Ah, Limp Bizkit. The much maligned face of the “jock rock” era of nu metal have never been the media’s darlings, and their music has constantly been panned by critics. Even their in-and-out guitarist Wes Borland prefers to distance himself from the band’s output, as a serving member of the band. However, sometimes you have to take a closer look and realise that not all of their music was that bad. In 2005 they quietly released The Unquestionable Truth (Part One) with little-to-no fanfare, in a direct attempt to subvert their previous image and prove that they can be taken seriously with an openly political, heavy release. And although it was never really given the chance to succeed, it’s an album worthy of some merit.
Opening with “The Propaganda”, heavy staccato riffs dominate in a much more intimidating atmosphere than classic party Limp Bizkit albums. Fred Durst, while never very poetic with his lyrics, sounds angrier than ever as he takes a look at the state of the world and decries every section of it, from politics through to the media via religion. “The Truth”, the only single from The Unquestionable Truth (Part One), is one of the stand out tracks, with Borland on top form and a slightly altered rhythm section of Sam Rivers and Sammy Siegler, who was drafted in while John Otto was in rehab, keeping the low end in view and adding to the grooves that Borland provides. The chants sampled by DJ Lethal can feel somewhat grating, but his overall contributions add to the atmosphere.
Possibly the angriest song here is “The Priest”. Durst takes the role of a corrupt wannabe priest, outlining the disturbing nature of the Church out of the public eye, and coming out around the time that child abuse allegations flooded out of the Catholic Church. Fred and co make no secret of their disgust, and the dynamic shifts make it an uneasy listen, but ultimately rewarding to hear such a previously maligned band being so serious for a change. Things seem to slip away after this, though, with the directionless “The Key” and “The Surrender” feeling like filler tracks in the middle and end of the album while “The Story”, a rather pointless attack on E! Entertainment, brings it back to form musically.
Overall, this album deserves a lot more credit than it’s so far received. This is not a conventional Limp Bizkit album, and if it were released under a different name, it could have perhaps faired a lot better critically. The band have shown that they can be serious if they want to, and it’s something of a shame that we’re unlikely to ever see them return to this, as their 2009 reunion and subsequent album, 2009’s Gold Cobra, saw them return to their po-faced nature. One can only hope.