Taproot, ‘No Surrender’ – Song Review

'No Surrender,' the debut single from Michigan rockers Taproot’s upcoming album, 'The Episodes,' finds the band remembering its melodic roots. While the instrumentals in 'No Surrender' are still driving and heavy, they make way for longtime singer Stephen Richards to croon and soar with his silky smooth tenor and whispered accents.

From the get-go, the emotion-drenched lyrics go along with the song’s pleading, intensifying aura: “On your feet rush rush to the street rush / Face defeat as if no one makes it out alive still try / Flee the scene hush hush be discreet hush / Go unseen unlike every breath you take can be as the clerk said passing by,” Richards sings in the first verse, before gushing into the chorus.

With guitars swirling and twisting, the single’s chorus shows Taproot at their most empowering and determined: “These are the days you can't forget / These are the times you can't regret / This is your time for no surrender, surrender / This is your chance to do or die / This is your path so run or hide / This is your time for no surrender, surrender!”

Being kids of the nu-metal era, Taproot have learned to reshape their metal to adapt to the genre’s marked evolution. 'No Surrender,' per classic Taproot, is a gathering of twists and coils that takes the listener on a musical roller coaster, and in this case, Taproot crafts a powerful, memorable rock song, one that’s darker and moodier than many of their past tracks.

'No Surrender' -- which arrives on Taproot’s new album 'The Episodes,' out April 10 -- should please hardcore Taproot fans and a new generation of modern metallers, to boot.

Listen to Taproot, 'No Surrender'