Like many people born in the late eighties/early nineties, I spent the larger part of my teenage years engulfed in one of music’s most polarising genres: nu-metal. Yes, I was one of those guys. I scribbled Slipknot lyrics in my school diary, I wore wallet chains and I attempted to worship Satan on several occasions. I would’ve acquired dreadlocks too, but my Mother probably would’ve thrown me down the stairs if I had done so.
The first concert I ever attended was on Valentine’s Day of 2004, where I witnessed the blockbuster lineup of KoRn, Static-X, Fear Factory and Sunk Loto. An enjoyable night of chugga-chugga riffage and people offering me bong water beverages ensued.
A few years later, I moved onto other genres within the wide spectrum of guitar music – mainly thrash metal and hardcore punk, before eventually becoming that dickhead you see requesting Puff Daddy tracks at the worst club in town.
But even today, in between listening to Sean Kingston singles and Drake remixes, I reflect fondly upon my nu-metal days as an era that was largely responsible for my passion as a ‘serious music journalist’.
Earlier this year, while perusing the Internet, I stumbled upon an article featured on hipster scripture site NME titled ’10 Reasons Why Nu-Metal Was The Worst Genre Of All Time’. < http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/10-reasons-why-nu-metal-was-the-worst-genre-of-all-time>. Despite nearly projectile vomiting at the thought of nu-metal being slandered, I clicked on the article. I scrolled halfway down the page and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this picture listed as one of the reasons for nu-metal’s failures:
Wow. Surely the author couldn’t be talking about Limp Bizkit’s groundbreaking album Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water, one that shaped a generation of music altogether? With NME bordering on blasphemy, and with the author clearly suffering from a case of not knowing what the fuck she is talking about, I took it upon myself to revisit this album on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
First of all, I think I speak for the entire world when I say that this album has the best title in the history of recorded music. Many people will overlook Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water as juvenile sexual innuendo. However, it’s clear that vocalist Fred Durst was in fact commenting on the strained relationship between humanity, capitalism and nature. Starfish and Water represent natural resources manipulated by man. The five points of said Starfish symbolise Fire, Water, Wind, Earth and Heart: The same five elements highlighted by popular cartoon Captain Planet & The Planeteers.
Meanwhile, Chocolate and Hot Dog represent humanity’s ever-growing consumption and commodification of resources, eventually leading to our inevitable demise. This apocalyptic prediction is also referenced by the album’s release date, which coincided with the emergence of Y2K.
The opening track ‘Hot Dog’ uses the word ‘Fuck’ a total of 46 times in under four minutes. Conveniently, vocalist Fred Durst dedicates a line in the song’s lyrics to telling the listener how many times he uses the word ‘Fuck’ in the song’s lyrics. That’s 46, in case you missed it. But the record only skyrockets from there, with hit single ‘My Generation’ following immediately after – a vast improvement on The Who’s track of the same title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlGyu9EJbmE
‘My Way’, a modern reinterpretation of Robert Frost’s classic poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, sees Durst lay down an ultimatum in the track’s refrain: “My way or the highway” he bellows, tying cleverly into the automobile themes discussed on the next track, ‘Rollin’. The ‘Rollin (Urban Assault Vehicle)’ remix also enlists the help of East Coast urban storytellers DMX, Method Man & Redman, effectively cementing this album’s place as one of modern music’s glistening treasures.
But to confine Limp Bizkit to one album would be downright criminal. They penned a wealthy cannon of literary masterpieces that preceded Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water, including the frantic ‘Break Stuff’. The song’s lyrics mirror political revolutions such as the Turkish government overthrow of 1960, which include Durst’s description of an antagonising struggle against oppression (“We’ve all felt like shit/And been treated like shit”) and a call to action (“Give me something to break/Just give me something to break/How about your fucking face”).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpUYjpKg9KY
Still, it is not only Limp Bizkit’s discography that has earned them a certain spot in music immortality. Fred Durst became a mentor and philosopher of sorts for the average American, not only in his words, but also with his wardrobe. The goatee, khaki shorts and signature red baseball cap became signifiers for angst-driven, youthful distain against the government, older generations and life in general. Perhaps even more stunningly, items from Durst’s oafish and pedestrian wardrobe became a staple for the ‘Normcore’ trend heavily discussed in 2014. Therefore, Durst’s certain psychic abilities saw him pioneer a trend a over 15 years before it captured mainstream fashion.
In 2014, Limp Bizkit remain as relevant as ever, being signed to Birdman’s burgeoning Cash Money Records imprint. While their golden years may have passed, the band still manage to find new ways to imprint nu-metal into the minds of today’s youth, who have been brainwashed by EDM and other forms of fast-food entertainment. For these reasons, Limp Bizkit will forever echo in the earholes of myself and music fans alike as the greatest band to pic up a microphone and make yelling ‘Fuck’ the coolest thing you can accomplish in life.
