Papa Roach

“This record is about all the connections I have in my life,” says Jacoby Shaddix, frontman for Papa Roach. “It’s what I feel with my band, with music, with myself, with friends and with our fans when we come together. When we connect, we all become something greater.” Which helps explains The Connection, the title of Papa Roach’s seventh album and first full-length studio record for Eleven Seven Music. It's a remarkably modern record that both solidifies the hard rock group’s signature sound – big choruses, loud guitars, raw introspection – while sonically taking a great leap ahead.

Exploring new musical territory is nothing new for the California band (rounded out by Jerry Horton, Tobin Esperance and Tony Palermo), which over the course of almost two decades has released an impressively diverse string of Gold, Platinum and Multi- Platinum records, starting with 2000’s Infest through 2009’s top 10 album Metamorphosis. In that time, Papa Roach has racked up dozens of hits, including “She Loves Me Not,” “Getting Away with Murder,” “Scars,” “…To Be Loved,” “Forever,” “Lifeline” and “Kick in the Teeth." The only thing those songs have in common? A refusal to stand put and play it safe. “I look back on this band's history, and we’ve changed so much,” says Esperance, Papa Roach's bassist. “We’ve gone from spastic punk rock kids to grown men with kids, families, wives, from no money to big hits to battling addiction. We’ve done it all together, and we’re still changing, still evolving and figuring it out -- lyrically and musically.”

While dealing with tumultuous personal issues, the band also wanted to test new waters. “We're always inspired by new sounds,” says Esperance. “We wanted to add some electronics and do something really exciting with that. It’s a natural progression.” “Tobin loves hard electronic music,” adds Shaddix. “And if one person is passionate in this group, the rest of us will go along on that ride. And I think it's catapulting us into this fourth dimension of rock music, pushing our boundaries wider and farther.” Recorded over several months at the band's Sacramento-based home studio -- The Red House, their first full-length album recorded there -- The Connection does embrace a strong digital element, while never losing site of the band’s ferocious energy. "We were able to take our time on this record, and in terms of progress in the band's career, I think it's a leap forward for us," says Palermo.

The album was produced by rock veteran James Michael (Sixx:A.M., Halestorm) and John Feldmann (Panic at the Disco, The Used, Escape the Fate) and has been receiving critical praise across the board. Revolver declared the album, “a fist-pumping return to form…” The Connection is just the next in line of a long string of successful releases. Papa Roach has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide. The band boasts two Grammy nominations, an MTV VMA nomination, as well as eleven Top 10 rock hits, seven Top 10 alternative hits and can claim the Most Played Alternative Song of the Decade (BDS) with their breakthrough single “Last Resort.” Known for their electrifying and explosive live shows, Papa Roach has become the common denominator for some of the most successful rock tours in recent years.