Ann Arbor, MI's own
Taproot sent their demo to
Limp Bizkit's frontman/business entrepreneur
Fred Durst in 1998, not ever thinking
Durst would call them back personally. To the band's surprise,
Durst replied, promising the alt-punk metal quartet the world. But
Durst apparently took too long to deliver the goods, for
Taproot -- whose lineup comprised frontman
Stephen Richards, guitarist
Michael DeWolf, bassist Philip Lipscomb, and drummer
Jarrod Montague -- landed a deal with Atlantic Records instead.
Durst felt betrayed and vented his frustration to various media outlets, but an unfazed
Taproot focused on their debut,
Gift, which arrived in June 2000 and unveiled the band's tough thrash sound.
Thanks to support from
Ozzy Osbourne's son
Jack,
Taproot scored a spot on the second stage on the 2000 Ozzfest tour. Two years later, Rolling Stone hailed
Taproot as "the next contenders for the new-metal crown." The band then spent seven months in Los Angeles recording the fierce, introspective sophomore album
Welcome, which earned accolades from such publications as Vanity Fair. The album eventually peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200.
Blue-Sky Research appeared in August 2005; produced by
Toby Wright (who also helmed the group's previous album), it also included three songs co-written with
Billy Corgan. A split with Atlantic Records followed, and
Taproot opted to independently issue their next record. Our Long Road Home arrived in 2008, having been recorded in the band's native Ann Arbor with producer
Tim Patalan. After signing to Victory Records, the band set to work recording new material. In 2010 they released their fifth album, Plead the Fifth, on Victory, followed by
The Episodes in 2012. ~ MacKenzie Wilson