Trapt can't get out of lame hard-rock grooves

Trapt's self-titled major-label debut is another hard-rock stinkbomb. Foisted on us just in time to make the winter radio festival tour bills, this is pure product, and not good product at that.\nClearly aimed at the Papa Roach crowd, Warner Bros. probably didn't realize that Papa Roach's fame is also on the wane after their awful lovehatetragedy album. As a result, I don't even think Trapt will make much of an impact even on its target audience. And at least Papa Roach has a pretty enjoyable album, 2000's Infest, to its credit.\nAfter a thorough listening, only one melody, on the song "Still Frame," emerged on Trapt. The rest lacks tunefulness, and this is a band that doesn't have enough going for it to get by without it.\nThe album has a dull sheen. Peter Charell's bass doesn't pop or thud; it's just sort of there. Aaron Montgomery's hyperactive drumming reminds me of Animal from the Muppets in that it's too much, never in service of the groove and at times inhuman. Somebody should tell him that in drumming, less is sometimes more and simple beat-keeping would suffice in more instances than not on this album.\nLead vocalist/lyricist Chris Brown provides the clichéd thoughts that fit with the bland lyrics with lines like, "The past I hold inside," "You can't tell us how to live our lives anymore" and "And how far have we come / Too far to throw away the past."\nAfter the drab experience that was listening to Trapt, perhaps real hard-rock fans can send the major labels a message: We're on to you.\n Andy Wallace mixed Nirvana's Nevermind and this album, and I think it's safe to say that this will be the last time and Trapt and Nirvana will be compared. Wallace is known for making anything punk rock, metal, nu metal or emo radio-friendly, but after listening to this album, maybe he should accept some assignments that are less challenging.