Reckless & Relentless
Encyclopedia
Reckless & Relentless is the second studio album
by English metalcore
band Asking Alexandria
. It was released on April 5, 2011 through Sumerian Records
. Announced on December 22, 2009, recording for the album began in June 2010 at the Foundation Recording Studios in Connersville, Indiana
and ended in the fall of that year. Musically, Reckless & Relentless is a metalcore
that includes elements of Euro-trance
and has influences of rock music from the 1970s
.
The album received generally positive reviews, who commended its loud guitar
s and drums
and Danny Worsnop's vocals, however, criticized its use of electronic instruments. It debuted at number 9 on the Billboard
200
, selling more than 31,000 copies in its first week.
. The first official confirmation of the sophomore full-length was on December 22, 2009, wherein Asking Alexandria announced that they were to start the works on a second album in January. They informed that they were to be streaming parts of the writing process through a webcam feed via the service Stickam
. It was also announced that they will be entering the studio on September 1, 2010, again with producer Joey Sturgis
, who produced the band's debut album Stand Up and Scream
.
The band later announced that they were scheduled to begin recording on June 22, 2010. Asking Alexandria has, as well, confirmed through an interview with Shred News that the album would be released on April 5 featuring 12 tracks. However, the original album was suppose to contain 13 tracks and 3 bonus iTunes
tracks. This didn't make it because they didn't wish to delay the album release date. In the same interview, the band informed that a title was not yet established. One song, "Breathless" was played live to promote the album, and was released with their Life Gone Wild
EP. Worsnop has also released lyrics from the album.
The first official single from the album entitled "Morte et Dabo" was released on February 15, 2011, as announced beforehand by the band. Pre-orders for Reckless & Relentless were made available on March 3, 2011. A music video for "Closure" was released July 5, 2011 and a music video for "To the Stage" was released on July 12, 2011.
Additional musicians
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 English metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria are a British metalcore band from York, North Yorkshire. Founded in 2008 when Ben Bruce contacted his old companions upon returning to the UK after residing in Dubai...
. It was released on April 5, 2011 through Sumerian Records
Sumerian Records
Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen, who is also a booking agent, and is managed by Shawn Keith. Fellsilent became the first non-US band to be signed to the label, in 2008. The label made a...
. Announced on December 22, 2009, recording for the album began in June 2010 at the Foundation Recording Studios in Connersville, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and ended in the fall of that year. Musically, Reckless & Relentless is a metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
that includes elements of Euro-trance
Euro-trance
The term Euro-trance describes all "trance"-like European imports into the American dance music market, especially those recorded in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.-Dream house:...
and has influences of rock music from the 1970s
1970s in music
For music from a year in the 1970s, go to 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1970s....
.
The album received generally positive reviews, who commended its loud guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and drums
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
and Danny Worsnop's vocals, however, criticized its use of electronic instruments. It debuted at number 9 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling more than 31,000 copies in its first week.
Background
Reckless & Relentless was recorded during the summer and autumn of 2010 at the Foundation Recording Studios in Connersville, IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The first official confirmation of the sophomore full-length was on December 22, 2009, wherein Asking Alexandria announced that they were to start the works on a second album in January. They informed that they were to be streaming parts of the writing process through a webcam feed via the service Stickam
Stickam
Stickam is a website devoted to live-streaming video, featuring both professional and user-generated content. The site launched in 2005. Stickam features user-submitted pictures, audio, video, and most prominently, live streaming video chat...
. It was also announced that they will be entering the studio on September 1, 2010, again with producer Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Joey Sturgis started recording in 2004. Foundation Recording Studio managed by Rise Records founder Craig Ericson...
, who produced the band's debut album Stand Up and Scream
Stand Up And Scream
Stand Up and Scream is the debut album by English metalcore band Asking Alexandria, released on September 15, 2009 through Sumerian Records. The album has charted at number 170 on the Billboard 200, number 29 on Top Independent albums, and number 5 on Top Heatseekers...
.
The band later announced that they were scheduled to begin recording on June 22, 2010. Asking Alexandria has, as well, confirmed through an interview with Shred News that the album would be released on April 5 featuring 12 tracks. However, the original album was suppose to contain 13 tracks and 3 bonus iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
tracks. This didn't make it because they didn't wish to delay the album release date. In the same interview, the band informed that a title was not yet established. One song, "Breathless" was played live to promote the album, and was released with their Life Gone Wild
Life Gone Wild
Life Gone Wild is the first EP by British metal band, Asking Alexandria. It was released on December 21, 2010 through Sumerian Records and contains "Breathless", dubstep remixes of "A Single Moment of Sincerity" and "Not the American Average," two Skid Row covers of "18 and Life" and "Youth Gone...
EP. Worsnop has also released lyrics from the album.
The first official single from the album entitled "Morte et Dabo" was released on February 15, 2011, as announced beforehand by the band. Pre-orders for Reckless & Relentless were made available on March 3, 2011. A music video for "Closure" was released July 5, 2011 and a music video for "To the Stage" was released on July 12, 2011.
Album cover
Reckless & Relentless in an interview with Fallen Blue, Danny Warsnop said, "we wanted something shocking, so we had the famous porn actress, Belladonna, just sitting in The Dirty Room." Danny further discussed, 'Someone, Somewhere', a song off the new album as the first one "that I wrote the lyrics to using my emotions as a backdrop.Track listing
Charts
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Albums | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Digital Albums | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Albums | 2 |
Musicians
Asking Alexandria- Sam Bettley – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Ben Bruce – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - James Cassells – 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 ....
- Cameron Liddell – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Danny Worsnop – lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, programming, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s
Additional musicians
- James Murray – spoken vocals and lyrics on "Dedication"
Production
- ProducedSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, engineeredAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixedAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
and masteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Joey SturgisJoey SturgisJoey Sturgis is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Joey Sturgis started recording in 2004. Foundation Recording Studio managed by Rise Records founder Craig Ericson... - Additional engineering and editing by Nick Sampson
- Recorded at the Foundation Recording Studios
- Photography by Paul Harries
- Logo by Daniel Wagner
- Layout by Daniel McBride
- A&R by Shawn Keith and Nick Walters
- Publicity by George Vallee