PAPA ROACH Band's latest effort in tune with its rock edge

The quartet is trying to enjoy its current success and not think too far ahead.
Like a bullet out of a gun, Papa Roach exploded onto the newly established nu-metal scene with its 2000 major label debut "Infest."
Three million albums later and the band appeared to be the bellwether of the rap'n'rock trend. Ultimately, the expectation proved to be too much as dreaded sophomore slump pressures came to fruition with 2002's "Lovehatetragedy" dragging the quartet dangerously close to obscurity.
Now, with its latest disc "Getting Away With Murder," the Northern California band appears back on track with an album that sounds less-trendy and more in tune with the group's hard rock core.
"I think a lot of what happened with the second record was probably lack of exposure," said guitarist Jerry Horton, calling from Philadelphia. "It takes all pistons firing for something to go really big and it is what it is but I wouldn't really change anything because had we not made that record, went through that whole process, we wouldn't have made this record and be where we are right now."
Where Papa Roach is now is back on the road to recovery, having spent the last 14 months touring and seemingly finding its fan base once again, with numerous sold out shows. The foursome pulls into Cleveland Sunday for a show at the House of Blues. Having experienced the ebb and flow of success over five short years, there's a sense the band feels as though it's seemingly getting away with murder.
"I think the title track ('Getting Away With Murder') really kind of personifies the record and it's just, we're in a band on the road and we're getting away with a lot of stuff that normal people don't get away with and we're doing what we love to do," Horton said.
Going with the flow
Considering the positive response from its live audiences, as well as the success of recent hit single "Scars," the guitarist said the band is reluctant to think ahead to its next album, instead opting to get the most out of its current momentum. While perhaps playing 1,000- to 2,000-seat club dates would seem like a step down for a band that appeared ready for arena rock success, a spot perhaps currently filled by Linkin Park, Horton dismisses what could have been.
"Right now, the climate of music has changed and rock is not the main thing," Horton said. "So, we're appreciating where we are at and cherishing all of the fans that are coming out. We're kind of against the rest. That's our attitude and we're just out here doing it."
Proud of its energetic live show, Papa Roach takes no prisoners when on stage.
"Basically, it's an arena rock show stuffed into a club," Horton said. "It's just we go all out. We don't really even need pyro. We are the pyro!"