The Connection (Papa Roach album)

Untitled

The Connection is the seventh 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. 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. The album also returns the rapping of Jacoby Shaddix, however, in a few of the songs, Jacoby rapped on the verses and also sings on the verses.

Background

Jacoby Shaddix has described the album as a "rediscovery of the basic elements of Papa Roach." 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." "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.

In regards to 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."

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Engage"	0:51
2.	"Still Swingin'"	3:24
3.	"Where Did the Angels Go?"	3:10
4.	"Silence Is the Enemy"	2:53
5.	"Before I Die"	4:25
6.	"Wish You Never Met Me"	4:05
7.	"Give Back My Life"	3:58
8.	"Breathe You In"	3:07
9.	"Leader of the Broken Hearts"	4:12
10.	"Not That Beautiful" (feat. Shahnaz)	3:18
11.	"Walking Dead"	3:18
12.	"Won't Let Up"	4:00
13.	"As Far as I Remember"	3:42
Total length:		44:13

Japanese Edition

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Set Me Off"	3:28
15.	"What's Left of Me"	2:58

Deluxe Edition

No.	Title	Length
14.	"What's Left of Me"	2:58
15.	"9th Life (co-written by Martin Johnson)"	3:13

iTunes Deluxe Edition

No.	Title	Length
14.	"You Gotta Want It"	3:39
15.	"Kick in the Teeth" (Video)	3:11
16.	"Burn" (Uncut Video)	3:37
17.	"No Matter What" (Video)	3:50
18.	"Still Swingin'" (Video)	3:22
19.	"Constructing the Connection" (Video)	3:17
20.	"Behind the Scenes: Making of Still Swingin'" (Video)	2:12

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 80,000 copies in US as of 2013.

Reception

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 it's use of electronics. They do not save the songs, but in some cases slightly more, they make them enjoyable."

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."

Personnel

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

Chart positions

Album - Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
2012	The Billboard 200	17
2012	Swiss Albums Top 100	21
2012	Austria Albums Top 75	24
2012	Media Control Charts	27
2012	World Albums Top 40	28
2012	UK Albums Top 75	37
2012	Dutch Albums Top 100	83
2012	Japanese Albums Charts	134