It's said that a roach can withstand a nuclear holocaust.
While they hardly had to ensure anything as caustic, California's Papa Roach have proved they can handle anything that comes their way and remain pretty strong.
Witness the quartet's new record "Getting Away With Murder," their Geffen debut that has done pretty well and has spawned a heavily played single with its title track. It follows an album "Lovehatetragedy" that was not the overwhelming success most people expected after they hit huge in 2000 with "Infest."

Of course, as apropos as the band's moniker might be, another creature that could have been a fitting namesake is the chameleon. After all, like the little lizard, Papa Roach have changed their sound with each record, constantly finding a way to avoid sounding repetitive and adapting to a constantly changing rock scene.

Papa Chameleon? Um, maybe not.

While Papa Roach have managed to make a record that fits in with the current rock climate, bassist Tobin Esperance said the changes are just a part of the band's natural progression.

"We're just thinking about what we do naturally," Esperance said. "If we were to think about what other people want us to do, we'd make ourselves crazy. What other people are doing, we don't pay attention."

Papa Roach formed in 1993, and before signing onto major label Dreamworks for 2000's "Infest," the band released EPs "Potatoes for Christmas" and "Caca Bonita" before releasing their first full-length "Old Friends From Young Years."

What helped break "Infest" and the band was the single "Last Resort," an anti-suicide song that probably anyone who listens to rock radio can recite by heart. In fact, it has sort of become the band's anthem, a song that forever will spring into people's minds when the name Papa Roach is mentioned.

"Infest" also established the band as one of the top names of the then-busting rap-metal scene.

But when "Lovehatetragedy" hit stores in 2002, fans were surprised to hear vocalist Jacoby Shaddix (who ditched his original Coby Dick stage name) actually sang and did not attempt many raps. It was the band's declaration that it was moving on and away from a sound it helped make a commercial success.

All the while, because members of the band had such a range of sounds, they managed to play a variety of huge tours, including Ozzfest and Eminem's "Anger Management" package.

While the band went home after supporting "Lovehatetragedy," the band members started to reflect. Esperance said the four got to work on new material that eventually would make up "Getting Away With Murder," and they also decided to ditch the partying, which he said they often did to excess.

"I don't even remember making the second record," Esperance said, laughing.

Band members also took more seriously their preparation for their fourth album, one they knew would be big.

"We spent a lot of time making demos, and we recorded like 30 different ideas and had pretty much everything done when we went into the studio," he said. "So it wasn't like we went into the studio totally unprepared like, 'Here we are!' We were totally focused and made personal changes that kind of made it easier for us."

While the band was making "Getting Away With Murder," a potentially damaging development occurred: Their label Dreamworks was purchased by Universal, and many of the bands under that umbrella group were released. But Papa Roach was one of the lucky ones. Instead of being put out on the street, the band was transferred to another Universal label, Geffen.

While major labels can be demanding - and one might think the pressure was on for Papa Roach to deliver - Esperance said the relationship between band and record company has been harmonious.

"They were totally cool," he said. "It's like family over there."

The band seems to have gotten over the perceived downer that was "Lovehatetragedy." Esperance even disputes that it was a letdown and said it was a necessary step for the quartet's growth.

"We still have fans who come up to us and say that's their favorite record," he said. "The dark people. The people who like that emotional, torturous music, that's their album, you know?"

Another point Esperance amusingly disputed is that the band has gone through an image change. It might just be a difference in perception, but the band looks trimmer, and Shaddix even has adopted a sort of indie rock look similar to James Hart of Eighteen Visions.

After some coaxing, Esperance finally gave in and spilled the beans.

"What happened was, we got an image consultant and a fashion coordinator, and they just said, 'Look guys, you gotta get your (expletive) together,'" he said, joking (we hope). "So they said, 'Here's what you got to do.' And we were like, 'OK.' It was kind of like a boy band."

All joking aside, Esperance said the band feels energized and is excited about heading home for the holidays then hitting the road again in the new year to promote the new album.

Papa Roach plan to canvass the United States again and also will go abroad to see their foreign fans. All the while, the band's fans can be certain Papa Roach will be planning their next move, which likely will sound totally different from any of the band's other albums.

"Who knows where it will go? There are no rules," Esperance said. "It's like Vietnam in this band."



©The Daily News 2004