized proportions.

“American Dream” ratchets things up even more as the sound heads back towards the formula that made Infest such a hit. For a few minutes the calmer “Periscope” and the equally less aggressive “Sunrise Trailer Park” bring the album crashing back down to earth but, recent single “Help”, nestled in between the two, keeps pulses racing again while the furious “Traumatic” and the gargantuan “None Of The Above” sign things off in true modern rock glory.

Aside from a few moments on the album, namely “Periscope” and “Sunrise Trailer Park”, Crooked Teeth sees Papa Roach come good on their promise and bring their glory days screaming and kicking into the modern era.

Crooked Teeth Track Listing:

01. Break the Fall
02. Crooked Teeth
03. My Medication
04. Born for Greatness
05. American Dreams
06. Periscope (Feat. Skylar Grey)
07. Help
08. Sunrise Trailer Park (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
09. Traumatic
10. None of the Above

Run Time: 33:57
Release Date: May 19, 2017

Check out the track “Help”: