The story of taproot's beginning has become a part of rock legend.

Fred Durst, the current everywhereman of rock and roll, took a keen interest in the band early on and made a few vague promises of things to come. As the guys in taproot waited for Durst to make a serious offer for a record deal, the word about taproot got around and labels began clambering for taproot's signatures on the proverbial bottom lines. The grassroots movement had taken hold. After Durst finally made a lackluster offer, the guys, singer Stephen Richards, guitarist Michael DeWolf, bassist Philip Lipscomb and drummer Jarrod Montague, realized they needed to do something for themselves and fulfill their commitment to their fans.

Having put in plenty of their own time, money and sweat in the University of Michigan area, the guys had garnered a dedicated and well-earned following. After a self-released, self-financed CD that sold over 10,000 copies, Richards and his mates knew what it took to get where they wanted to go. So, instead of hanging on Durst's every word and waiting for something that might never come, taproot did what they had to do and went west to perform at a Los Angeles showcase for rock production god Rick Rubin.

Once Durst got word of that showcase, he exploded and the now-infamous phone call took place. Durst made the error of laying into Stephen on his answering machine. There, for the entire world to hear, was Durst ripping taproot for taking care of themselves, as though he would have done any less.

"We got home from Los Angeles on the day that Limp were in town to do Family Values and that’s when the message was on my machine," Stephen says. "I was in shock, hearing someone so pissed at me, just for looking out for my band’s best interests."

"Steve. Fred Durst. Hey man, you fucked up. You don’t ever bite the hand that feeds in this business, bro…"

"To sum it up, it was ‘you fucked your career before it even started,’" Richards explains. "He flat out said that if he saw me at one of his shows again I’d be ‘fucked.’ He said if we ‘sling’ his name around, we’ll be ‘blackballed and probably erased.’ He must’ve said ‘fuck’ 30 times in a 30-second message. It’s really funny."

Durst's tirade has made its way to such places as the Howard Stern radio program, has been chronicled numerous times in rock publications and, luckily, has brought some deserved press taproot's way. It's easy to understand Durst's anger; he may have missed out on one of the best upcoming bands out there. To taproot's credit, where many bands would have decided to fold up the tents and forget about a music career, find a day job and stay out of the limelight, taproot decided to forge ahead and make their hard work count.

Signing to Velvet Hammer/Atlantic, taproot has continued to make a name for themselves, though now it's on a national level and without Durst's help. For those who had the chance to check them out at last year's Ozzfest, seeing taproot shred the second stage was amazing. There was no mention of Durst or any of those past issues - Richards seems focused on what's coming up, and the future looks bright for taproot. Stephens and crew were one of the dominant second stage acts, and VOX has some great taproot photos to back it up. They're back for more Ozzfest action this year - check out the Ozzfest site for details.

taproot's major label debut, Gift, is appropriately titled. With DeWolf's blistering guitar work and the mile-wide groove cut by Lipscomb and Montague backing the powerful Richards, taproot's Gift to their fans is energy in physical form. As we noted in our review of the album, "taproot shows the ability to move from a blues-rock feel to heavy rock to full-on aggro, and they do it all in the same song." For those who haven't been Gift-ed with a chance to hear taproot or see them live, think Faith No More meets Deftones, and you'll get a general idea of what taproot is all about.