As lead singer Fred Durst proclaims on the first single off their new album, Limp Bizkit keeps on “Rollin’.” Rap metal is the dominant sound of rock today and Limp Bizkit continues to reign over the genre. Picking up where last year’s Significant Other left off, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water is a fusion of searing raps, monster guitar riffs, and turntable scratching. The new album, aims to provide a voice for its fans, the disgruntled, angry youth, and, in that sense, succeeds admirably.
As in its previous albums, Limp Bizkit is at its best when their angst can be translated musically. Testosterone-filled, thundering rock-rap hybrids are the bands’ forte and this album does not disappoint in that respect. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Many songs on the album do tread similar ground. “My Generation,” “Full Nelson,” and “Hot Dog” follow the musical template of their previous hit “Nookie,” as the powerful metal chords of the choruses alternate with the funky grooves of the bridges. “The One,” with its slower, more thoughtful hip-hop sense, has the same sound as “Rearranged,” another past success.
However, the group does make a concerted effort to forge ahead and diversify their sound. “Hold On” is almost completely acoustic, complete with harmonies. Fast-paced, aggressive rap-rock tones are combined effectively with slower, more melodic elements in “My Way.” In this song, the familiar theme of you’ll-miss-me-when-I’m-gone is intertwined with a rocking, yet soothing atmosphere. In fact, I can picture this song playing in the background of the next teen comedy when the hero finally has an epiphany and discovers how to get his dream girl.
One of the downsides of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water is its lyrical content. Fred Durst obviously wants to convey anger and outrage, but he thinks that the word fuck can be substituted for real emotions. Durst raps in “Hot Dog”: “It’s real fucked up like fucked-up crime…If I say fuck two more times, that’s 46 fucks in this fucked-up rhyme.” The chorus of “My Generation” is as follows: “We don’t, don’t give a fuck, and we won’t ever give a fuck, until you, you give a fuck about me and my generation.”
Fred Durst possesses many of the positive attributes normally found in great frontman, but lyrical adeptness is not one of these characteristics. His charisma and energy, which serve him well during live shows, cannot help him in this aspect. For Fred, vocal delivery is his most important function. And, in that respect, Durst communicates potently as a rocker and a rapper with attitude to spare.
Throughout the album, Durst and the rest of the band are aided by some high-profile guest artists. On the hip-hop song “Getcha Groove On,” one of the best tracks on the album, Xzibit proves that he is a gifted lyricist, unlike Durst, as he outduels him: “All hail Xzibit and Limp/ As we attempt to bring home the championship/It’s all in the wrist/ Give me the fifth/ I’m drinking while I’m taking a piss.” Method Man, Redman, and DMX all appear on the Swizz-Beatz produced, hip-hop version of “Rollin’ (Urban Assault Vehicle).” Also, Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots co-produced a few of the tracks, contributing his knowledge and experience of hard rock.
The real standout track is the first single “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle),” the metal rendition of the song. Not only does this song have crunching guitar licks and relentless beats, but it also contains a potential catch phrase. You can already see people miming the driving motion used by Durst in the video when they hear the song on the radio.
While Durst is the frontman and commands all the media hype, ultimately, the life of the band resides in its other members, specifically guitarist Wes Borland and ex-House of Pain turntablist DJ Lethal. This was shown in “Take A Look Around,” an inventive take on the Mission: Impossible theme.
They should be praised for saving the album from mediocrity by shifting between the atmospheric quality of the verses and the sonic boom of the choruses effortlessly. And that’s what fans have come to expect from Limp Bizkit: loud, unadulterated fun, which Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water gladly delivers without pretense or intelligence.
Archived article by Seth Zelnik