No One (album)
Encyclopedia
No One is the sole studio album
by Chicago
nu metal
band of the same name. It was released on August 14, 2001 via Immortal Records
and produced by Johnny K
who also worked with Chicago natives Disturbed and Soil. Neither the band nor their debut release gained any widespread commercial attention, despite the album being classified under the once-popular nu metal genre. Two singles from No One were released in "Chemical" and "Down on Me" and received moderate radio play for a short time.
, the show gained the attention of Disturbed, Soulfly
, and The Deadlights
. No One only played two more weeks of concerts before joining Johnny K
to record a 3-track demo. This resulted the recording of "Chemical," "It’s Real," and "My Release."
Shortly after, No One received a phone call notifying them that a Californian manager had been shopping the demo around without their consent. They were approached by Immortal Records and, after reviewing other offers, chose the aforementioned label due to their reputation for breaking in heavy metal
bands, their promotional tactics, and their long-term approach in never having dropped any bands.
No One entered the studio in December 2000 without letting Immortal know that not enough songs had been written for an album. "Shedding", "Down on Me", and "Inside Out" were then written in the studio. After finishing up recording, No One resumed touring on April 5, 2001.
Vocalist Murk described the album in an interview: "It’s a journey of peaks and valleys. There is a lot of emotions and changes in it. I have been working on it my entire life. It definitely took a long time to write it and a lot of hard work."
for Slaves on Dope
and Hinge
to promote their eponymous debut record. In July 2001, the band performed on the Second Stage of Ozzfest
2001
but canceled after only ten days. They also participated in the Pledge of Allegiance tour, a leg of Slipknot
's Iowa World Tour
co-headlined by System of a Down
.
The song "Chemical" was released as the lead single
. It gained moderate airplay in late summer and early fall of 2001 and had a music video
which aired on MTV2
. It was later included on the soundtrack to the video game Jonny Moseley
Mad Trix. "Down on Me" followed as the second single. "Cut," "Chemical," "Hype," and "It's Real" were all featured in the game Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward
. A live rendition of "My Release" was featured on Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording
in March 2002.
or Pantera
) in music today' it's easy to wonder if he is blinded too."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band of the same name. It was released on August 14, 2001 via Immortal Records
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
and produced by Johnny K
Johnny K
John Karkazis, better known as Johnny K, is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago...
who also worked with Chicago natives Disturbed and Soil. Neither the band nor their debut release gained any widespread commercial attention, despite the album being classified under the once-popular nu metal genre. Two singles from No One were released in "Chemical" and "Down on Me" and received moderate radio play for a short time.
Background and recording
After forming the group, No One began writing and played their first show on August 5, 2000 at Champ’s. Having taken place between two Chicago dates for OzzfestOzzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
, the show gained the attention of Disturbed, Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
, and The Deadlights
The Deadlights
The Deadlights were a short lived Alternative metal/Nu Metal band out of Long Beach, California. The band's most notable achievement was playing the second stage at Ozzfest 2000.The band released one self-titled album on February 22, 2000...
. No One only played two more weeks of concerts before joining Johnny K
Johnny K
John Karkazis, better known as Johnny K, is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago...
to record a 3-track demo. This resulted the recording of "Chemical," "It’s Real," and "My Release."
Shortly after, No One received a phone call notifying them that a Californian manager had been shopping the demo around without their consent. They were approached by Immortal Records and, after reviewing other offers, chose the aforementioned label due to their reputation for breaking in heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands, their promotional tactics, and their long-term approach in never having dropped any bands.
No One entered the studio in December 2000 without letting Immortal know that not enough songs had been written for an album. "Shedding", "Down on Me", and "Inside Out" were then written in the studio. After finishing up recording, No One resumed touring on April 5, 2001.
Vocalist Murk described the album in an interview: "It’s a journey of peaks and valleys. There is a lot of emotions and changes in it. I have been working on it my entire life. It definitely took a long time to write it and a lot of hard work."
Touring and promotion
No One openedOpening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for Slaves on Dope
Slaves on Dope
Slaves on Dope is a Canadian Hard Rock band, based out of Montreal, Canada.The band was formed in the 1993 by Jason Rockman and Avrum Nadigel highly influenced by the "Grunge" era...
and Hinge
Dry Kill Logic
Dry Kill Logic is a four-piece metal band from Westchester County, New York, USA. They formed in 1993 and are still active...
to promote their eponymous debut record. In July 2001, the band performed on the Second Stage of Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
2001
Ozzfest lineups by year
Over the years, a variety of bands have made up the yearly lineups of Ozzfest, a yearly heavy metal music festival that usually tours the United States in summer.-Lineup:*Main Stage:...
but canceled after only ten days. They also participated in the Pledge of Allegiance tour, a leg of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
's Iowa World Tour
Iowa World Tour
-Kill The Industry:Kill The Industry was a leg of the Iowa World Tour in North America. Musicians that accompanied the tour include Papa Roach, Mudvayne, and The Union Underground.-Ozzfest 2001:...
co-headlined by System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
.
The song "Chemical" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
. It gained moderate airplay in late summer and early fall of 2001 and had a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
which aired on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
. It was later included on the soundtrack to the video game Jonny Moseley
Jonny Moseley
Jonathan William Moseley, better known as Jonny Moseley , is the first Puerto Rican to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team.-Early years:...
Mad Trix. "Down on Me" followed as the second single. "Cut," "Chemical," "Hype," and "It's Real" were all featured in the game Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward
Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward
Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward is an action game released on September 8, 2003 for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to Hunter: The Reckoning and based on the Hunter: The Reckoning role-playing game. It supports cooperative play for up to two players.-Setting and characters:Wayward takes place...
. A live rendition of "My Release" was featured on Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording
Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording
Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording is a live album by System of a Down, Slipknot, Mudvayne, American Head Charge and No One featuring tracks from the Pledge of Allegiance Tour in 2001...
in March 2002.
Critical reception
Allmusic's JT Griffith gave the album a 2.5/5 rating and emphasized No One's lack of originality and similarity to contemporaries but also their passionate, aggressive style: "No One is a good thrashing rock outfit, but original is not what they do. . . It may not be ground-breaking, but it is going to be hugely popular." He added, "The album cover has a picture of a man's face with his eyes covered like a prisoner. So when [frontman] Murk claims that he doesn't 'see a lot of (KornKorn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
or Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
) in music today' it's easy to wonder if he is blinded too."
Track listing
All music written by No One. Lyrics by Murk.Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
Year |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
35 | 2001 |
No One
- Murk - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- B-Larz - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Flare - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Billy K - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional personnel
- Johnny KJohnny KJohn Karkazis, better known as Johnny K, is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago...
- production, engineering, mixing - Tadpole - assistant engineering and music editing
- Ted Jenson - mastering
- Jason Markey - A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
- P.R. Brown @ Bau-da Design Lab - art direction, photography, design