I don't know exactly what compelled me to make this decision, but I started July off with the intent to listen through Limp Bizkit's entire discography.

All I knew about LB were a few things:

• They wrote "Nookie" and "Rollin'"
• Fred Durst (and the band itself) is the butt of a lot of jokes
• Wes Borland is a cool guitarist

I must've been in a serious musical lull to be okay with exposing myself to 24/7 Limp Bizkit, but the journey has changed my outlook on the band - and my listening habits - for the better.

The Journey

Significant Other was the starting point for this deep dive because I was most familiar with its track list, but don't worry, I did start from the beginning with Three Dollar Bill, Yall afterwards. I'll be honest that I went into this expecting a good laugh and to soon abandon the plan, but I could not have been more wrong.

"Just Like This" hooked me in from the get-go and the hits kept rollin' and rollin' from there. The blend of guitars and drums is so tight and full of groove - a trait that will follow the band through their history. The album isn't a non-stop hit show, falling off during the second half into a forgettable set of tracks, but it doesn't diminish the absolute blast I had.

I took a step back to the start of it all, Three Dollar Bill, Yall and experienced an (expectedly) less exciting album, but it isn't without its pros. Overall, the songs feel samey, but I can't knock a band's debut LP too much. "Stuck" and "Pollution" are jams and I can't deny that. It's actually impressive seeing how they managed to reign in their sound to create Significant Other after this release.

By this point, I'm upset I deprived myself of Limp Bizkit for all these years, yet self-aware enough to know I would not have appreciated it as much as I do now. Borland's tone and style is one to envy. Oh, and Otto's drumming alone is enough to have me considering the possibilities of fitting a kit in my Baltimore row home basement.

As I'm writing this post, "Break Stuff" started playing and I'm feeling pumped as hell.

Up next, of course, was Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. I had mixed feelings on this one, initially not enjoying it much. I gave it another listen the other day and realized I missed a few good tunes on this one, but still nothing that blew my mind aside from the select songs in my resulting playlist. "My Generation" and "Rollin'" are solid tracks and I'll be mastering my ability to play "Rollin'" soon.

Results May Vary turned out to be a nice surprise for me. The lack of Borland does not go unnoticed, but the alternative is a cool change of pace for the band. I know it isn't a well-received album, but that follows the pattern of me liking under-appreciated albums and tracks. "Eat You Alive" has strong, beefy chords while "Phenomenon" goes hard in the chorus with the usual guitar-drum combo. I can see myself revisiting this album more than the average listener.

From Reuslts May Vary, Gold Cobra took eight more years to be released, but I only had to wait a few hours before I could enjoy it. You know, because I doing this in 2022. My first listen felt a lot like it did with Chocolate Starfish, but subsequent listens have led me to appreciate it even more. "Shark Attack", "Bring It Back", and "Why Try" are all straight wild.

Another 10 years and Still Sucks hit the shelves (physical and digital). The opening three tracks are exactly what I want out of Limp Bizkit: powerful beats, heavy guitars, and a flow you can move to. Not my favorite album, but "Out of Style" and "Dirty Rotten Bizkit" are easily top-tier Bizkit songs.

The Summary

I am unabashedly a Limp Bizkit fan and sad I became one just in time to miss their Baltimore show in May. Technically, I was out of the country at that time, but my point still stands.

Album Rankings

1. Significant Other
2. Gold Cobra
3. Chocolate Starfish
4. Results May Vary
5. Three Dollar Bill, Y'all
6. Still Sucks

Favorites Playlist