Welcome | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 2002 | |||
Recorded | November 2001 – May 2002 | |||
Studio | Cherokee Studios (Los Angeles, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:44 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer | Toby Wright | |||
Taproot chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Welcome | ||||
Welcome is the second major label album by American alternative metal band Taproot. It was released on October 15, 2002. "Poem" served as the album's lead single and reached No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock chart, propelling the group to mainstream success. A follow-up single, "Mine," was released and its video was directed by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian. A third single and video was announced for "Art," but curiously Atlantic pulled the plug soon after the announcement, further irking fans who claimed the label was holding Taproot back. Welcome remains Taproot's most successful record, selling over 475,000 copies. [1]
The band performed on the second part of Disturbed's Music as a Weapon Tour in promotion of the album.
During a break in their intense touring schedule in support of their debut album, Gift , Taproot went to Los Angeles to record several demos with Toby Wright. Those tracks were "Poem to Self", "Remain", "Get Me", "When", and "Transparent". Bolstered by their new recordings, the band featured "Poem to Self", "Transparent", and "Get Me" on tour during 2001, with "Poem to Self" soon becoming one of their most popular songs.
During the early development of Welcome, Taproot had given producer Toby Wright roughly 40 complete songs. Wright said that while they were good, the songs were not up to the band's potential, and he forced them to start from scratch. Several earlier tracks were reworked for the album, while the bulk of the material was discarded. Some of the demos include "Can't Believe", "Poem to Self", "Sumtimes", "Remain", "Strive", "Free", "Fort", "Like", "Promise", "When", "Transparent", "Contradiction", "Keep Your Head Up", "Not a Quitter", "Fault", "Get Me", "Can You", "Indecisive", "Myself", and "Dreams". This was initially met with resentment from the band, but they ultimately wrote entirely new songs that they felt show greater maturity. [2] One of the most prominent songs to survive the fresh batch was "Poem," which had seen prior success after being debuted by the band during concerts, such as Ozzfest 2001, and went on to be arguably Taproot's most well known single. Other songs that were refined with Toby Wright from earlier demos include "When", "Fault", "Sumtimes", and "Like". As with many Toby Wright productions, songs throughout Welcome are heavy on multi-tracked vocals and layered guitars.
While many of their early demos were not recorded for this effort, Taproot did re-record "Remain", "Transparent", and "Free" with Toby Wright. Some of these tracks were included on foreign releases of the album as a bonus track as well as the Poem single, and were later posted to the band's official MySpace page. "Remain", however, would remain unreleased until it was included in the band's 2018 boxset Besides. [3]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Blender | [5] |
Orlando Sentinel | (favorable) [6] |
Q | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
Sputnikmusic | [9] |
Critical response to Welcome was largely mixed. Various prominent media critics considered the album too mediocre to stand out among current alternative metal and nu metal acts. However, melodic improvements from Taproot's prior effort were also cited. AllMusic's Brian O'Neill also compared the band's stylistic "idolatry" as a shift from Korn to Alice in Chains. Robert Cherry of Rolling Stone cited the "me, me, me" lyrics as evidence of needed maturity but added that Welcome "marks a self-preserving transition from new metal to art metal." The publication also cited Taproot as one of the "Bands to Watch in 2002." [1] CMJ New Music Report described the album as musically being a combination of Korn and Alice in Chains, [10] and they also stated that Stephen Richards "wears vocal inspirations of Mike Patton and Brandon Boyd proudly on his sleeve, reaching high pitches that often toe the line between passionate and whiny." [11]
According to the lyric booklet, there are also alternative titles to some of these tracks
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Mine" | 3:49 |
2. | "Poem" | 3:09 |
3. | "Everything" | 3:27 |
4. | "Art" | 4:42 |
5. | "Myself" | 3:47 |
6. | "When" | 4:04 |
7. | "Fault" | 3:19 |
8. | "Sumtimes" | 4:29 |
9. | "Breathe" | 4:17 |
10. | "Like" | 4:38 |
11. | "Dreams" | 3:43 |
12. | "Time" | 3:20 |
Total length: | 46:44 |
The band also recorded three additional songs during the Welcome sessions. Two of them, "Transparent" (4:23) and "Free" (3:23), can both be found on the Poem CD single as B-sides and on the Japanese pressing of Welcome as bonus tracks. The lyrics to "Free" can still be found in the lyric booklet of Welcome The third track, "Remain", would be released with the other two on the 2018 box set Besides.
Taproot
Production
Art direction
Album
Chart (2002) | Peak positions |
---|---|
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] | 210 |
UK Albums (OCC) [14] | 104 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [15] | 11 |
US Billboard 200 [16] | 17 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year | Single | Chart | Peak |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | "Poem" | Mainstream Rock Tracks [17] | 5 |
2002 | "Poem" | Modern Rock Tracks [17] | 10 |
2003 | "Mine" | Mainstream Rock Tracks [17] | 23 |
2003 | "Mine" | Modern Rock Tracks [17] | 26 |
Slipknot is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999, by Roadrunner Records, following a demo containing a few of the songs which had previously been released in 1998. Later, it was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly-altered track listing and mastering as the result of a lawsuit. It was the first release by the band to be produced by Ross Robinson, who sought to refine Slipknot's sound rather than alter the group's musical direction. This is the only album to feature original guitarist Josh Brainard who left at the end of recording in late 1998 while the band was taking a brief break. Jim Root, who recorded two tracks at this point, would appear full time on subsequent albums starting with their next album Iowa.
Dysfunction is the second studio album by American rock band Staind, released on April 13, 1999, by Flip Records and Elektra Records. It is the band's first studio album released on a record label.
Covenant is a Swedish electronic band formed in Helsingborg in 1986. The band is currently composed of Eskil Simonsson and Joakim Montelius in the studio, while live shows consist of Simonsson along with touring members Chad Hauger, Daniel Jonasson of Dupont, Andreas Catjar and Daniel Myer of Haujobb.
Chevelle is an American rock band formed in Grayslake, Illinois, in 1995. The band was originally composed of two brothers, Pete Loeffler and Sam Loeffler, along with Matt Scott. Scott was replaced by Sam and Pete's brother, Joe Loeffler, in 1996. When Joe left the band in 2005, Geno Lenardo subbed in as the touring bassist until he was replaced by Pete and Sam's brother-in-law, Dean Bernardini. Bernardini departed from the band in 2019, and in 2021, Kemble Walters joined the band as a touring bassist.
Alice in Chains is the third studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains. It was released on November 7, 1995, by Columbia Records, and was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt (1992). This is the band's first full-length studio album to feature bassist Mike Inez and their last studio album to feature original lead vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002. It is also their final studio album to be released through Columbia. As with their previous releases, the album's songs focus on heavy emotional content and subject matter such as drug addiction, depression, religion, broken relationships, and the internal tensions within the band fueled by Staley's substance abuse. The album's music relies less on metallic riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements, integrating some of the more delicate acoustic moods of their EPs.
Taproot is an American alternative metal band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, formed in 1997. They are best known for their hit single "Poem", which peaked at No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 2002.
Gift is the third studio album and major label debut by American alternative metal band Taproot. It was released on June 27, 2000. The singles "Again & Again" and "I" reached No. 39 and No. 34 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The album has sold over 250,000 copies.
Blue-Sky Research is the third major label album by American alternative metal band Taproot. It was released on August 15, 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan co-wrote three songs on the album. Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and Jonah Matranga from Far and Onelinedrawing make guest appearances. The band wrote over 80 songs for the effort. "Calling" was released as the first single and reached No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart, while the second single, "Birthday", reached No. 39. It is Taproot's last album with Atlantic Records, as both parties had decided to part ways. It has a more melodic sound compared to the band's two previous albums, and sold over 150,000 copies in the U.S.
Vision of Disorder is an American hardcore/metalcore band from Long Island, New York, that initially released three albums before disbanding in 2002. The band garnered attention for blending melody and groove into a traditional hardcore framework, but its attempts to pursue an alternative metal direction on its fourth album were met with limited commercial success. The band reunited in 2008 and have since released two further albums, The Cursed Remain Cursed in 2012 and Razed to the Ground in 2015.
The Burning Red is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Machine Head. It is the band's second best selling album in the US, selling as many copies in three years as their debut album, Burn My Eyes, sold in almost eight years (1994–2002). The album has sold over 134,000 copies in the US and it was certified silver in 2011 by the BPI for sales of 60,000 in the UK. The Burning Red was Machine Head's first album with guitarist Ahrue Luster, as well as their first venture into nu metal.
Claire Voyant was a darkwave and dream pop band from Sacramento, California. Founded by childhood friends Chris Ross and Ben Fargen, the act was an instrumental duo until recruiting vocalist Victoria Lloyd. Their 1995 debut has been followed by three more studio albums; Time and the Maiden in 1998, Love Is Blind in 2002 and Lustre in 2009.
Factory 81 were an American nu metal band from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Formed in 1997, the band was active until 2003.
Tantric is the debut album of American rock band of the same name. It was released February 13, 2001, and debuted at No. 193 on the Billboard 200. The album would eventually peak at No. 71 and was certified gold by the RIAA on November 30, 2001. The album released "Breakdown" as the lead single, and the follow-up singles "Astounded" and "Mourning".
The American rock band Chevelle has released nine studio albums, two compilation albums, three live albums, two video albums, 28 singles, 19 music videos, and five promotional singles. The band was originally formed in 1995 by two brothers Pete Loeffler and Sam Loeffler, along with Matt Scott. Shortly after forming, Scott was replaced by Sam and Pete's brother, Joe Loeffler in 1996. Joe left the band in 2005 and Geno Lenardo joined as the touring bassist until he was replaced by Pete and Sam's brother-in-law, Dean Bernardini. Bernardini later left the band in 2019.
Welcome to Earth is the third studio album by Norwegian futurepop band Apoptygma Berzerk. It was released on February 22, 2000, on Metropolis Records but was earlier released on Tatra Records.
"Poem" is a song by American alternative metal band Taproot and the lead single from their second major label album, Welcome. It was released in 2002 and met with the highest success of any Taproot single, reaching #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks. The track, as well as its music video, were heavily played throughout the several months following its release.
Plead the Fifth is the fifth studio album by American alternative metal band Taproot. Originally planned for an April 13, 2010 release, it was delayed to May 11. The album marks Taproot's first release through Victory Records, having signed in November 2009. "Fractured " was released as the lead single, followed by "Release Me". The confirmed track listing was released on the Victory Records website.
Smile was an American rock band.
The discography of Taproot, an American alternative metal band, consists of nine studio albums, one EP, twelve singles and eight music videos.
"Mine" is the second and final single from Taproot's second studio album Welcome. Along with "Poem", the song is one of the band's most successful singles. A music video was released for the song and was directed by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)