Limp Bizkit: Fred Durst (vocals); Wes Borland, DJ Lethal, Sam Rivers, John Otto.

Additional personnel: Redman, Method Man, Xzibit, Mark Walberg, DMX, Liam Ward, Scott Weiland, Stephan Jenkins, Rob Dyrdek (vocals); Ben Stiller (spoken vocals); Scott Berland (keyboards); Rich Keller (bass).

Producers: Scott Weiland, Terry Date, Swizz Beatz, Josh Abraham, Limp Bizkit.

Recorded at Larabee Studios East and Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, California; Larabee Studios West, West Hollywood, California; Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington; South Beach Studio, Miami, Florida.

Some of Limp Bizkit's critics were quick to dismiss the band as a passing fad, and few lead singers seem to be as hated as Fred Durst, but the undeniable facts remain: since rap-metal came into its own, Limp Bizkit have been among the genre's top players. Their much-anticipated follow-up to SIGNIFICANT OTHER treads similar ground, with a few hidden aces to spare. Lyrically, Durst continues to focus on both the frustrations that accompany success (especially in "My Way"), and his mainstay of demanding validation ("Full Nelson.")

CHOCOLATE STARFISH has some truly heavyweight production credits, including Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden), Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley), and even the Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland, who co-writes and contributes guest vocals on "Hold On." The House Of Pain groove in "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" will certainly inspire the "rockers and hip-hoppers" that it calls to arms. Ironically the tracks that seem the most out of place on CHOCOLATE STARFISH are those with guest rapping by Xzibit, DMX, Redman and Method Man. The beats are hot (thanks in part to Swizz Beatz), but conflict somewhat with those tracks featuring aggressive and dynamic live instrumentation.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (1/4/01, p.113) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Top 50 Albums of 2000" - "...Durst is more fun than a barrel of Yosemite Sams as he explores his 2 favorite topics: the world and why it sucks....the band is fun, bashing out loud, linear angst-metal heavy onthe spaced-out guitar clang..."
Spin (1/01, pp.111-2) - 7 out of 10 - "...The sound is now clearer...the rapping likewise....this is a slicker, grander record than SIGNIFICANT OTHER....the album definately qualifies as an improvement..."
Q (12/00, p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Durst's strength is in gonzo bluster....great knockaround rock songs..."
CMJ (11/13/00, p.24) - "...Damn if the Bizkit doesn't make you wanna shake your rump....Durst stirs up simmering pits of anger....Wes Borland's low-end and DJ Lethal's scratching deftly decorate the tracks..."
Melody Maker (10/24/00, p.58) - 4.5 stars out of 5 - "...On this mighty album, Durst's in full, and frankly, awesome, flow....Super, smashing, great....upping the ante on every wannabe mofo who thinks he's 'intense'..."
NME (Magazine) (10/14/00, p.41) - 6 out of 10 - "...A half-dozen or so stone cold rap-metal rockers...plus another half-dozen or so so-so fillers..."