The Paramour Sessions

In 2006, Californian metal band, Papa Roach released their fourth album, entitled The Paramour Sessions with Geffen Records.

Many fans claim that the album is completely mainstream and unoriginal. I, on the other hand, don't believe that the album is neither mainstream nor unoriginal. The theme to this album seems to be "Give in to no one, always be as strong as you can." Every song on the album has some sort of meaning to it, and to me, that isn't "mainstream" music. Papa Roach is a hardcore band, who has a "we don't put up with shit from anyone" attitude.

There are thirteen tracks on the album. Of the thirteen, only two were released as singles, To Be Loved and the more popular, Forever.

To Be Loved definitely has a "screw you" attitude going for it. The lyrics in the song are strong. There are three main "lessons" that stick out:

1. Never Give In and never give up.
2. Fight for respect and defense
3. Don't regret any decision you make.

Forever is a slower song, that definitely makes Jacoby Shaddix's voice more prominent. The song's meaning is pretty self explanatory; the narrator declaring that his feelings for someone is forever. "Because days come and go, but my feelings for you are forever." It's very emotionally powerful.

The track listing consists of:

1. To Be Loved
2. Alive ('N Out of Control)
3. Crash
4. The World Around You
5. Forever
6. I Devise My Own Demise
7. Time is Running Out
8. What Do You Do?
9. My Heart is a Fist
10. No More Secrets
11. Reckless
12. The Fire
13. Roses on My Grave.

The first three tracks on the album fit very well together. All three songs give off a "don't screw with me" feeling. To Be Loved, Alive, and Crash are all songs that could be used as a theme song for a rebellious teenager.

The song, The World Around You, is my personal favorite track. The opening lyrics to the song are great. "Somebody falls in love, somebody breaks a heart.." The song itself is, to me, about love. It's about heartbreak, and how far some people can take it. "We never fell in love, we only fell apart" is a very powerful line from the song. The chorus itself is also very powerful.

The only song that sticks out to me is What Do You Do?. The genre to this song is more pop-rock than metal. The song itself isn't bad, but it's definitely out there, especially compared to the other songs. It still sticks to the theme of the album, which is "Give in to no one, always be as strong as you can." The lyrics to the chorus are encouraging; "So what do you do when it all comes down on you? Do you run and hide or face the truth?"

The song Roses On My Grave is an emotional song. It has a slow tempo to it, but very strong vocals. The song was written for Shaddix's grandfather, Howard William Roatch, or as Shaddix called him, Papa Roach, which is where the band got its name. Roatch died in March of 2006.

The tracks on the album flow together very well, though some are more prominent than others. A few of the songs are just there, as a bridge between some songs, but none of them stand out as just fillers.

I believe that the album is definitely worth listening to. You can listen to it on their Myspace page.

Sources

• Papa Roach — Wikipedia.
• Papa Roach Discography — Wikipedia.
• The Paramour Sessions Music Review