NATION
| NATION | ||||
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| Bad Wolves studio album | ||||
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Publication |
October 25, 2019 |
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| Label (s) | Eleven Seven Music | |||
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Metalcore , Deathcore , Heavy Metal , |
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Title (number) |
12 |
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running time |
42 min 40 s |
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| occupation |
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NATION is the second studio album of American metalcore - band Bad Wolves . The album was released on October 25, 2019 via Eleven Seven Music .
Emergence
The first ideas for the second studio album came up during the tour for the debut album Disobey . Singer Tommy Vext took a short break after a European tour with Three Days Grace to write four or five songs with music producer Drew Fulk, three of which ended up on the album. Drummer John Boecklin also went to the studio over Christmas , while guitarists Chris Cain and Doc Coyle also came up with ideas. In January 2019, the musicians had around 20 ideas, which were then further developed.
The band toyed with the idea of doing a cover version again . This idea was discarded, on the one hand because of the success of their version of the song Zombie , on the other hand the band wanted to focus more on their own songs. The album was recorded in various studios . Guitar and bass were recorded with Max Karon in Las Vegas , vocals in Los Angeles with Joseph McQueen, and drums in Nashville with Mark Lewis. Emma Zander can be heard as a guest singer on the song Foe or Friend . For the songs I'll Be There , Killing Me Slowly and Sober were music videos released.
background
| Track list | |
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I'll Be There deals with the period in early 2018 when the band gained international fame as a result of their version of the song Zombie . According to Tommy Vext, the musicians feared they would just be a one-hit wonder . For their version, the band was sometimes harshly criticized on the Internet. They also met with resentment and hatred. Killing Me Slowly is about how people in relationships are often not themselves or fail to be honest. At some point you reach a point where you should end the relationship. Tommy Vext wrote the text from the first person perspective, even though he was the other person in the situation described.
The song Sober deals with the subject of addiction . It's not just about a person trying to sober up, it's also about the impact on the people around that person. Tommy Vext was an alcohol and drug addict himself and has been clean for about ten years. Today he looks after people who are trying to get rid of their addiction. The song Crying Game is about people who have a tendency to self-destruct but who blame other people instead of themselves. John Boecklin wrote the music for the song after seeing such behavior in some of the musicians he worked with.
The LA Song is about the growing number of homeless people in Los Angeles. Singer Tommy Vext and guitarist Doc Coyle volunteer for the Monday Night Mission organization , which looks after homeless people in the city, gives them food and provides medical care.
reception
According to Matthias Weckmann from the German magazine Metal Hammer “the second album tops its predecessor on various levels”. "The riffs are sharper, the hooklines more distinctive, the dynamics greater, the arrangements more varied and the long-term effect more lasting". Dressed in "a charming mix of hardener and harmony, the material is very entertaining for almost three quarters of an hour". If you like Five Finger Death Punch “can grab it blindly”. Weckmann awarded 5.5 out of seven points. Ronny Bittner from the German magazine Rock Hard wrote that "in the second half in particular, tricky aggro attacks and spherical tracks with high radio compatibility come together with predictable regularity". "Too few bridges are built between these two styles, which is why the album does not result in a coherent whole". Since the band "can shine more than on the debut in the individual performances" Bittner awarded seven out of ten points. Max Morin from the online magazine Exclaim , for whom the band sounds “more monotonous and less self-confident”, was more critical . The band tried to break away from their super hit Zombie , but “nothing could hide that the band ran out of ideas”. “ Cliché follows cliché, mostly from the last decade ”. For now, the Bad Wolves would have "the public eye, but the band wouldn't deserve it". Morin awarded three out of ten points.
Chart placements
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
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| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
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60 (1 week) | 1 |
 Austria (Ö3)
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44 (... Where.) | ... |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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63 (... Where.) | ... |
 United States (Billboard)
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78 (... Where.) | ... |
Awards
The online magazine Loudwire led NATION on their list of the 50 best rock albums of the year and Sober on the list of best 66 rock songs of the year .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Chad Childers: Bad Wolves' Tommy Vext: It's a Really Exciting Time for Rock Thanks to Five Finger Death Punch's Efforts. Loudwire , accessed October 25, 2019 .
- ↑ BAD WOLVES To Release Second Album In Fourth Quarter Of 2019. Blabbermouth.net , accessed October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Heidi Krobanski: pack formation . In: Metal Hammer , November 2019, page 46
- ↑ Listen To New BAD WOLVES Song 'Crying Game'. Blabbermouth.net, accessed October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Matthias Weckmann: Bad Wolves - NATION Metal Hammer, accessed on October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Robby Bittner: Bad Wolves - NATION In: Rock Hard , November 2019, page 110
- ↑ Max Morin: Bad Wolves - NATION Exclaim, accessed on October 26, 2019 (English).
- ↑ Bad Wolves - NATION GfK Entertainment , accessed on October 31, 2019 .
- ↑ Bad Wolves. Hung Medien, accessed November 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Bad Wolves. Hung Medien, accessed November 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Bad Wolves. Billboard , accessed November 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Loudwire Staff: The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2019. Loudwire, accessed December 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Loudwire Staff: 66 Best Rock Songs of 2019. Loudwire, accessed December 14, 2019 .