I loved the song "Poem" it was the best one of all that music video played mostly in the morning time's on MTV. I didn't hear the song play on the radio that much. I wish the ablum was more recognized on television comercials. The ablum was release October 15 2002.

The thing about "Welcome", TAPROOT's second album, is that it lacks something. It is not a bad album. It is filled with some songs that sound perfectly tuned to what TAPROOT's style showed to be in it's first album, "Gift". But to be perfectly honest about "Welcome", one must understand that TAPROOT have turned themselves into the nice-guys of the hard rock genre.

What I mean is that TAPROOT write excellent songs, and this album explores a unique tendency; something weird since it is true that at times it seems as if TAPROOT decided to almost make an ALICE IN CHAINS tribute of their second album. But it is not a failed attempt. The music is good, guitar playing is elegant, and rhythmic section seems to be perfectly in place.
BUT TAPROOT IS NOT ALICE IN CHAINS, and the reason is that AlICE IN CHAINS was surrounded by a misterious, decadent feel to its music, that TAPROOT will never have unless they get into the lifestyle that ALICE IN CHAINS' music was inspired by. So, TAPROOT fans, like myself, got to be aware of the the fact that, as much as this album could be labeled as an ALICE IN CHAINS' tribute, it is still TAPROOT and not ALICE IN CHAINS.

What that means is that "Welcome" is full of good TAPROOT songs, with a little bit of an ALICE IN CHAINS vibe. Still, TAPROOT can surely do better than this, and that is why this album cannot be rated as a 4 star, or a 5 star album.

"Poem" was the first single to come out of TAPROOT's "Welcome". Despite it is a solid tune, this was probably not a great pick for a first single, since the song does not really convey an accurate description of the kind of music that TAPROOT makes in "Welcome". "Mine" as a second single is a better choice. Also being the opening track to the album, it delivers the postive, ALICE IN CHAINS influenced feel that will be developed throughout the album, while making use of classic TAPROOT guitar playing and structuring of the theme and lyrical content.

"Everything" is another spectacular piece coming out of this album, probably one of the most impressive in here, since it solidifies the album's tendency after "Poem" (a misleading single). Beautiful production work on the vocals, and distinctive TAPROOT guitars and sequencing, make this song a TAPROOT classic. "Everything" is at the same level, if not better, as the band's first album, "Gift". Similar remarks can be made of "When", another excellent cut from "Welcome".

The songs that I really don't like that much from "Welcome" are "Art", "Breathe" and "Fault". This three songs are probably better understood when played live, but they do not really impress as part of the album, as they feel a little bit as filler material. They could have made a better job with these songs.

The end of the album is amazing. Really good. After the slight slump that the middle third of the album might seem, things fall back into place with the last two tracks. "Dreams" and "Time" are a faithful remembrance of TAPROOT's origin in the hard-rock/metal era of "Gift". "Dreams" is the only track in the album that breaks with the good-boy image portrayed throughout the rest of the album, for it sounds heavy and obscure. This eerie feel gets combined succesfully with a hint of that continuous ALICE IN CHAINS' vibe and becomes one of the best moments in the album. Finally "Time" closes the "Welcome" experience leaving the listener with an excellent impression of what TAPROOT is, as of this album. "Time" is heavy yet subtle, and surely a TAPROOT classic.

Bottom line, "Welcome" cannot be dissed that easily. This album's falency is the fact that it comes from a band that every fan of this kind of music is only waiting to recognize as a classic. We all know the talent is there, but TAPROOT might still be looking for the right message to potencialize their music. After they do, we cannot expect anything from TAPROOT but 5 star albums.

What I like about this CD it's a very hard rock band, but it doesn't want you to go shoot yourself. Unlike most bands do that are hard rock for example a pefect band like that would be System Of A Down crappy songs and they don't make music just noise, but Taproot taps into that and are able to make a sound and music while they play. Poem is one of their best songs and so is Art. If you're searching for a band that plays the hard rock you covet then give them a chance.

This is not the best album I've ever heard. But it does have it's share of decent songs.

You overcritical reviewers need to lighten up a little. These are young musicians, and for how long they've been around, I think they are extremely talented, and will shine in years to come. While Blue Sky did absolutely nothing for me, this album has it's good moments.

It is true that they have an Alice in Chains vibe to them. But is that bad? Someone (a reviewer on this site) was bitching that Layne would be rolling over in his grave. Let me ask you man, what is worse?: Someone emulating AIC and trying to put another band in that genre of eerie vocals that we love so much, or would you rather these guys sound like another Limp Bizkit? Yeah, I thought so, so quit your damn bitching. I don't see you putting out any albums. I LOVE AIC, along with Pantera and White Zombie, they are my favorites. I love that sound, and any band that also likes that sound, even if they aren't the best at it, are welcomed by me. They should be welcomed by you to, if you are a true music fan.

Now, these guys have a lot of work to do, but in a few years, once they are more seasoned, and find out what is missing in their music, they will explode...mark my words. The talent is there (atleast with the singer) and it is undeniable. As far as the guitarist, bassist, and drummer...eh. I could out shred all of them on every instrument,...but that's neither here nor there.

Taproot will do well in the future...look at songs like "Mine" and "Poem" and imagine that sound with a little more meaning behind the lyrics, and a lot of refining and cleaning up. There is something really good in this band, it just needs time to break the soil and grow.

I wouldnt even rate this a one but I have to give it something. I was very disappointed with this cd. I saw them live when they opened for Chevelle and they were good so I figured I would give the cd a try but they are better live. I dont mean to sound mean or critize to much but I was just very disapointed.

Many fans were dissapointed with welcome...
This is an album that has to grow on you, if you are new to taproot, and you've never heard gift, then you won't be dissapointed with welcome.
I've been a taproot fan since the beginning, and it took me a while to like this album too, but this isn't a bad album.
It is very creative, and new to their old stuff.
Welcome has the same elements as gift only it was put together to quickly...Stephan Richards uses the melow- screaming-melow-screaming singing style a lot in this album, but it's not as heavy as gift, and welcome is more mellow.
If you like the heavyness of Korn, limp bizkit, or Deftones, then you'll like welcome...you'd like taproot period!!
The best songs on this album are: Mine, Poem, Art, Myself, Fault, Sumtimes, Breathe, Dreams, and Time.
This is a good album that didn't get the recognition it should've gotten.
I've loved this album ever since i bought it.

While they finally have their third album on the way, and I am 99% sure it will be great, I still can't help but be haunted by the creative failure Taproot put out in 2002, "Welcome." Ok, maybe I'm being a bit harsh. "Failure" isn't the correct word, but coming from a group like Taproot, who had a flawless debut in 2000 with "Gift," this is a major disappointment. What happened exactly? Did they have too much pressure to be the "next big thing?" Did they just use up all their tricks on their debut?

Who knows. We may never know, but one thing is for sure, "Welcome" just doesn't cut the mustard. There's a few songs that are worthy of replay, but two of them were released as singles ("Poem" and "Mine"), meaning there is not much left to discover from this album. "Everything" is decent enough, but tries to mime the late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley a little too much. I imagine this was inspired by producer Toby Wright, who was heavily involved with A.I.C. and almost nabbed Staley to work on this album. Unfortunately, such collaboration never occured, and frontman Steven Richards' impression fails to impress. "Art" is one of the better tracks however, with a very positive message, and could be seen as the successor to "I," which is arguably Taproot's shining moment. But overall, the sound and style of this album just doesn't have much of an impact. In fact, Taproot's key player, guitarist Mike Dewolf, who created a wall of sound for the first album, seems to have less of a role here. Maybe if I had never heard "Gift," my opinion would be higher of this album. But as it is, this album just sounds flat. Tired. Dull.

So, it may be just my opinion, but "Welcome" just doesn't cover Taproot's enormous potential. If you were to start with this group, I highly recommend "Gift" over this anyday. "Welcome" has too much of a "been there, done that" feeling that Taproot normally don't have. Here's hoping their next album will be, and do, better.

At first, I did't like TapRoot, mainly because I didn't ve them a chance. But then I heard some songs ( Other than Poem), and they are so worthy of geting into my collection!

1. Mine- 10/10- Vid's really cool.
2. Poem- 100000/10- Who doesn't like this song?
3. Everything- 10/10- A tribute to Steve's( lead singer/rythem guitar/songwriter)mother?
4. Art- 10/10 -a bit soft, but it works.
5. Myself-100/10- My anthem.
6. When- 9.9/10- Wicked.
7. Fault- Wish this could've been a single.
8. SumTimes- 10/10- At first, I didn't like it, now i do!
9. Breathe-10/10- WOW!
10. Like 10/10- I'm glad TapRoot tried a soft song,a rock band without a female lead singer(Evanescence) made it work for once.
11. Dreams- 1000/10- I LOVE THIS SONG!!!! dark and true( AND PEOPLE ARE FAKE TOO)
12. Time- 10/10- Now wouldn't make a cool music video?
-----------TapRoot went a bit softer for this album only (for Steve's harmonies and Phil Lipscomb's basslines), but pick up Gift and on Augast 16, 2005 get BLue Sky Reasearch with Megan McCauley's debut album (hear Die For You, I'll Pay You To Shoot Him, and Wonder) ROCK ON----------

This type of music doesn't usually appeal to me. My main love is music like Opeth, Meshuggah, NIN, Skinny Puppy, Type O etc.; Something about Taproot though....I've always loved this band from the beginning. Ever since their first album Gift. There's just something about them. The singer for one, Stephen Williams, is super talented. Even if he does say the words "me" "myself" "mine" a lot more than necessary, that's a minor setback, This is an introspective album. Many that most people will put down as being "emo f*g bullsh*t" because they're ignorant. If people could just shut up and listen to the thing, in its entirety, they can find out that there is something more here. The songwriting is superb. Catchy, some radio friendly, some not. I'm marking this down because of "Poem" (i'm sorry, but that is radio friendly garbage no matter how you look at it), and the song Sumtimes which comes across, to me anyways, as a little cheesy. Given that, these guys have definite TALENT which stands out above other bands of this type. I've always noticed this. I love the odd times of "Time" (named appropiately enough). Myself is my favorite on here, I can't get that song out of my head. I can't wait for the next CD. If the Amazon rating system was actually somewhat GOOD, I'd have given this a 4.5. There is some great stuff on here. Ok enough rambling, getthe album for yourself, listen a few times through, and give it your honest opinion.

How weird. I'm into smooth jazz and easy listening, with a little Aerosmith on the side. How did I get into Taproot? I heard "Poem" on a baseball video game, and I loved it. So I looked on Winamp, and saw the "Poem" video, along with the "Mine" video. I was awestruck. I had never been much for loud metal/emo stuff. This stuff, however, totally hit a chord with me. Their harmonies are amazing, and I just love this CD. I'm a musician, and this isn't just noise...this has chords and messages and everything good music should have.

Mine - One of my favorite songs of all time. Awesome stuff. Major 7s, great lyrics, good harmonies in the chorus.
Poem - The song almost every Taproot listener loves. First one I heard, I like it a ton. Great stuff.
Everything - Awesome sound. I hope you're proud..you're everything to me.
Art - I love this song...The future's brighter than I could imagine it to be.
Myself - "No more (...)" or "No more shame?" Who cares, good song.
When - I want to shine with you by my side...this is one of my favorites.
Fault - A little weird, but still a pretty cool sound to this one.
Sumtimes - Not one of my faves. Not terrible, just not totally my style.
Breathe - Never quit. This is a really good song. Lyrics are borderline nauseating, but awesome sound here.
Like - Probably my second favorite. The one song they don't scream in..and it's a really really good song.
Dreams - Kinda creeptacular, in a way.
Time - A little weird, they switch between 4/4 and 3/4, so you're always kinda edgy, but really cool chorus.

Buy it, download it, obtain it somehow. I didn't much like "Gift" after listening..too rappy. This shows off their ability to make awesome chords, sounds, and music. Good stuff. :)

Taproot embrace a more melodic side on this album, leaving their generic nu-metal sound behind. They show a lot of promise here, and have improved their song craft greatly. If you want to be remembered, being just another band in an ocean of nu-metal acts isn't the way, because quite frankly, their first album was nothing that hasn't been done a billion times and continues to be reproduced today by bands who have no sense of creativity.

While "Welcome" won't make the band megastars and promise the band immortality, it does put them on the right path. A path I wish more bands would follow. Nu-metal must be buried. It sickens me that this album receives such negativity from fans of their first project. Maybe in a few years, these people will understand the error in their ways. If you're looking for predictable nu-metal, then "Gift" is right up your alley. If you're looking for an album that showcases a bands potential and maturity, then "Welcome" is just what you're looking for.

Standout Songs: Art, Mine, Breathe, Fault

After a cross country trip on which I invariably lost all my backup Cd's, and with nothing left to listen to but radio consisting of mass pop, rap, hip-hop (etc, etc, and other forms of torture).... and pop rock. Now the deal with pop rock is that you can listen to a single, and then invariably get the song stuck in your head for the next 2 months. But after the song flutters out of your head, you will invariably go nose around for a double dose. But lo, almost all of the CD's out there contain not a double dose, but hopless uselessness (1 or 2 singles, 1-3 good songs, rest pure filler). So being ever wary of this, but having a little to much extra cash to spend, I tripped upon this album in a bookstore. As i closed the lid of the CD player with this CD inside, dread came upon me, but thankfully was never fuffilled. Taproot managed to remain original. Contatining it's formula of gental lyrics complemented by Disturbed-like violent guitars, this reains a CD worth buying.

This is a strong effort by the boys from Michigan, and It's definately a smart move in their progression of musicianship.Don't really listen to people that think this album is not worth the buy because more than likely they are fans of the old Taproot, which was apart of the well worn and torn music scene we all know as Nu-Metal. Nu-Metal is old news, and Taproot proves that with this album. BUY IT, or else.

I Love GIFT. I Dread Welcome though. Poem, before it got too much commerical airplay..was the only good song. Not anymore, I don't like any song on this cd. I Understand that they weren't trying to make another Gift, they were trying to do new things , but they shouldnt've made a 180 to what they were, which is exactly what they did. Even if Amazon did give 0/5 reviews, I'd still give this cd 1/5 for the fact that they tried.

I love Stephen Richards' voice and just something about his vocals, the lyrics, and the music haunts me and stirs great feeling in me. In fact I just got up from a nap and it gave me a great dream because I was listening to Taproot before I fell asleep. Check out Again and Again and the rest of their album Gift, too...that song gives me chills too. Awesome work, dudes!

Ok, I'll start right off the bat by saying that Taproot is not my favorite band by a long shot. I enjoy the songs on this CD, though. True, the lyrics got kinda depressing after awhile, but I'm the type of person who doesn't listen to the lyrics all the time. As for the music, they really struck a chord in me (or many chords, actually). I can tell they played around a lot with some of this music, because no rudimentary HS band could ever dream up something as amazing as Sumtimes. That song in particular stands out among the others, mainly because of the different meter it uses. Although when I listen to it, I literally get engulfed in a whirlwind of music. Along with Art and Mine, this amazing song is by far one of the most amazing songs on this album. By the way - I hope my spelling is as good as I think it is.

This is quite possibly one of the worst albums ever released. Atlantic Records must not have bothered to listen to this musical disaster of epic proprtions. If they had, this "album" would have never been released. While, as a musician I can appreciate the effort required to create an album, I have to also say that I could not find even one redeeming quality in "Welcome." Every song is characterized by embarassingly uninspired lyrics and painfully predictable musical arrangements. The worst aspect, by far though, would have to be the sound that the band creates as a whole. "Welcome" literally sounds like a third rate high school Alice In Chains rip-off cover band, only worse. Layne Staley would be turning in his grave had Taproot not dug his decaying corpse up and tried to make it sing. Seriously, AIC fans will surely be shocked and disgusted by this CD. Kids with died black hair, running face make-up, baggy black pants with strings and metal hanging off and those who rock shirts from bands whose names in a "D" (other than names ending in "band") will love this. Everyone else with any musical taste and/or common sense will not. Luckily for me, I didn't waste my money on this CD- someone hijacked the CD player where I work and played this over the speakers, and if I knew who it was, I think I'd have to stage a musical intervention. Anyways, in short do not, under any circumstances, buy this album. Consider it an insult to your CD collection and walk away. Or buy an Alice in Chains album.

I dont see why everyone is freaking . Bands try different thing . A true artist doesnt stay to one thing but matures and advances . Stop calling this Nu-Metal , Nu-Metal does not exist and never will . stupid teenagers of the ''y'' gen . made that name up . how can anyone say ''stop whining'' his voice is what makes him , youre not a fan and should go elsewhere to your core scene or something . This cd is great and it takes time to get used to like anyother cd . if your cd's are too easy to get used to then your artist isnt doing anything but sell filler tracks . This is a very good cd . do what you will but i continue to love this artist for his great lyrics and voice ...

this album was pretty good...a year ago i thought it was amazing, perhaps cos i was pretty depressed and could relate to the songs. a year onwards, most songs sound boring and the lead singer's voice is so whiny. and as for the lyrics? emotional pain overload!! the lead singer seems to enjoy wallowing in his own misery. if you count the amount of times he says the words 'me' 'myself' 'mine' or 'I' then you probably count them about 300 times. this album doesn't age gracefully. my favourite song is dreams. that one is the only really good one.

Ever since I bought "Welcome," I have yet to be able to keep it out of my CD player. It is an excellent cd for any rock fan out there. With strong lyrics, and perfect music to go along with it, every song on this album flows perfectly. Just the kind of cd I enjoy best. Top tracks include Mine, Poem, Breathe, Dream, and also Time. However, every track is a hit. Make this cd apart of your collection.

TRACK REVIEWS
Mine - 10 out of 10
Poem - 10 out of 10
Everything - 10 out of 10
Art - 9.5 out of 10
Myself - 10 out of 10
When - 9.5 out of 10
Fault - 10 out of 10
Sumtimes - 10 out of 10
Breathe - 10 out of 10 *Favorite Track
Like - 9.5 out of 10
Dreams - 10 out of 10
Time - 10 out of 10

- Just Got Wicked

While not a huge fan of the "nu-metal" craze that has dominated mainstream rock for the past few years, I try to remain objective when listening to new material and judge the music by its quality rather than simply its genre. As such, I recognize Taproot as a stellar example of talent and originality in a generally bland category of music. Where Nickelback, Default, Puddle of Mudd, and others continue to produce records in which tracks sound similar to the point of making it hard to remember which is which, Taproot has given us a decent variety of music with above-average lyrics, and more importantly has embraced the melodic-ness that makes nu-metal's relatively simplistic riff-rock become interesting and listenable.

The standout tracks on WELCOME include the widely-played first single "Poem," along with "Mine," "Art," and "Time." All of these songs (along with several of the others) stand apart from each other as distinct pieces of work, with little hint of formulaic repetition. The lead singer's voice is somewhat nasal but overall fairly unique and always on-key, which, again, is more than can be said of many in the forefront of modern rock today. The violent screams are also distinguishing, albeit fairly predictable as they appear in either the prechorus or chorus of nearly every track.

In summary, this record is certainly not going to win any "Best Of 2002" awards for modern rock -- I would reserve that list for more groundbreaking and complex efforts such as Dredg's EL CIELO and Porcupine Tree's IN ABSENTIA -- but it also goes to show that dismissing entire genres as void of any talent or sincerity is unwise, as there are usually exceptions to the rule such as this record. If you just want something easy to bang your head to and enjoy without feeling like a sucker for corporate formulas and trends, be sure to check out Taproot.

I heard Taproot on a Shoutcast.com radio station. Not sure if I had the right name, so I found a couple songs on LimeWire and downloaded them. My favorites where called Poem and Sumtimes. After a few weeks I finally bought this CD. I listen to it all the time. My wife doesn't listen to this kind of music, but she loves this CD as much as I do. I'm so happy I bought this, and so happy I discovered them on Shoutcast.com. (Good luck Taproot!!!)

So like everyone else, I heard "Poem" on the radio and got hooked. But heres the differance. I got "Gift" first. I was hooked. The songs were catchy and melodic as well as heavy.

Then I listen to the samples for "Welcome"....I get worried....

"Oh NO!" I thought...theyve softened!. But I was wrong!(kinda)

They did soften. But no, it's not that bad a deal. They have grown I believe and some of these songs just won't leave my head.
They were never Korn copyers and they arent copying "alice In Chains now. Anyone who thinks that needs to stop pluggin his ears and listen.

"Mine": Good song, but I tend to skip it for some reason.

"Poem": Awsome song, the lyrics mean alot. and no, he's not just trying to sound cool when he says "In case of fire, BREACK the glass" It has a meaning and if you don't get it I pitty you.

"EverThing": Really good song. While "Poem" was a taste of "Gift" this sets the style for most of the CD

"Art": Incredible song, brought tears to my eyes. Really emotional song.

"Myself": Good song. Parts of this song can and will stick in your head and drive you crazy.

"When": More aggressive song, I confess to screaming/singing along to this one quite a bit. The chorus as others have said, is Genius!

"Fault": Song has very good vocals and is terribley catchy.

"SumTimes": WOW! At first I skipped this track but now I see the true beauty in this song. Touching stuff.

"Breathe": A song that sticks in my head for days. I love the positive ending.

"Like": Hmmm...This one takes some getting use to.

"Dreams": Darkest song on the CD, I love it! It has a melodic chorus and deep lyrics. (I have gone thorugh something similar to this songs lyrics)

"Time": One of the best songs on the CD, catchy and hard at the same time.(like most of there music) And filled with meaning.

It's not "Gift" but man, it's good.

This is one of the best cd that I own. It's rare that you find a cd where all songs on it are not just good, but awesome. Every aspect in Taproot is great. The guitarists and bassist both throw down great, deep, hard rock with melodic riffs. Not to mention the lyrics are very soothing and melodic as well. Like I said before, all around, this is a great band, and i'm looking forward to their next cd. This is a must buy.

I'm not going to judge Welcome in comparison with Gift.Each album has it's own good and bad elements, Gift was hard hitting and heavy, Welcome was more mellower and contains very catchy choruses with a lot of the heaviness we came to know and love in Gift.I'm very glad I bought this cd, it comes to show how much Taproot matured, musically.This is my review for every track:

1.Mine-Second single and great intro song, heavy chorus and nice verse line, the verse keeps getting heavier and goes into the point of screaming in the chorus.10/10

2.Poem-First single,awesome song, I didn't think it was better than "Mine" but nonetheless awesome riffs and extremely catchy chorus.9/10

3.Everything-I like this song, depressing, semi-moody song.Best part of the lyrics(Look at me now, I hope your proud, your everything to me.)9/10

4.Art-Probably the second most moving out of all the songs, this might bore some people, I love how they use some classical instruments such as violins and the bridge riff is awesome with Stephen screaming.9/10

5.Myself-The intro starts out heavy with start-stop riffs then goes quiet, the verse is nice, chorus is hard-hitting and heavy with an Alice in Chains sounding second vocals singing and a scream to be mixing in.A really nice ending after the pause.10/10

6.When-A song about frustration,depression, and hopelessness. The chorus riff is ,in my opinion, awesome as hell.Stephen growls near the end of the song, giving it a powerful feel to it.8/10

7.Fault-Starts off with an awesome riff you can jump to just a great riff.The chorus is alright.8/10

8.Sumtimes-Intro riffs for this song is...so, so.Usual Taproot verse. This song isn't that great,still heavy and the lyrics are uplifting.7/10

9.Breathe-I haven't listened to this song much. The chorus is very powerful. An okay song.8/10

10.Like-The only acoustic song and the MOST moving song throughout the album.9/10

11.Dreams-Awesome riffs starts this off, a very good song, sad though, the guitars goes heavy near the end and pauses. An all around heavy song.9/10

12.Time-One of the best songs on the entire album.Great lyrics, catchy, melodic chorus, and heavy guitar riff during the verse.The bridge guitar riff is ingenious. Stephen makes some sort of weird singing voice at the end, I found it very funny.-10/10

The CD overall is pretty decent for a nu-metal band. The lyrics are nice as is the music. There are some weird tracks on here, which I can't think of off the top of my head.

The CD itself is very well produced. I would have rated this album a 4 star, but it has "Gift" to compare to. They set their standard pretty high with "Gift", and then kind of went downhill from there. This CD is worth picking up if you want some creative music, but if you want some catchy music, this is not the CD for you. "Poem" is a very catchy song, as are one or two other songs, but the CD as a whole falls short.

I had decided to check Taproot out after hearing their vocalist, Stephen Richards, appear on Linkin Park's `Reanimation' on the track "P5HNG ME A*WY." The vocals and lyrics that he provided for that track are stellar, and so is his work on his band's sophomore album, `Welcome.' From the get-go, the album grabs you and doesn't let go. "Mine" is a powerful song that combines amazing soft vocals with intense screaming in the chorus that goes right back to soft vocals. "Poem," the first radio single off the album, is one of the best songs on the CD. A lot of people can't figure out why he sings "in case of fire / break the glass" in the chorus. A lot of people think that it's because it sounded cool. Well, it's quite the opposite. It's about fixing your own problems instead of worrying about getting other people to help you. In fact, all the lyrics on this album are amazing, heartfelt and deep. The guitars on this album have a very distinct sound and the drumming pulls the album together. The singing/screaming on this album is very well placed and ties the music together with the lyrics amazingly. The production on this album is absolutely amazing. None of the songs sound the same-they all have their own uniqueness to them. "Art" is by far the best song that Taproot has ever recorded. It has a melodic beauty that no other songs can match, except for "Like," which is completely soft. Two songs not included on the album, "Transparent" and "Free," fill in some gaps on the album, such as the sudden and abrupt ending to "Mine." If you were to put "Transparent" right after that, the sudden ending seems to disappear. Purchase the "Poem" CD-single if you want those tracks. All-in-all, this album was my #2 of all of 2002. The vocals on the album are great, the guitars are very distinct and unique, the drumming is amazing and the lyrics are something you don't usually hear from a rock band-they're deep and heartfelt. Their first album, `Gift,' was recorded in just 6 weeks. They rushed that album so that they could get on OZZfest in time. However, they actually had time to work on this album and do exactly what they wanted to do, and it paid off big time. The songs I'd recommend to check out are "Mine," "Poem" and "Art." You won't regret it.

This cd is like art in music form. The songs are well written, and are so much more then just yelling and screaming set to a repetitive beat like so many other rock cd's I have heard.

You don't listen to WELCOME. You experience it. And it is an experience like no other.

Every single song is awesome. EVERY SINGLE ONE! This isn't one of those albums where you get 4-6 good songs and then crap you skip through. Art, Sumtimes, and Poem stand out for me the most.

I have to say, this is my favorite album. Period. I know of nothing else I enjoy listening to more then this. Well worth every penny I spent on it.

Ask yourself this question when you buy the cd
-Do i play an instrument and do i understand music and vocals.
-The music is o.k yes on this cd but overall the cd is horrific, i knew right when i bought the cd that it was gonna be terrable when i put it in the first 2 songs are the only 2 good songs and the only songs i have heard. after the first 2 songs the cd just goes down and down. The lyrics are immature, wrong placement and immaturely written. The singer puts no heart and soul in his music he just mumbles then screams in an attempt to sound deep. A Very week cd.

I would have to say that TAPROOT are in the forefront of the "NU MEtAL" scene. Although I hate lables i'd classify them as more Emo-core then NU Metal. Much like STILLSUIT, ( check out STILLSUIT'S ep "Green Spock Ears" if you can find it, it will blow you away!) TAPROOT still manages to stay fresh and engaging even after their "1st album hurdle". I personally thought their first CD was better but this one has alot meaty bits to sink your teeth into. The musical arrangments are still twisting and complex as thier first, although a little mellowed out this time around. All in all worth picking up.

if you are a fan of incubus and deftones this cd os for you, just got int o taproot from the warp and vans tour. cd contains the hit poem. the songs are the melodic with a hard edge and growling vox into between great vox

i had never herd taproot till i bought this album. Man was i empressed i love it , this album is truly amazing! The singer has very good voice he does not try to sound like anyone else which is awsome. The producer Toby wright produced alot of AIC'S work who are my favorite band lends his hand to make the album glow. The music is murky which i love this album is awsome....

i was a big fan of taproot when gift came out. such a great cd that was. i saw taproot 3 times after hearing that cd, and each time was great. i was really anticipated to hear their new album, welcome, but i was strongly disappointed. their new sounds strayed too far away from what made their first cd so good and dynamic. heavy riffs and screaming vocals mixed with great melody at times. great combination(reminds me of nothingface)...so if your looking for something as good as gift, dont look here...unless you like watered-down music that was aimed to make this band bigger in the mainstream...
get chimaira-the impossibility of reason if you want to hear a kick-a$$ cd..

Taproot is a band with a good amount of talent between them. They can be playing softly one second, and the next is BAM! in your face and very loud. Vocals are commended for this same talent. Anyone who likes a little hard rock now and then should pick up this album. It doesn't disappoint.

Taproot is truly an amazing band, as evident through their debut release. I am sad to say however that their style changed on "welcome". unlike many fans, this album does not make me dislike them or anything of that sort because they really do have a lot of talent. however, "gift" is a much better albulm and i sincerely wish they would have made something a little more similar.