Taproot "Plead The Fifth"

I can honestly say that it’s been a while since a hard rock record that I’ve liked has been presented to me. With their seventh studio album and the Victory Records debut, Taproot has done a wonderful job of mixing Linkin Park style rap-rock with the angst and emotion of Nirvana. “Plead the Fifth” is the first album that I’ve ever heard of Taproot and since listening to it through; I’ve been hooked ever since. With choruses that are catchy an memorable and verses that take a little more thought, Taproot has found a winning sound for the latest releases.
The opening song on the album, “Now Rise” does exactly what I think an opening song should do: describe the album. With “Now Rise” the band communicates exactly what listeners are going to get out of the album; melody, hard hitting riffs, experimental riffs and even some rap-rock needled within the tracks. Throughout the record, there are multiple radio friendly songs with complex verses and easily, memorable choruses that will let listeners sing along to every word.
For people who miss Linkin Park and Nirvana and for those who like the current sounds of Nickelback and Shinedown, “Plead the Fifth” has a sound for everyone. To those who rock with the hard symbol crash and those who prefer the slower, sadder songs, Taproot covers to almost every one’s musical taste while keeping their sense of originality. While some of the riffs take a while to grow on you, believe me, they will grow on you and before you know it, you’ll be listening to this band like it’s your job. I give it a solid 4/5, just because it does take a while to grow on you. They definitely took a risk with some of the songs they put on the album, but the risk was worth it. For any and all hard rock fans, this is an album that should be in your collection.