Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
absolutely mind boggling, July 17, 2000
My first experience with taproot was one of their earlier discs, which i ripped mp3s off my friend. At the time when limp bizkit and korn were just beginning their stardom, i was sure this band was going to hit it big. Emotional lyrics, crunching riffs rolled over into a spellbinding package and thats what you get with taproot. Emocore at its best. The comparasins to staind and deftones will come up, but they are too vague to be clearly justified. These guys are the real deal, so go pick this disc up. My personal favorite songs are as follows:Again and Again = different from the promo version, the vocals and the guitar have been tuned more to sound smoother and heavier, while and intro has been added to build intensity leading into the song. Request this on the radio guys, these guys deserve to be brought to the masses. 2. 1 Nite Stand - Amazing song, displaying vocalist steve richards rap creds, also his vocal range. This song starts out mellow, then explodes into mayheim. Perfect Mosh song. 3. I: One of their new studio cuts, definitely worth taking a listen to. Such a powerful message. Also reflects how steven needs his friends now more than ever, "I need support behind my back to help me spit it out, I need to win I cant afford to blow this one" 4. Comeback - My personal favorite song. Starts out really trancy, then periodically erupts , then tones down, then explodes. An old deftones trick, but these guys do it in style and with enough intensity. Fred Durst must be kicking himself after hearing how good these guys are. They will take you by storm and leave you screaming for more. A sure fire hit. OTHER BANDS TO CHECK OUT: Deftones, Staind, Glassjaw, Apartment 86, Finger Eleven, Chevelle, Boiler Room, Zao, Orange 9mm and The Deadlights.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bleeding potential... Did Christmas come early?..., July 26, 2000
By A Customer
...Because this one's truly a 'gift'. Now this is the type of debut that a lot of bands would wish for... I'd first heard about Taproot right here on amazon by merely thumbing through some of Robert L. Thompson III's reviews of various titles, not to mention a recommendation from a family member. Call it fate or something that the exact same day I so happen to stumble across 'Gift' in the music store the for 10 bucks. I bought it, popped it into the CD player and played it. First few listens weren't bad. First impressions of Taproot were just another angst ridden aggro' band in a market that's flooded with this style of music currently. However, after further listening, the group comes off as more than just `something special'. The lead singer (haven't learned his name yet) has a excellent ear hooking voice with an uncanny ability of combining screams of rage with melody in a loosely innovative style like none other. Which makes the band easily dismissed of the comparisons to Staind, and (pains me to even mention his name, Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. Along with the great voice work, another plus to 'Gift' are the lyrics. Well written, laced with emotion and superior to anything else of this genre. A simple equation for success that so many bands lack these days. Nevertheless, as good Taproot's debut is, it's far from flawless. Their biggest shortcomings are found (not hard to notice) in their instruments. The drumming is well more than above average, which is good AND bad. Reason being, because the guitar work isn't quite up with it. The riffs that they crank out are slightly flat, lacking substance in progression and variation. In addition to that point, the licks are nearly identical in every song. Which might and already has brought about the argument that Taproot's songs in general all sound the same. Even for myself, the tracks didn't start to distinguish, and stand out from each other until after a few plays. Needless to say, with just a couple of 'new band imperfections', Taproot is STILL a gem, nearly as good as the first by Slipknot. Listen to `Gift', it brings great difficulty when trying to remove it from the CD player. Already itching to see what these guys do next, if they polish up the rough edges, they will grow from being a really good band, to a great one.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The band of the future, June 28, 2000
Of all of the underground bands that I have had the pleasure of becoming exposed to, Taproot is one of the few bands to have really grabbed my attention and make me breathless. Needless to say, I was anxiously awaiting the major-label debut of Taproot's "Gift", after wearing out their demo CD "Upon Us". "Gift" is definitely one of the best albums to have come out in the new millennium destroying sound barriers within its wake.To bestow labels upon Taproot's music would be a travesty since they do not fall under any certain genre. Inevitably they will be labeled as another rap-core band or the next in a long line of bands to follow on the heels of Korn or the Deftones, which in the end will not give credit to what Taproot has created. Their music is incredibly heavy and aggressive, yet infused with melody and emotional power, accented by enough experimentation within their sound to give the music a distinct edge. Driving riffs, devastating groove-oriented bass, ever changing drum effects, and a dash of programming creates a contrasting sound of light and dark, heavily induced tempo-laden journeys of sonic aggression. The flow and depth of the music is masterful with intelligent song structures that are constantly changing, yet never missing a step, taking the listener on a never-ending thrill ride. As with any band in the music industry today, it is the presence and charisma of the lead singer that determines whether a band is just another wannabe or a band that is on a level of greatness. In Taproot's case, they are definitely a band on the verge of greatness as "Gift" unleashes the vocal talents of the gifted Stephen Richards. His ability to sing melodically, rap, and unleash some hardcore screams, switching gears seamlessly, is just simply amazing. He voices his lyrics in a very emotional manner that is touching, even frightening and in the end will simply leave the listener breathless. The interplay between the music and vocals is expertly handled while the lyrics themselves are simple, yet have an aura of mysticism about them. In the end, Richards will only mature into something even more astounding. The album "Gift" is almost like a compilation CD containing tracks from their earliest demo, to their last demo, and also some new material. If you are new to Taproot, this will not be a problem, as every song will amaze you. However, if you have already heard of Taproot or own a demo, you may be disappointed, as this album does not contain enough new material. Nevertheless, every song on the CD is a lesson in what really amazing music is all about. Older songs like "Comeback", "Mirror's Reflection", "Believed" "Again & Again" and "Mentobe" have all been reworked, sounding tighter and louder than ever. You will also notice that the older songs are also the only songs that really have any rapping involved with the exception of "Again & Again", which is a radio-friendly song and ironically the first single. One good thing about the older songs is that they have all been reworked to sound heavier and darker, rather than lighter sounding and more mainstream to appease the masses, which is greatly appreciated. If you have been exposed to their older music you can definitely tell the differences compared to their new material. Songs like "Smile", "Emotional Times", "I" and all of the other newer material is much more melodic, yet edgier and darker, very heavy. The growth between their older material and newer material is astounding and leaves me expecting even greater accomplishments from Taproot within the coming future. Taproot is a band that will soon become a household name. Not because of publicity or hype but mainly because they create amazing heartfelt music for the fans. Add to that an amazing live show that must be experienced to believe and their down to earth approach to their inevitable fame, Taproot is definitely headed in the right direction. In the end, "Gift" will astound you in more ways than one and leave you simply wanting more. Other emerging underground acts: Slaves On Dope, Professional Murder Music, Sicboy, Vent, Dredg, Perfect Nothing, LeFt, Trapt, and From Zero.
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by Taproot 
