 Pity poor Coby Dick. Having your band catch the nu metal wave must have been great when it helped you get media exposure and sell millions of copies of Infest. Catching the nu metal backlash probably wasn't part of the plan.
So what's an under-fire frontman supposed to do? Change his name and release an tepid album of generic heavy rock? Sounds like a plan . . .
M-80 (explosive energy movement) at least has balls, but Brendan O'Brien's strangely muddy production has rendered them almost sterile. lovehatetragedy's sound is somewhere between the Papa Roach of old, and the groove rock of Queens Of The Stone Age. I know it sounds as if it might work, but unfortunately it doesn't.
Life Is A Bullet could have been the album's ace card, but it loses its momentum halfway through and never regains it. Time And Time Again does manage to stay the pace though, as does the later Black Clouds. Both are as good as it gets, at least on this platter.
She Loves Me Not once again highlights the fact that lyrics aren't Jacoby Shaddix's strong point: "I don't know if I care. I'm the jerk. Life's not fair." Yes. Fred Durst must be getting seriously worried. Good single though, despite its lyrical shortcomings.
Of the two extra tracks, covering The Pixies' Gouge Away probably wasn't such a great idea. Papa Roach render it as uninspiring as the rest of lovehatetragedy. lovehatetragedy is an odd album for Papa Roach to have made. Irrespective of the album's perceived quality; totally distancing themselves from a style of music which has made them famous (and which they are actually quite good at) is a move which I think they may live to regret. :: Rowan Shaeffer | 
