Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst: ‘It’s Not A Reunion, It’s A Comeback’

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst recently sat down to talk about the group's "comeback" album, his hopes of touring with Korn and Deftones, and basically hitting the reset button on this century so we can all relive the last 11 years.

Say what you will about Fred Durst, but it doesn't seem to affect his belief in the music he is making with Limp Bizkit. Durst spoke with Billboard about the band's first album with the original lineup since 2000's 'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'; 'Gold Cobra'. Durst believes the secret to success is taking the band back to that 'Hot Dog' era of their sound, he explains:

"The epiphany was, we've got to own who we are and stay true to what we are; We're a rap-rock band. We're Limp Bizkit. We might individually like different things, and none of us listen to rap-rock, but when we get together in a band room, that's what we make. There's no reason to search and find a newer Limp Bizkit or an evolved style or fit the radio format. I don't think we have to prove anything. We just have to own it...I miss that whole genre -- rap-rock or nu metal or rapcore, whatever we were called. There was a minute there when you had Bizkit, Deftones, Korn...There was something really special about those times. I feel like if we all got back together and did something, went on the road together, it could be really big."

Durst speaks of rap-rock like a friend that has passed on, the truth is, it never really went away. Bands like Hollywood Undead, HED P.E., and Linkin Park have long since carried that torch without the help of Limp Bizkit. The genre was popularized when Rage Against the Machine burst into the mainstream in 1991, and has existed in some form ever since. No matter how hard anyone tries (except maybe Rage); rap-rock will never enjoy the success it enjoyed in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Durst went on to talk about the inevitability of the band's reunion and how the process went from playing live shows to recording 'Gold Cobra':

The fact we can't escape is we really missed playing live together. We said, 'Let's get our feet wet. Let's tour. That's what we enjoy most. We're a great live band.' That's what this started out as, and then, 'When we feel like we wanted to do a record, let's do it.' So we started touring, and pretty soon it was like, 'Let's get in the studio now and do this.' I'm in touch with the social networks and stuff.

He also shared his feelings on the negative response they've felt from fans outraged over the multiple delays of the new album:

"It's hard not to hear the concentrated group of loud voices out there talking s--- because we didn't deliver when we said we would. With Limp Bizkit, it seems to be that any time I announce some sort of date or something it's always wrong. They should know that by now. My intentions are always pure and sincere, and this time we felt that it's been so long that taking a little bit more time to get it right isn't so bad."

Finally Durst dove into the band's plans following the upcoming European tour and release of 'Gold Cobra', which is in stores June 28th:

"[We're]looking at different offers to hopefully get a great U.S. tour together. We miss playing the U.S. so much, so we want to do that and keep going with the 'Cobra' until we feel it's time to go make another record."

The question is; will it ever be time to make another album after this one? Only time (and the success of 'Gold Cobra') will tell.