Blue Sky Research

Taproot returns to the scene with BLUE-SKY RESEARCH, their melodic yet hard-hitting follow-up to the critically acclaimed WELCOME. For their third studio effort for Velvet Hammer/Atlantic, Taproot continued their relationship with studio wiz Toby Wright, with Chris Lord-Alge handling mixing duties.

Blue-Sky Research, on Atlantic Records, has the nu-metal quartet gravitating toward modern rock, emo and other post-grunge influences and incorporating contributions in the songwriting department from Billy Corgan and Far/Onelinedrawing visionary Jonah Matranga.

Core fans of Taproot's first two albums and their live dates at Ozzfest will immediately identify with Stephen Richards' keening, shell-shocked vocals and Michael DeWolf's cathartic guitar attack.

But by giving themselves larger hooks for Richards to sing and a bigger palette of textures and rhythms for his fellow fretman DeWolf, Taproot blossoms like a burning bush on Blue-Sky Research, their blistering rage mostly intact. It's also the band's most listenable, enjoyable batch of songs yet.

The debut single, "Calling," was co-written by Matranga. With its tense, brooding, simmering verses (think Metallica ballad) giving way to a landslide of melody in the chorus, Taproot channels its ferocity into a radio-ready direction.

Other emphasis tracks include "Facepeeler," an alt-metal track with a dizzying, theatrical feel that breeds Linkin Park with the Deftones. The other is "Birthday," which is close to a ballad. But with paisleys of lead guitar swirling around the power chord foundation, it's as rockin' as it is pretty.

Perhaps because the band recorded the disc in Hollywood with guest writer Matranga from Sacramento (his band toured with the Deftones), there's a West Coast alt-metal influence evident on the album, but fellow Midwesterner Billy Corgan co-writes three tracks with the band too.

The first, "Violent Seas," has the directive style of the Pumpkins, which fits Richards' delivery, and a familiar layered complexity in the chorus. "Lost In The Woods" is a fantastic modern rock-pop number with both chime and crunch in the twin guitars and a sweet hook that cradles despairing lyrics. "Promise" is a churning, claustrophobic love song.

On songs like the title track, though, Taproot's bile, venom and emotional darkness are all in full effect, almost unmitigated by melody.

Blue-Sky Research sees the band expanding, not abandoning, their cathartic base sound, releasing their aggressions with heart-stopping hooks as well as drunken punches at the sound barrier.