Home » Music » Christian Metal Music » Fred Durst & Friends

Fred Durst & Friends

© Jon Hodges

Limp Bizkit released its debut CD, Three Dollar Bill Yall$, back in 1997 after Jonathan Davis and the rest of KoRn "discovered" them at a show in Florida. Now, Fred Durst has reversed that role, and is doing the same in band scouting. Most of the bands available on Flip Records at this point are bands that Durst located at a shared concert, and praised to his producer. The two most notable examples are Cold and Staind.

Cold released its first and only album in late 1997. On the back of the case, alone, stranded, in white text that stands out well on the red-textured background: "Special thanks to Fred Durst for everything." Their record label? Flip Records.

The album isn't amazing, and I don't think I would pay $13 for it again, but I would be willing to buy it used. The CD starts off with a powerful, impressive song called "Go Away," but the CD steadily tapers off from there into oblivion. Imagine a CD with hardcore riffs interrupted by a singer trying to imitate Coal Chamber and a lone guitar with some odd western-sounding effect. This CD also tries its hand at several slower pieces, which really don't match the band's talent. "Go Away" is definitely the best song on the album, and it's due to the fact it is one of the few songs they unbind the chains on and play unrestrained.

However, Staind is a completely different story. They came through my town in North Carolina opening for Kid Rock. While I'm not a Kid Rock fan, a friend of mine went to the show just to get out for the evening (it was at a small club). I received a phone call from him the next day praising the opening band: Staind. After much pressure, I conceded and went out to buy the album. All four members, Aaron, Mike, Johnny, and Jon, thank Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit in their Thank You's. Their record label? Yeah. Flip.

So what about the band? Hardcore intertwined with a few slower pieces that really showcase the singer's voice, and it is one of the few good voices on the hardcore scene. After reading a biography of the band, it surfaced that the lead singer used to only yell on all of their tracks. However, Fred Durst pulled him aside and told him he had a great voice and should try using it more. He does, and he does it successfully. This is a very good album that I hope gets some more radio play and attention in the coming months.