Out Now
Words by Jimmy Glinster
In what could be the biggest event in album release history in, well, the last 10 years, the mighty Limp Bizkit have just dropped a brand-new album titled Still Sucks.
Do they still suck though, did they ever suck, or are you just one of those elitists who couldn’t accept anything but tight black jeans, long hair and shitty recycled thrash riffs? Could it be one of those long- awaited flops like Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy or whatever that last boring as bat-shit thing that Tool released was? Who knows, but this Old Skool Nu-Metaller is prepared to give it a listen for you and save your precious, rusted over, metallic ear holes.
I’m not sure if any of you caught Wes Borland‘s review parody of the album as fictional character Jake Bacon, but it was one of many genius promotional stunts leading up to this release, but more about that later. He mentions early on that “the record starts, like, with a crazy riff”, and yeah, it surely does after a short, spoken word intro. It’s a classic Wes riff, and as usual Fred Durst introduces DJ Lethal like he’s the only band member worth mentioning.
The track’s titled Out Of Style, and although Limp Bizkit is well out of style, this track is true Limp Bizkit style with its mix of heavy, pop and hip hop.
Next up is Dirty Rotten Bizkit which sounds a lot like a tune the band has been riffing out at recent shows. The main riff is reminiscent of that crazy big riff at the start of Hot Dog from the Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water album. The interlude of the song pulls back to a Three Dollar Bill Y’all or Signifcant Other vibe. So far, this album is sounding like classic Bizkit!
And here it is, the lead single Dad Vibes. To be honest, not one of their greatest musical moments, but possibly one of the best publicity stunts the music world has ever seen. Why, you ask? Well, let me skool you! When a band like Limp Bizkit announces a new album well into their forties you would expect a whole heap of criticism from the haters about a bunch of old men playing music for angsty teenagers, right? Damn right, so why not beat ‘em to the punchline and make your way out on stage like the very old man they are going to call you and absolutely kill the audience just like you did 20 years ago.
Well played Fred, well played!
Turn It Up, Bitch, don’t mind if I do! This track opens with a solo bass line from Sam Rivers and quickly jumps into a straight-up hip-hop track where we hear another shout out to Lethal. Fred’s rhymes are tight, but this reminds me more of a House of Pain track than a LB track. It’s a fun filler!
Next up is an acoustic cover of INXS’s Don’t Change. Interesting change of direction, and an interesting choice of cover song. It kind of works like that Behind Blues Eyes cover kind of worked … or does it, and, did it?
The Jake Bacon review mentioned a boy band song, and it sounds like You Bring Out The Worst In Me could be it until it gets super heavy in each chorus. This is probably the heaviest the band has ever sounded. Could it make it on the radio, though? Apart from the choruses, yeah, it probably could. This is Limp Bizkit, though, and this is not a test.
Love The Hate plays out like Dr Dre and Eminen‘s Guilty Conscience, hell, it even sounds like them. It’s a diss track, with Fred jumping in between the back-and-forth conversations to tell ‘em that the jokes on them and that they (Limp Bizkit) don’t give a fuck. You’ve gotta love how this band just constantly takes the piss out of themselves, and again beats all the haters to the punchline.
Well played, again!
The only thing this album hasn’t had so far is a punk rock song. Oh wait, what’s that? Turns out Barnacle is a punk rock song. Well, kind of, with its simple chord structures and basic non grooving, completely non-John Otto style drum patterns. If this album is one thing, it’s certainly interesting!
Time for another acoustic track, and time for Fred to show us that he can actually sing. And sing he can, sing about an Empty Hole. It’s a filler track which I’m sure has meaning to Fred, but in the big scheme of things, it’s just there to fill an empty hole.
Track number 10, Pill Popper, sounds like it could have been a missing track from a Ministry album in the mid 90’s. The chorus hits a more classic Bizkit bounce and groove though, and again it’s super heavy, heavier than you’ve ever heard Limp Bizkit before.
It must be time for a snack, or Snacky Poo as Fred tells us amongst a heap of disses and burns to all the haters of the band. This is another pure hip hop track which displays Fred’s skills as an MC. The track ends with a skit by Wes, where it sounds like he is interviewing himself about his own snack habits and questionable taste in music.
The band finish the album with another acoustic track aptly titled Goodbye, and this is definitely the boy band track that Jake Bacon was referencing. Not sure if this track was necessary, but I guess in one way it’s the perfect ending to a very interesting and varied album.
Does Limp Bizkit still suck, or is this the greatest album ever, by the greatest band ever?
It’s none of the above, but it’s unusual, and it’s Limp Bizkit to the core. Some will love it and some will hate it. Just like they did 20 years ago when Fred told everyone he was the man, only to become the man, and then single-handedly destroy the future of Nu-Metal because the band got way too big, way too quick.
You know that Tall Poppy Syndrome thing?
Check it out, then chuck it in the bin if you think it sucks. Limp Bizkit don’t give a fuck, so why should you?
