Falling in Reverse, “Popular Monster.”

There’s no pinning down Ronnie Radke on Popular Monster, the latest from Falling In Reverse. Radke threw everything into the stew, from rap to hard rock, country, pop and electronica.

While Radke is a lightning rod for some in the heavy music community, there’s no denying the love-him-or-hate-him artist pushed the boundaries and expanded the band’s map.

Radke acknowledges his personal complexities on dramatic opener “Prequel.”

“I was cynical, egotistical, unpredictable, hardened criminal, and I could be a little hypocritical/ And I’ll admit it straight to your face,” he raps. The track is bold and ambitious, with a clashing orchestral, cinematic arrangement and an aggressive hip-hop flow reaching a thunderous crescendo of percussion.

Rap verses and nu-metal choruses continue on the title track. Radke’s lower, more monotonous flow has slight echoes of Machine Gun Kelly, but as the tension rises, he differentiates himself with a fiery aggression that peaks at a ferocious scream as the music reaches its height of intensity. 

The juxtaposition of “Popular Monster” with Southern rocker “All My Life” is vast. This Jelly Roll collaboration (that man is everywhere right now) somehow fuses a country rock vibe with a pop-punk attitude. There’s even a brutal breakdown at the end. The song doesn’t take its self seriously and the two vocalists play off each other quite well.

The tension ratchets up on the heavy and punishing “Ronald,” an impressively complex song that adds the guttural screams of Slaughter to Prevail’s Alex Terrible and a lightspeed rap by Tech N9ne. The song jumps from fast and metallic to moody and electronic, nimbly switching between sounds.

Then there’s “Voices In My Head,” soaring and melodic while maintaining a foundation of heaviness with more rap and electronic flourishes.

“Bad Guy” calls back to the height of the nu-metal era with down-tuned guitar riffs, hip-hop beats and a massive singalong chorus. The stunning “Watch the World Burn” may be the most impressive moment on the record with its numerous movements and brute strength. Radke is on the top of his game vocally here, whether it’s rapping or delivering powerful aggression.

The fist-pumping “Trigger Warning” introduces yet another new side of the band with a fusion of industrial rock, punk and hard rock. The politically charged song has a piano solo and heavy synths, but is otherwise fearsome. Following “ZOMBIFIED,” “NO FEAR” swings the pendulum further into the rap direction.

The closer is Falling in Reverse’s take on Papa Roach’s “Last Resort,” which keeps the original’s emotion and message but turns the arrangement on its head.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.