The Connection (Papa Roach album)

The Connection
Studio album by Papa Roach
Released	October 2, 2012
Genre	Alternative rock hard rock alternative metal rap rock[1]
Length	44:13
Label	Eleven Seven Music
Producer	James Michael John Feldmann Tylias
Papa Roach chronology
Time for Annihilation (2010) The Connection (2012) F.E.A.R. (2015)
Singles from The Connection
"Still Swingin'" Released: July 24, 2012 "Where Did the Angels Go" Released: November 20, 2012 "Before I Die" Released: January 22, 2013 "Leader of the Broken Hearts" Released: May 7, 2013

The Connection is the eighth studio album by California rock band Papa Roach. It was released on October 2, 2012 through Eleven Seven Music. The album was produced by Sixx:A.M. vocalist James Michael, who co-produced the band's previous full-length album Metamorphosis, and Goldfinger vocalist John Feldmann. The first single, "Still Swingin'", was released on July 24, 2012. A non-album track titled "Even If I Could" appeared on The Avengers Soundtrack. A lyric video to the song "Before I Die" was released on Papa Roach's YouTube channel on November 15, 2012.^[2] On November 19, 2012, The Connection was released as a vinyl record, making it the first Papa Roach album to be released in that format. A lot of the tracks from the album have electronic influences. Some tracks on the album feature a return to the rap-style vocals of the band's early releases. It is also the first Papa Roach album not to include Parental Advisory label.

Background

Jacoby Shaddix has described the album as a "rediscovery of the basic elements of Papa Roach." ^[3] He states: "We kind of went back and looked at the history of our band and really thought about… Creatively, what evolutions have we gone through? When we came in, it was, like, metal and hip-hop and nu-metal, and then we kind of got more into straight-ahead rock and then we added pop elements to our band. So this record just encompasses everything we’ve done from the beginning to where we are currently as a band; it just kind of connects the dots of all the elements of our sound over the years."^[4] "There's some hip-hop, more keyboards than before, sound loops, textures - it's dynamic, diverse and vulnerable. That is Papa Roach. We have never sounded better", said Shaddix.^[5]

Regarding the album's title, Shaddix stated it was one of many different titles the band went through. "We always just kept coming back to ‘The Connection.’" stated Shaddix. "What ‘The Connection’ means to us, it’s our connection to the music, it’s the connection of this music to the fans, it’s the connection that we make onstage with our music, it’s the connection from fan-to-fan on the social Internet marketing media world."^[3]

Track listing

All tracks written by Papa Roach, except where noted. 

Sales

"The Connection", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 17 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on October 2 via Eleven Seven Music. Papa Roach's previous album, 2010's "Time For Annihilation ... On the Road & On the Record", opened with 16,000 units to debut at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's 2006 CD, "The Paramour Sessions", premiered with nearly 37,000 copies — a drop from the 52,000 first-week performance of 2004's "Getting Away With Murder" — to land at No. 16.

"The Connection" has sold more than 109,000 copies in the US as of 2015.^[6]

Reception

The album has received positive reviews, with a 62% rating on Metacritic. A good review come from AltSounds with 87% out of 100% saying: "With a sound that’s familiar yet new, Papa Roach have managed to assemble what could actually be their greatest album in a long time. It was a brave venture into pastures new, but the added effects and electronic influences have overall produced great results. Even with nearly twenty years under their studded belts, with The Connection in hand, the cocksure foursome are poised, strong and ready for the kill even more so than I realised possible."

A mixed review comes from Allmusic with 3 stars out of 5 saying: "Papa Roach's seventh studio album, The Connection, finds the California band finally striking a balance between its early roots as a nu-metal/rap-rock outfit and its more recent interest in '80s-style Sunset Strip hard rock. Featuring production from Sixx: A.M. frontman James Michael as well as Goldfinger's John Feldmann, The Connection includes some creatively slick sounds that flow from buzzy, processed distortion to pulsating, atmospheric electronic flourishes. In some ways, The Connection is perhaps the band's most contemporary-sounding album, though it still remains reverent to the nu-metal sound of the late '90s when it comes down to the overall feel of each tune."

There was harsh criticism by professional pages like Sputnikmusic giving it 1.5 stars out of 5, quote: "The Connection album really is an ironic name. If anything, the exact opposite is the release, an absolute disconnect from the Papa Roach we used to know and love. Not only is it one of the worst albums I've heard in recent years, it makes me wonder why this band ever received so much attention in the first place. The only thing That keeps this album from being a complete and utter failure is its use of electronics. They do not save the songs, but in some cases slightly more, they make them enjoyable."

Personnel

• Jacoby Shaddix - vocals
• Jerry Horton - guitars, backing vocals
• Tobin Esperance - bass guitar, programming, backing vocals
• Tony Palermo - drums, percussion

Chart positions

Album - Billboard

References