''Gift'' is the first studio album and major label debut by American

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

band

Taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

. It was released on June 27, 2000. The singles " Again & Again" and " I" reached No. 39 and No. 34 on the

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

chart. The album has sold over 250,000 copies.

Background, writing and recording

Taproot singer Stephen Richards told ''CMJ New Music Report'' that the songs on ''Gift'' were written in 1997, playing the songs for a few years. He claimed that "Dragged Down" and "Now" were the only songs written specifically for ''Gift''. Taproot spent six weeks working on ''Gift''.

Music and lyrics

Described as a

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...

album, the album's lyrical themes are primarily about topics such as depression and disliking life. Taproot's vocalist Stephen Richards' vocals on the album ''Gift'' have been compared to vocalists such as

Chino Moreno Camillo "Chino" Wong Moreno (born June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the alternative metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sleep, Crosses, ...

Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. T ...

Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre. Davis's ...

and

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...

. The album consists of vocal styles such as singing, rapping, growling and screaming.

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Brian Musich stated "dropping in a time when

rap-rock Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...

is all the rage, as it sells albums like mad, garners instant publicity from

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

, and packs stadiums in a new generation of concert festivals, Taproot is guaranteed media exposure and a large built-in fan base." He added, "If they had dropped ''Gift'' two years earlier, Taproot would be pioneers. Instead, they are adequate followers." In June 2000, ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

'' called the music "blistering melodic metal" and compared the vocals to

Incubus An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...

and

Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...

. In her July 2000 review, ''

CMJ New Music Report CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

s Amy Sciarretto wrote that it "sounds like Faith No More engorged with programming or Incubus spiked with more guitar grit."https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/2000/CMJ-2000-07-10.pdf In October 2000, Ben Raynor of '' Drowned in Sound'' gave the album a positive review, and praised the vocals of Stephen Richards, writing that, "Taproot are the perfect antidote to

rap metal Rap metal is a fusion genre that combines hip hop music, hip hop with heavy metal music, heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, Rapping, rapped vocals and sometimes turntablism, turntables. History O ...

at a time when music needs them."

Track listing

Notes

*Tracks 2, 6, 7, 9 and 11 are re-recordings of early songs the appeared on the demos, "...Something More Than Nothing" and "Upon Us". Both were released in 1998 and 1999. *A

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

, "Day By Day", can be found on the

Dracula 2000 ''Dracula 2000'' (also known as ''Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000'' and internationally as ''Dracula 2001'') is a 2000 American horror film co-written and directed by Patrick Lussier and produced by Joel Soisson. Starring Gerard Butler in th ...

soundtrack, CD single for "Again & Again" and the Japanese release of "Gift". It would later be released as a digital single in 2020 as part of the Warner Bros. Archive series. *Other b-sides entitled "Thrift Whore", "Strive", and "Get Me" can be found through

file-sharing File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books. Common methods of storage, transmission and dispersion include re ...

networks. These recordings, along with "Day By Day", would later be officially released on the 2018 boxset ''Besides''.

Credits

Taproot *Stephen Richards - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar *Mike DeWolf - Lead Guitar *Phil Lipscomb - Bass *Jared Montague - Drums Production *Tom Baker - Digital editing, masteringGift - Taproot - Credits
Allmusic. Retrieved March 19th, 2011 * Frank Gryner - Assistant engineer *

Scott Humphrey Scott Humphrey is a Canadian record producer and engineer. He began his music career as a keyboard player and programmer. He is best known for his work with multiplatinum recording artist Rob Zombie and has co-written, co-produced and mixed al ...

- Mixing *Ted Reiger - Assistant engineer * Stephen Richards - Programming, vocals *Edward Smith - Photography *

Ulrich Wild Ulrich Wild (born December 31, 1969), is an American record producer, engineer and mixer specializing in the rock and metal genres. Born and raised in Switzerland, Ulrich is now a naturalized citizen in the United States, living in Los Angeles. ...

- Engineer, mixing, producer

Charts

Album Singles - Billboard (United States)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gift (Taproot Album) 2000 debut albums Atlantic Records albums Taproot (band) albums Albums produced by Ulrich Wild