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Of all the wildest, unimaginable things that Twitter spits out on a regular basis, Papa Roach directly asking both Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for their help in getting vinyl lp’s through a customs snarl-up – and using #Brexit at the same time – has to be up there with the Ice T/Boycie from Only Fools and Horses exchange. The album in question; ‘Greatest Hits Vol 2: The Better Noise Years’, is obviously the Nu-metal/Alt-rock legends second “greatest hits” but given the fact that the band didn’t want anyone to buy Vol 1 (‘To Be Loved: The Best of Papa Roach’) because it was on their previous label and the band wouldn’t see any money from the sales, it’s obvious why the band were keen to get some divine intervention from Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
Doing what it says on the tin; this is material culled from the four albums recorded to-date with current label Better Noise Music; ‘The Connection’, ‘F.E.A.R.’, ‘Crooked Teeth’, and ‘Who Do You Trust?’ So unlike the previous collection through Geffen, at least this time the band are seeing some reward for their efforts.
‘Greatest Hits Vol 2: The Better Noise Years’ is 21 tracks in length, therefore if you are a fan of Papa Roach it offers up decent value for money. A mix of recently remastered tracks, remixes, and two live acoustic tracks, the album represents a blending of the “old” and “new” Papa Roach sound. Opener ‘Born For Greatness, for instance, embraced more of an electronic edge ala Imagine Dragons, while still keeping that trademark Papa Roach sneer. ‘Help’ topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for a reason, and here it is in all its modern, topical, uplifting glory, and with lyrics such as “I think I need help, I’m drowning in myself” Papa Roach keeps it relevant. The Aelonia Remix of the same song features later on in the album, and even if electronic music is not your bag, you might still find something enjoyable about this version.
Originally featured on 2015’s ‘F.E.A.R.’ album, ‘Broken As Me’ is given a fresh coat of paint with the addition of guest vocals from Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria: more venom, more vitriol, more screams – noice! Had ‘American Dreams’ come from a more “on-trend” artist than Papa Roach, then it might have made a dent in the Billboard Pop charts, rather than just the Mainstream Rock chart. Passionate live acoustic versions of ‘Face Everything and Rise’, and ‘Leader of the Broken Hearts’ end the album, and offer up a stripped-back alternative to the layers of polished material that came before them.
Available now through Better Noise Music, purchase here.
Connect with the band on social media, here.
