Early years (1993–1995) Papa Roach's formation began in January 1993 when lead singer
Jacoby Shaddix and drummer Dave Buckner met on the
Vacaville High School football field. They were later joined by lead guitarist
Jerry Horton from nearby
Vanden High School, rhythm guitarist Anne Mikolajcik, trombonist Ben Luther, and bassist Will James. They decided to enter the school's talent show, performing a rendition of
Jimi Hendrix's song "
Fire". Ultimately, they did not win the talent show. In March 1993, Ben Luther left the band, followed by Anne Mikolajcik. During this period, Papa Roach practiced daily and toured extensively, playing every gig they could secure. The band's first tour van was named Moby Dick, which inspired Shaddix to adopt his initial stage name, "Coby Dick." Initially, the band was called "Papa Gato," as suggested by Buckner, but Shaddix changed it to Papa Roach, combining the nickname of his maternal grandfather, Herbert Fischer "Papa," with "Roach," derived from his paternal grandfather, John "Grandpa" Roatch. Both grandparents were musicians. In 1994, Papa Roach released its first
EP, titled
Potatoes for Christmas. Drummer Dave Buckner was temporarily replaced by Ryan Brown while he spent the year in
Seattle, studying art. In 1995, the band released a demo at Sound Farm Studios titled
Caca Bonita. By this time, Buckner had returned. In 1996, the group replaced original bassist Will James with Tobin Esperance, as James' involvement in a church summer camp limited the band's summer rehearsals and touring.
Old Friends from Young Years and record deal (1996–1999) On February 4, 1997, the band's debut studio album, titled
Old Friends from Young Years, was released. At this time, the group was actively touring, supporting bands such as
Incubus,
Powerman 5000,
Hed PE,
Snot,
Far, and
Static-X. In 1998, Papa Roach released an EP titled
5 Tracks Deep, which sold more than 1,000 copies within its first month of release. In 1999, the band produced another EP, their final independent release, titled ''
Let 'Em Know. Its success attracted the attention of Warner Music Group, which, as part of a development deal, provided a modest amount of funding for the production of a five-track promotional demo CD. The band sought out influential rock producer Jay Baumgardner to produce the record. The album featured songs from their earlier independent releases, including "Infest," "Last Resort," "Broken Home," and "Dead Cell" from the Warner Bros. demo CD; "Revenge In Japanese" as "Revenge" and "Thrown Away" from their 5 Tracks Deep
EP; and "Legacy," "Binge," "Snakes," and a softer version of the originally heavier "Tightrope" from the Let 'Em Know EP. These tracks were re-recorded, along with three additional newly written songs: "Obsession" (later known as "Between Angels and Insects"), "Blood Brothers," and "Never Enough." Infest'' was released on April 25, 2000, and sold 30,001 copies in its first week. With the release of their second album and the recording of the music video for "Last Resort," Papa Roach embarked on the
Vans Warped Tour and several other major tours, including the
Anger Management Tour alongside
Limp Bizkit and rap acts such as
Eminem,
Xzibit,
D12,
Ludacris, and
X-Ecutioners. In 2000, they launched their headlining "Master Bay" tour, supported by
Linkin Park and
Hed PE. The band received a nomination for "Best New Artist in a Video" at the
2000 MTV Video Music Awards for "Last Resort." In late 2000, the band toured the
United Kingdom, demonstrating the rapid expansion of their global popularity. On
Saint Patrick's Day in 2001, Papa Roach began the "Raid The Nation" tour in the U.S, which included
Alien Ant Farm and
Orgy as opening acts. During that year, the band also participated in
Ozzfest, where they performed on the prestigious main stage during both the
United States and United Kingdom tours. The song "Blood Brothers" was also featured in the popular video game ''
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2''. After touring worldwide, the band returned to the studio to record their third album, initially titled
Born to Rock, but later renamed
Lovehatetragedy. The album was released in the United States on June 18, 2002. Although it did not outsell
Infest, it achieved higher chart positions in both the United States and United Kingdom album charts. The album has sold over 500,000 copies and has been certified
gold. The album featured a greater emphasis on singing rather than rapping, while the band retained their
nu metal sound. It produced two singles: "
She Loves Me Not" and "
Time and Time Again", both of which included elements of rapping along with the
rap metal sound characteristic of
Infest. The music video for "Time and Time Again" was featured in a
Pepsi Blue commercial. That same year, the band embarked on a tour to support
Lovehatetragedy, which included performances on the second
Anger Management Tour. This tour was co-headlined by Eminem and Papa Roach, alongside Ludacris, Xzibit, X-Ecutioners, and Bionic Jive. In late 2003, Papa Roach wrote and recorded their third album, initially titled
Dancing In the Ashes, which was released as
Getting Away with Murder. The band collaborated with well-known producer
Howard Benson. The album marked a departure for the band, as it was their first album not to incorporate the nu metal style of their previous works.
Getting Away with Murder outsold
Lovehatetragedy, primarily due to the success of the album's second single, "
Scars". To date, the album has sold over one million copies and has been certified
Platinum. On November 9, 2004, the band released their fifth EP,
Rolling Stone Original, an EP that was only available digitally. On November 22, 2005, they released their first live album,
Papa Roach: Live & Murderous in Chicago. In 2005, the band spent a significant amount of time on tour, which included a full United States and European tour alongside bands such as
Dead Poetic,
Trust Company,
Chronic Future,
Skindred,
311, and
Unwritten Law.
The Paramour Sessions and Buckner's departure (2006–2008) On September 12, 2006, Papa Roach released their fourth album,
The Paramour Sessions. The band named the album after the recording location, the
Paramour Mansion. The idea for an album recorded in a mansion emerged while the band was working on
Getting Away with Murder. "
...To Be Loved" was the first single released from the album and served as the official theme song for
WWE Raw from 2006 to 2009. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band began touring in support of the album in August 2006, starting with an American tour followed by a European leg. In October 2006, Papa Roach toured with
Guns N' Roses during their
Chinese Democracy tour. They also served as the special guest band during the Zippo Hot Tour, alongside
Hed PE and Stealing December. On October 10, 2006, a
String Quartet tribute album titled
Perfect Murder: Strung Out on Papa Roach was released by
Vitamin Records. The band initially planned to release a compilation of acoustic recordings of their songs, including "Forever," "
Scars," and "Not Coming Home," which was recorded for
KROQ-FM's charity Christmas album, ''Kevin and Bean's Super Christmas''. However, the acoustic compilation was later shelved. In an interview with Billboard, Shaddix expressed his belief that fans were not yet ready for an acoustic direction from the band. On April 25, 2007, it was announced that drummer Dave Buckner would be sitting out the band's touring schedule due to personal matters, with expectations for him to rejoin the group shortly thereafter. Shaddix later confirmed in an interview with Launch Radio Networks that Dave had entered rehab to "go clean his act up 'cause he was out of his mind."
Unwritten Law drummer
Tony Palermo filled in on drums. In the summer of 2007, the band went on the Bad Boys of Rock tour, supporting
Hinder. During this tour, frontman Shaddix and Hinder lead singer
Austin Winkler developed a strong friendship, leading to the band touring with
Hinder on multiple occasions in subsequent years. It was revealed in 2015 that Shaddix and Austin wrote and recorded a song together for part of Winkler's solo project, although both expressed uncertainty about whether the song would ever be released. In 2008, it was announced that the band would officially part ways with drummer Dave Buckner. It was also revealed that Buckner had sued the band, claiming he wasn't "receiving his fair share of the group's earnings."
Metamorphosis and Tours (2008–2010) In an interview in February 2008 with
99.7 The Blitz, Shaddix stated that the band was working on their next album, initially titled
Days of War, Nights of Love. However, the album was later renamed to
Metamorphosis to commemorate the band's tenth anniversary of signing with
DreamWorks Records in 1999 and to reflect the various changes the band had experienced during that time. On April 15, Papa Roach announced they would be touring as part of
Mötley Crüe's
Crüe Fest, alongside
Buckcherry,
Sixx:A.M., and
Trapt. The tour commenced on July 1 in
West Palm Beach, Florida. The release date for the album was confirmed as August 26 during
Crüe Fest. Later in the year, the band also toured with
Seether,
Staind, and
Red. During this tour, the release date for
Metamorphosis was changed to March 24, 2009. On October 26, Papa Roach released the music video for the song "
Hollywood Whore", which was also released as an
EP in Canada and as a digital single on October 28. The album's first official single, "
Lifeline", was made available on the band's
MySpace profile on January 9, 2009. Additionally, the band toured with
Buckcherry,
Avenged Sevenfold, and
Burn Halo in early 2009. The
Crüe Fest DVD was released on March 24, coinciding with the release of
Metamorphosis. The second single, "
I Almost Told You That I Loved You", was released on June 1. On June 23, they released their ninth EP,
Naked and Fearless: Acoustic EP, which became available through the
Zune Marketplace,
iTunes, and
Rhapsody. "Metamorphosis" reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 8, marking the band's first top ten album since 2002. Papa Roach toured with
Nickelback on their
Dark Horse Tour, performing at
Live Nation outdoor amphitheaters alongside
Hinder and
Saving Abel during the summer, as well as with
Breaking Benjamin. "Lifeline" was nominated for
Fuse TV's Best Video of 2009 contest, surpassing
Metallica's "
All Nightmare Long",
Daughtry's "
No Surprise",
Shinedown's "
Sound of Madness", and
Paramore's "
Ignorance". Ultimately, it finished 2nd to
Britney Spears for her song "
Circus" in the final round.
Time for Annihilation (2010–2012) On January 8, 2010, Shaddix announced on Papa Roach's official
Twitter account that the band was about to begin working on new material. On February 8, 2010, Jerry Horton mentioned that he was in the studio beginning to write. On February 23, 2010, Jerry Horton officially announced that the band would be releasing a new album, which was recorded during the last leg of their 2009 co-headlining tour with
Shinedown in
Binghamton, New York. In April, the band performed two new songs: "
Burn" at the Chili Cook Off in
Richmond, Virginia on April 17, 2010, and "Kick In the Teeth" on April 30, 2010. In May, Jerry Horton stated in an interview that the album would be titled
Time for Annihilation and would feature nine live tracks alongside five new songs, making it a combined live album and EP. He also mentioned that the first single would be "Kick In the Teeth" and that the band had switched labels to
Eleven Seven Music. Later, Shaddix added that the album would be released on August 31. "Kick In the Teeth" was released as a single on June 22, 2010. On June 29, 2010, the band's former label,
Geffen Records, released a greatest hits compilation titled
...To Be Loved: The Best of Papa Roach, featuring the band's biggest hits. However, the band advised fans against purchasing it, stating that they were not profiting from the album's sales and that the label had released it against their wishes. The masters and/or copyrights of Papa Roach's music are represented by
Downtown Music Publishing. Although the band no longer owns the rights to their songs, they continue to perform them live.
Time for Annihilation was released on August 31, 2010. The band announced that the next singles from the album would be "
Burn" and "No Matter What." They also expressed interest in releasing another live DVD but wanted to wait until they had a headlining show in
Europe. In October 2010, Papa Roach kicked off the "Monsters of Annihilation" tour with
Skillet. From November 15, 2010, to December 13, 2010, the band toured with
Disturbed,
Buckcherry, and
Halestorm on the
Taste of Chaos tour. From March 1 to March 18, 2011, Papa Roach co-headlined the Canada leg of the Jägermeister Music Tour with
Buckcherry, featuring special guests
My Darkest Days and Bleeker Ridge. In an interview, guitarist
Jerry Horton mentioned that the band was planning to release a new album in 2012, indicating that Papa Roach would explore "electronic sounds" for this upcoming release. In a separate interview with Upvenue, bassist Tobin Esperance commented on
Time for Annihilation, stating, "We put out five major label, full-length records, and we were transitioning from a major label to going independent. We wanted to do something different [...] we'd always talked about doing a live record, and it turned into 'let's add a couple of bonus songs' [...] and now it's half live, half new songs and it's kind of the past and present of Papa Roach. I think it's a good representation and a good reminder of what this band's about, [...] and it gives you a look at where our sound can go." Starting April 25, 2011, Papa Roach headlined the Raid The Nation tour, with the first leg featuring
Finger Eleven. The second leg featured
Escape the Fate, with both legs of the tour also including special guests
Pop Evil. On June 23 and 25, the band co-headlined the
Sonisphere Festival alongside
Linkin Park. In July 2011, Papa Roach performed two intimate shows in London and Sheffield with the band
Yashin. They also co-headlined the Rock Allegiance Tour from August 24 to September 25, 2011, alongside
Buckcherry. The tour also featured performances by
Puddle of Mudd,
P.O.D.,
Red,
Crossfade, and Drive A. aiming for a mid-2012 release. While in the studio, the band released the single "Even If I Could," which was featured on the
Avengers soundtrack. On June 15, 2012, the band announced during a live chat with fans on
YouTube that their next album would be released on October 2. The album was subsequently titled "The Connection." Papa Roach began touring in 2012 with co-headlining dates alongside
Shinedown, supported by acts such as
Adelitas Way and
In This Moment. Following the brief co-headlining tour, Papa Roach embarked on a short headlining tour, featuring bands like In This Moment,
Art of Dying, and
Mindset Evolution. Additionally, Papa Roach participated on the main stage of the 2012
Uproar Festival, performing alongside Shinedown,
Godsmack,
Staind, and Adelitas Way. The band released their first music video for the album on August 30, 2012. The concept for the "Still Swingin'" video originated from Jacoby's eight-year-old son. On September 8, 2012, Papa Roach announced dates for a European tour that would include performances in Belarus, Russia, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. They performed two co-headlining dates with
Stone Sour in London on December 10 and 11, part of Stone Sour's UK tour. Following these shows, they toured the United States with Stone Sour, starting on January 20, 2013, and performed on the main stage at the 2013 Download Festival at Donington Park, UK, on Friday, June 14. In September, the band was joined by original drummer Dave Buckner for a one-off performance of "Last Resort." In October 2013, the band performed across Canada and the U.S. in support of
The Connection, with
Pop Evil and
Age of Days also on the bill.
F.E.A.R. (2014–2016) On February 3, 2014, the band announced they would be entering the studio to record a new album. On February 18, 2014, Jerry Horton tweeted that the first single was expected to be released "somewhere around July." They held a live studio chat on YouTube on February 25, 2014. During the chat, they mentioned that they had already written four songs and revealed the titles of three tracks: "Just as Broken as Me," "Gravity," and "War Over Me." On April 24, 2014, in an interview with
Loudwire, Jacoby Shaddix disclosed additional song titles from the upcoming album, including "Never Have to Say Goodbye" and "Face Everything and Rise." On July 10, 2014, it was announced that the band would release their new album, titled
F.E.A.R., in early 2015. On October 9, 2014, it was confirmed that the new album would be released on January 27, 2015, via Eleven Seven Music. In an interview, bassist Tobin Esperance admitted that the new release was heavier than previous albums and described how
F.E.A.R. marked the first time they allowed other artists to feature on their records. On May 19, 2015, the band announced a co-headlining North American tour with longtime friends
Five Finger Death Punch. They will be joined by
In This Moment as special guests, with support from From Ashes to New for the tour.
Crooked Teeth (2016–2018) On January 26, 2016, Papa Roach announced that they would begin writing their new album the following week. In July, they performed live at the
Alternative Press Music Awards. In an interview, they stated that the new record would be released in early 2017, with the first single anticipated to drop later that year. The recording of the album was supported through the crowdfunding service
PledgeMusic. On November 1, 2016, "Crooked Teeth" became the first song released from the upcoming record. The first official single, titled "
Help", was released on February 17, 2017. On March 24, 2017, the band announced that their new album,
Crooked Teeth, would be released on May 19, 2017. A second single, "
American Dreams", was released in April 2017, followed by a third single, "
Born for Greatness", released towards the end of the year. "Born for Greatness" was selected as the official main theme for
WWE Raw in February 2018, replacing "
Enemies" by
Shinedown. Both "Help" and "Born for Greatness" reached number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Charts, marking the first time the band had two songs from a single album achieve this feat.
Who Do You Trust? (2018–2020) In October 2017, the band revealed they had already written six songs for the follow-up to
Crooked Teeth, with plans to begin recording the album in June 2018. On October 5, 2018, Papa Roach released two singles, "Renegade Music" and "Who Do You Trust?", with the latter accompanied by a music video featuring frontman and vocalist
Jacoby Shaddix as news reporter Larry Dickman. Subsequently, it was leaked that the new album would be titled
Who Do You Trust?, which was released on January 19, 2019. An interview with Papa Roach on November 9 confirmed this information. On November 16, 2018, the band released the new song "Not the Only One". A third single, "
Come Around", was released in September 2019. In November 2020, the fourth single, "
The Ending", was released. On December 25, 2020, the band released a compilation titled
20/20, which included the
Infest studio recordings they had previously uploaded to YouTube, as well as re-recordings of "Tightrope," "Last Resort," "Scars," "Getting Away with Murder," and "Between Angels and Insects." On March 19, 2021, the band released their second greatest hits compilation,
Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years.
Ego Trip (2021–2024) On August 1, 2021, the band released a new single titled "Swerve," featuring
Jason Aalon Butler of
Fever 333 and American rapper
Sueco. On September 9, 2021, Papa Roach released the first radio single, "
Kill the Noise", from their upcoming eleventh studio album, set for release in 2022. On October 29, 2021, the band released a new song, "Dying to Believe." On January 21, 2022, "Stand Up" was released as the album's fourth single. A fifth single, "Cut the Line," was released on March 1, 2022. The album
Ego Trip was announced on the same day and released on April 8, 2022; The day of the album's release, the band performed at a
Shakey's Pizza, and reportedly incited a
wall of death. On April 4, 2022, the band released the sixth single, "
No Apologies," accompanied by a music video on June 14, 2022.
Upcoming twelfth studio album (2025–present) On January 22, 2025, the band released "
Even If It Kills Me" as the lead single from their upcoming untitled twelfth studio album. It was released on the same day as the band kicked off their European Tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of
Infest in
Berlin, Germany, that concluded in
Liverpool, England on February 9 at the
M&S Bank Arena. "Even If It Kills Me" was used at
WWE's
Royal Rumble event as the theme song for
Cody Rhodes vs
Kevin Owens's ladder match promo package. The music video was eventually released on YouTube on February 27. Throughout March and April, the band co-headlined the Rise of the Roach North American Tour alongside American punk rock band
Rise Against that was supported by
Underoath. The album's second single "
Braindead", featuring
H2O frontman
Toby Morse was unveiled on June 25, with its music video later following on August 1. During an interview with SNSMix in June 2025, frontman Jacoby Shaddix revealed that the band were constantly writing and recording in the studio outside of touring, but maintained that they didn't have a release date for their new album yet. In August 2025, the band were confirmed to be performing at the
Hellfest music festival being held in
Clisson in June 2026. On January 19, 2026, the band played an unannounced acoustic performance at the Whiskey Jam in
Nashville,
Tennessee where they surprisingly debuted their new song "Wake Up Calling" for the first time; it was later dropped as the album's third single on January 28. The following month, the band was announced as part of the lineup for the
Louder Than Life music festival in
Louisville, scheduled to take place in September. The band is also scheduled to make an appearance on the 2026
Vans Warped Tour. In April 2026, it was announced that the band would contribute an original song for the season 2 of the
Netflix Devil May Cry animated series entitled "See U in Hell" with
Hanumankind, with the single set for release on May 7th that same year. == Musical style, influences, and legacy ==