Year Of The Comeback: Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

Do you guys remember when Limp Bizkit was the biggest thing in music? When they were kicking boy bands in the ass? When we used to root for them on TRL every afternoon? I do.

I was almost in my teen years at that point, and I thought they were amazing. Significant Other was one of the first things I had to buy for myself and at the time, it was the greatest thing I'd ever heard. I remember throwing together a last minute Fred Durst outfit for Halloween one year.

My point is, I was a fan.

But 2011 is a whole new world. I'm older, and I'm (supposed to be) wiser, so when I heard that Gold Cobra was on the way, I guess I was slightly indifferent. I mean, after 2003's Results May Vary I was just about done with the band, I didn't like that album at all. Since then they put out The Unquestionable Truth (Part I) which I didn't even listen to, and from what I've heard, I made the right choice.

So why would I even give Gold Cobra a chance? Well, it carried some interesting hype with it. The first thing that got me interested was the fact that Wes Borland was back with the band. I've always been a fan of Borland's guitar work. And he's probably the best thing on the album.

Gold Cobra has been touted as the comeback of the old Limp Bizkit sound, and I agree with that. The problem is that I'm just not interested anymore. Yes, I do go back and listen to Significant Other, Chocolate Starfish, and Three Dollar Bills from time to time. But it's really just a few select songs, and almost purely for the nostalgia.

This new album really does go back to those roots, but it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. Every couple of songs you get some good stuff from Borland, which quickly crumbles back into the dried routine. John Otto also shines in certain spots; his drumming has really come along since the last album, but it's still not enough to stop me from wanting to skip through these songs.

My thoughts on Fred Durst haven't really changed through the years. I've always said he's a much better singer than he is a rapper. And it has always dumbfounded me that he insists on rapping 80% of the time. He does have a unique sounding voice, and when he sings, it's pretty good. But he rarely does it. It would be a much better album if we got cool vocals instead of weak repetitive rhymes all the time.

So, is Limp Bizkit back? Well, yes they are. But the real question is, do I care? No, I really don't.

The music is as good as it was I was in my teen years. But I'm at a point where I'm realizing that the only value those records have to me now is purely nostalgic. And unfortunately Gold Cobra will never have that sort of value for me. Maybe if it had come out in 2003 instead of that crap Results May Vary I would be into it. But this is just too little too late. I'm sure there's a group of people out there that are really enjoying this comeback. I'm just not one of them.

3.5/10