Getting Away with Murder [PA] (CD - 2004)

Papa Roach: Jerry Horton (vocals, guitar); Jacoby Shaddix (vocals); Tobin Esperance (guitar, bass instrument, background vocals); Dave Buckner (drums, background vocals).

Papa Roach's 2002 effort, LOVEHATETRAGEDY, didn't quite live up to the success of its major-label predecessor, but the importance of this outing was the band's decision to go beyond its rap-rock origins. GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER showcases the quartet's further creative growth, as the playing and writing have only gotten more potent. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix continues to impress as a vocalist who's gone from shouting his thoughts to conveying more sophisticated subject matter. The biggest difference can be seen in Shaddix's shift from contemplating his dead dog on the last album to here ranting about a deceptive government motivated by greed and power ("Tyranny of Normality"). Just as effective is the anthemic "Blanket of Fear," with its strident denouncement of overwhelming paranoia in an age of war and terrorism. Throughout it all, guitarist Jerry Horton lays down brontosaurus-sized riffs that prove that Papa Roach still has plenty of aggression to fuel its brand of nu-metal. minimize