Getting away with a tired genre

Papa Roach seems to have come a long way since its 2000 debut Infest, and yes, I'm saying that with a straight face. They might get pigeonholed as being one of the late-in-the-game nü-metal nobodies, but the fact of the matter is that nothing about them is egregious. They're just a radio rock group in the same vein as Three Doors Down and Staind, which basically means you adore them or scoff and turn up your indie nose. There can be no middle ground.\nFirst of all, this new album is much better than both Infest and Lovehatetragedy. They didn't rip off Iron Maiden this time, nor did they succumb to the temptation to beat Fred Durst in a "let's make the most inane angst-metal possible" contest. Songs like "Blood," "Do or Die," "Be Free" and the title track have a rocking catchiness on their side, not to mention that Jacoby Shaddix doesn't pull out any rap rhymes. No, there is no rap at all on this album; it's as if even rap-rock's illuminati realized it was getting really, really annoying and tried something with a little more staying power.\nAbsolutely no new ground is broken, of course, but you get your share of impassioned screams, shimmering, treble-heavy riffs, thrashing drums and lyrics, and unlike Linkin Park, it won't inspire you to kill your parents. I wouldn't buy it, but I would eventually listen to it if I were stranded on a desert island. Give it a whirl.