The depth of the songwriting on lovehatetragedy has been stepped up a notch over Infest and the band has a new level of confidence from over two years of touring. Singer and main lyricist Jacoby Shaddix (formerly known as Coby Dick) seems to use Papa Roach as his personal psychiatrist to vent his feelings and frustrations. He sings of loves lost on “She Loves Me Not,” depression on “Black Clouds” and suicide on “Life Is a Bullet.” It’s very heady stuff, but it sounds like it’s really coming from his heart and is not just schtick to sell records. I don’t know the details of his childhood, but I’d guess he’s had his fair share of problems with a dysfunctional family.

The album kicks off with the aptly titled “M-80 (Explosive Energy Movement),” a hard rocker that sounds like Rob Zombie meets STP with some youthful energy from these 20-something rockers. Just about every track rocks very hard, with good pop sensibilities that make Papa Roach a big favorite of MTV and more mainstream alternative rock radio stations. However my favorite track on lovehatetragedy is the song that rocks the least of all. The slow grind of “Decompression Period” is full of dynamic shifts and powerful lyrics about living in a home with abusive, alcoholic parents. It’s more emotional food for thought from Mr. Shaddix and the band.

The bonus track “Gouge Away” sounds like it was an idea that was thrown together to fill space, but the other bonus track “Never Said It” is more in the same caliber as the rest of the material on lovehatetragedy. I’m assuming because these are bonus tracks, there is a chance that you could pick up a copy of the disc that doesn’t have these songs, but don’t feel too cheated if you don’t have them on your copy.

Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine) should be swimming in cash, because there aren’t many producers working today with more hit alternative records under their belt. He’s done a fine job putting Papa Roach’s sound down on tape. If you listen to the bonus multimedia videos of the band’s high-energy live performances of “Between Angels And Insects“ and “Last Resort” in Germany, you’ll notice a sizeable difference in the quality of the performances compared to the versions on the album. Not to say that Papa Roach isn’t an entertaining live act, but O’Brien has worked some real magic in the studio and squeezed very solid performances out of the band without removing an ounce of their obvious enthusiasm for being up and coming rock stars.

Speaking of the bonus materials, the two MGPG videos of the band performing can be viewed only if you have a computer with a CD-ROM drive. They are fairly low-resolution clips, but if you have never seen the band perform before, it’s a good chance to watch them in action and is obviously a must-have for die-hard fans of Papa Roach.

Now that the current flavor of the month in music is new alternative punk from bands like the Hives, The Vines and The White Stripes; alternative metal bands like Papa Roach have been pushed out of the spotlight. The music industry is always looking for the “next big thing,” so it may not be at the top of the charts, but I recommend you give lovehatetradegy a spin. If you were a fan of Papa Roach’s first album or like pop metal and are looking for something new to take with you as you head back to school, pick up lovehatetragedy.