Papa Roach

Formed in 1993 in Vacaville, California, Papa Roach initially sat at the intersection of nu metal, rap rock and alternative metal before shifting toward a more melodic hard rock and alternative rock marked by direct choruses and lyrics focused on psychological tension, relationships and mental health. The band is built around vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, with Jerry Horton on guitar, Tobin Esperance on bass and, since 2007, Tony Palermo on drums. After an independent debut, Old Friends from Young Years (1997), Papa Roach reached wider prominence with Infest (2000), which cemented their early identity with heavy riffs, a percussive vocal delivery and an energy rooted in the California scene. Subsequent records show a gradual change in sound — Lovehatetragedy (2002), Getting Away with Murder (2004), The Paramour Sessions (2006), followed by Metamorphosis (2009), The Connection (2012), F.E.A.R. (2015), Crooked Teeth (2017), Who Do You Trust? (2019) and Ego Trip (2022). Over the years, Papa Roach has moved between metal stages and mainstream rock venues while keeping a formula where guitar intensity coexists with more accessible song structures and vocals that alternate between clean singing and rougher phrasing.