Over the past few years Trapt built up a strong following for themselves in and around their native Los Gatos, CA scene on the strength of their indie releases "Amalgamation" and "Glimpse", both of which had a quirky yet refreshing take on melody and metal. Unfortunately, that is not the case here with their self-titled Warner debut as the band have unquestionably moved away from their more creative roots and now cut themselves an almost cookie cutter take on 2002 melodic metal, putting them smack-dab in rank with the likes of Papa Roach, Incubus. etc.

Predictable verses and choruses are all too present here and while there are a few unexpected moments, their momentum is generally robbed by the lack of pure emotion present as it instead feels done by the numbers. With songs that now feel overproduced and tightly packaged for radio play and the like, the bands once unique sense of timing and part changes have now been replaced with sterile verse, chorus, bridge structures that have been done to death. Even with their ever present angst ridden wails, empowering choruses and punchy riffs, the band now seem to lack the sincerity that set them apart in the past and while they have definitely matured as songwriters, they have sacrificed the unique eccentricities that made them stand out in doing so.

Basically, what this album features from top to bottom is an array of extremely polished radio/arena rock friendly songs which have enough modern edge to strike a chord with the younger metal audience, while also remaining accessible and appealing to those not generally versed in the style. Admittedly this seems to be a formula for success it is also one that lacks substance and longevity. Sure its a solid album, but it is also disappointing as the band could have exercised a lot more unique song writing ideas rather than packaging nearly every track included into a commercially friendly box. In the end this record does have the potential to make Trapt stars and open them up to a whole new audience, but it will likely also turn off a lot of their long time fans as it just doesn't feel as genuine as their earlier releases.