HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Infest – Papa Roach

February 7, 2025 Megan Jenkins

There’s not many tracks that almost anyone will recognise from an opening line. But, somehow, “Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort” is able to draw a reaction from any crowd. It was the debut single from PAPA ROACH, a band that was pretty much unknown at the time of the track’s release despite having been active for nearly ten years, but that opening line helped catapult them into stardom and success.

Last Resort is the perfect representative of the nu-metal genre that was at the peak of its popularity in the early 2000s, but the lyrics speak so much further than the assertive music. The song is about suicide and the band hasn’t made an effort to hide this fact since its release. Originally, the track detailed the struggles of a friend of the band who was going through an extremely rough time and was questioning whether to keep going or not. It’s something that a lot of listeners can connect with, many having felt the exact same emotions and feelings themselves. Lead singer Jacoby Shaddix eventually began to relate to the song, finding himself in that same position many years later. The band’s ability to write something so relatable and honest is, in part, what made this album stand out from their peers’ releases.

The accompanying music video for Last Resort is a reflection of their audience at the time. In it, the band performs surrounded by their fans, as the camera zooms in on some of the spectators and shows them in places that appear to be their bedrooms. Walls are littered with posters of other bands and radio stations, often looking like they’ve been ripped straight out of a magazine. It shows people being taken from somewhere they do not want to be, to somewhere they did – from the loneliness of a bedroom, to the mania and fun of a rock concert with their friends. The people featured look exactly how you would expect and mirror what the audience at a real PAPA ROACH show would look like, complete with wallet chains and hair gelled end to end. Not only is their audience able to relate with the song’s lyrics, they can see themselves and their experiences reflected straight back at them through a screen.

The album itself touches on a range of topics, from familial conflict and emotions in the aftermath of a divorce in Broken Home, to greed and the fact that money doesn’t solve all of
your problems in ‘Between Angels and Insects’. The vast range of subjects that they cover in a short 45 minutes is what draws the appeal – there is something for everyone to relate to. This extensive subject matter paired with hard hitting riffs and instrumentals is what keeps listeners coming back to this album time and again.

While they already may have an impressive following, newer fans are still discovering PAPA ROACH today because of Infest, a full 25 years after its initial release. This fact speaks testament to how influential not only the album itself is, but how influential the group is. They managed to create a body of work that stood the test of time and brought new and old audience members to their music. Gone are the days of buying your favorite songs to use as a ringtone on your flip phone; today, fans have their entire discography at their disposal on their streaming site of choice.

There is no doubt that the release was highly influential to fans, but the impact it had on the band often goes unnoticed. The massive mainstream success of Last Resort elevated their career and notability all over the world. Local shows were no more, instead they found themselves on the bill for Ozzfest rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest bands in the world. Their impact on the nu metal genre isn’t up for debate, with Infest bringing even more commercial success to an already popular genre, widening the scope of its fanbase. They were invited to the MTV Awards and found themselves on the red carpet alongside ALICIA KEYS, the BACKSTREET BOYS, and other music royalty at the time. That same year at a different award show, QUEEN’s Brian May would give his compliments directly to the band – something that any musician would be jealous of.

The fact that PAPA ROACH is able to perform an arena anniversary tour for Infest speaks testament to its impact on fans new and old. 25 years after its release, this album is helping them gain a title that most can only dream of: ‘Wembley Headliners’. It earned them a Grammy nomination, multiple Platinum plaques, it’s hailed as one of the greatest nu-metal albums of all time, and it’s featured in multiple video games, tv shows, and movies. It feels as though everyone should have heard something from this album yet a full quarter of a century later, audiences discover PAPA ROACH because of Infest.