Barnes & Noble
A lot has changed in the world of Limp Bizkit since the release of their last album. Guitarist Wes Borland split the band in one of the uglier breakups this side of Ben and Jen; Fred Durst split from Britney Spears in what he says was a messy romantic blowup; heck, the title of this very disc was altered at least half a dozen times. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the Bizkit's savvy grooves. From the head-banging fury of "Eat You Alive" to the tough-but-tender side exposed on a cover of the Who's "Behind Blue Eyes," the band have a knack for pushing people's buttons. New guitarist Mike Smith (ex-Snot) isn't quite as offbeat an instrumentalist as his predecessor, but he can take the volume into the danger zone, as he proves on "Head for the Barricade" and "Drown." Durst, for his part, continues to hone his skills on the mic, dabbling in new cadences and playing nicely off guests like Snoop Dogg, who adds a slinky Cali vibe to "Red Light Green Light." For most folks, Limp Bizkit are an all-or-nothing proposition, but those who fall into the "all" category will find plenty to like here.
Seth Kaufman
All Music Guide
It took a long, long time for Limp Bizkit to get their follow-up to Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water into the stores. First, guitarist Wes Borland, generally regarded as the band's musical force, up and left the band, and it took a long, long time to find a replacement guitarist. After a national talent search performed at Guitar Center stores, where candidates had to sign contracts that gave up their rights to anything original they played at their audition, Limp Bizkit settled on former Snot guitarist Mike Smith and recorded an album. Then scrapped it. Then they recorded another album. Then scrapped it. They were going through album titles, too -- it was called Bipolar and then, charmingly, Panty Sniffer. Finally, all the sessions and the turmoil were whittled down into one very long album called Results May Vary. Without Borland on the album, Limp Bizkit turns to frontman Fred Durst, who already dominated the band's personality and now must provide direction in addition to bravado. Durst doesn't come up with any new musical ideas, apart from slight hints of Staind and emo on the ballads, and he generally runs amuck, spewing bile at targets including Britney Spears, ranting about how she broke his heart. He complains about being picked on in high school and about radio and MTV playing the same old bands, and invokes icons like Kurt Cobain. Results May Vary would have been improved if the music had a fraction of Durst's anger (no matter how misguided it is) or had energy to match the clown jumping up and down and screaming in front. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Rolling Stone
Durst still raps like a linebacker, but he also hasn't lost his knack for hard, heavy hooks. Christian Hoard