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When rumours that Papa Roach were busting out breakthrough 2000 banger-thon Infest in full started spreading, an already hypeworthy evening was suddenly being elevated to potential Gig Of The Year status.

Before that, though, there is the small matter of two support bands, and both rap-metal rave-punks THE ONE HUNDRED [7] and Japanese superstars-in-making COLDRAIN [7] do enough to suggest that there are much bigger things to come in their respective futures.

As PAPA ROACH [9] saunter out to the opening chords of Infest’s title track, it does indeed seem that we are about to be treated to a full run-through of one of the finest metal albums of the 00s. Last Resort, Dead Cell, Blood Brothers… this is a generation-defining album stacked with anthems, and the nostalgia freaks across the room duly oblige by losing their shit for 40 glorious minutes.

But Papa Roach are by no means a nostalgia act, and the bonkers reaction that greets brand new cuts Face Everything And Rise and a building-rattling Warriors underlines that they’ve maintained their status as the most consistently relevant and on-point survivors of the nu metal era.

“So you like the new shit as well?!” yells a beaming Jacoby Shaddix. Mate, we just fucking love Papa Roach!

/o:p

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.