Skeletons (Hawthorne Heights album)
Encyclopedia
Skeletons is the fourth full-length studio album
by American rock
band Hawthorne Heights
, released June 1, 2010. It is their first album to be released through Wind-up Records
, and is also the first release since If Only You Were Lonely
to employ screamed vocals, with guitarist Micah Carli adding limited unclean vocals into select tracks on the record. The album was produced by Howard Benson
. The album peaked at #50 on the Billboard top 200 albums.
, and had been writing and recording for a new record. The band revealed that while there is not a new member of the band and no replacement was made for Hawthorne Heights former unclean vocalist, Casey Calvert, the new album would feature a new "screamer". While on tour, Hawthorne Heights announced that Micah Carli would now be providing unclean vocals for the band.
As the album was being recorded, lead singer JT Woodruff and drummer Eron Bucciarelli named two songs from the record on several occasions, leading many to believe that they would be released as singles. Acoustic versions of the two songs were also said to have been recorded. The songs are entitled "Here I Am" and "Nervous Breakdown". "Nervous Breakdown" did become the first single from the album on March 23, 2010. On October 2, 2009, both Woodruff and Buicarelli posted updates on their Twitter pages saying that they had just finished gang vocals for the record. Woodruff stated "Just finished up doing gang vocals on a few songs. Return to hardcore!"
The band has expressed that the process of writing the music and lyrics to this album has been different than doing so for albums past. Woodruff states: "We had the luxury of time to sit around and think about what we wanted to do, which helped us create something new." Bucciarelli adds: "We wrote more songs for this album than ever before. We wrote over 30, then whittled them down to the absolute best ones. We took parts from some and added them to others and made a Frankenstein out of [th]em. We were always writing, re-writing, arranging and re-arranging. Howard Benson really pushed us in the song writing department to go against what we’ve done in the past." The final track listing for the album was publicly announced on February 5, 2010. Skeletons was released on June 1, 2010.
In an early review of the album, RoomThirteen.com gave the album a 12 out of 13 rating. They stated "For those who fell in love with Hawthorne Heights six years ago, ‘Skeletons’ will merely reaffirm their passion for a band that has survived so much in such a short time. For those who have yet to truly listen to the band, this is an album that will alter your perceptions."
Skeletons stylistically reverts to "music similar to their first two albums", although it has substantially less unclean vocals. The album "refuses to stomp over old ground" by incorporating "electro" and "pop punk" elements into a few of the tracks. Other reviewers, though, criticize the album by calling it "safe", and saying that it doesn't take any "deviations from the beaten path."
Not all of the bands mentioned ended up joining Hawthorne Heights for the 2009 Never Sleep Again tour. Anarbor declined the offer in order to focus on the recording of their debut album The Words You Don't Swallow
. Likewise, Punchline declined and was replaced with The Story Changes, a rock band that formed in Dayton, Ohio
, the same city Hawthorne Heights originated in.
Fans had a chance to hear two songs from the upcoming album during this tour, however. As promised, download cards for the song "Unforgivable" were distributed while on tour. In addition, "End of the Underground," which was originally going to be included as a track on the band's previous album, was performed live. On Skeletons, "Unforgivable" became track number 12, and "End of the Underground" became track number 3.
Production
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 American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their line-up currently consists of lead-singer and rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff, lead-guitarist and vocalist Micah Carli, bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli...
, released June 1, 2010. It is their first album to be released through Wind-up Records
Wind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
, and is also the first release since If Only You Were Lonely
If Only You Were Lonely
If Only You Were Lonely is the second album by American rock band Hawthorne Heights. The album was released on February 28, 2006 through Victory Records. It is the second and final album to feature Casey Calvert because of his death on November 24, 2007. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album...
to employ screamed vocals, with guitarist Micah Carli adding limited unclean vocals into select tracks on the record. The album was produced by Howard Benson
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer and aerospace engineer.-Biography:Howard Benson has a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University and studied composition at the Philadelphia College for Performing Arts. Later he worked for Garrett AiResearch, where he worked...
. The album peaked at #50 on the Billboard top 200 albums.
Promotion and release
Hawthorne Heights posted a blog through their MySpace profile stating that they had officially been signed to Wind-up RecordsWind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
, and had been writing and recording for a new record. The band revealed that while there is not a new member of the band and no replacement was made for Hawthorne Heights former unclean vocalist, Casey Calvert, the new album would feature a new "screamer". While on tour, Hawthorne Heights announced that Micah Carli would now be providing unclean vocals for the band.
As the album was being recorded, lead singer JT Woodruff and drummer Eron Bucciarelli named two songs from the record on several occasions, leading many to believe that they would be released as singles. Acoustic versions of the two songs were also said to have been recorded. The songs are entitled "Here I Am" and "Nervous Breakdown". "Nervous Breakdown" did become the first single from the album on March 23, 2010. On October 2, 2009, both Woodruff and Buicarelli posted updates on their Twitter pages saying that they had just finished gang vocals for the record. Woodruff stated "Just finished up doing gang vocals on a few songs. Return to hardcore!"
The band has expressed that the process of writing the music and lyrics to this album has been different than doing so for albums past. Woodruff states: "We had the luxury of time to sit around and think about what we wanted to do, which helped us create something new." Bucciarelli adds: "We wrote more songs for this album than ever before. We wrote over 30, then whittled them down to the absolute best ones. We took parts from some and added them to others and made a Frankenstein out of [th]em. We were always writing, re-writing, arranging and re-arranging. Howard Benson really pushed us in the song writing department to go against what we’ve done in the past." The final track listing for the album was publicly announced on February 5, 2010. Skeletons was released on June 1, 2010.
Songs and singles released
- On November 16, 2009, download cards for the song "Unforgivable" were distributed while on tour.
- On March 23, 2010, "Nervous Breakdown" was released as the first official singleSingle (music)In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album. - On April 21, 2010, "End of the Underground" was made available for listening on BuzznetBuzznetBuzzNet is a photo, journal, and video-sharing social media network, owned by Buzz Media. Like other social networking sites, Buzznet is a platform for members to share content based on their personal interests...
. - On May 18, 2010, "Drive" was released as a digital single through RhapsodyRhapsody (online music service)Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
. The track was made available for download from VerizonVerizon WirelessCellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
as a ringtone on May 20, 2010. - On May 25, 2010, all songs from Skeletons (excluding bonus tracks) were added to Hawthorne Heights' Myspace music player for listening.
- On May 28, 2010, "Nervous Breakdown (Acoustic)" was made available as a free download separate from Skeletons.
- On September 28, 2010, well after the full release of Skeletons, "Bring You Back" was declared a single by Hawthorne Heights on their official website, and began receiving regular radio airplay.
Reviews and reception
Skeletons has received generally positive reviews. A review on the AbsolutePunk website has stated that the album brings out "JT Woodruff’s best vocal performance yet," and is full of "killer choruses."In an early review of the album, RoomThirteen.com gave the album a 12 out of 13 rating. They stated "For those who fell in love with Hawthorne Heights six years ago, ‘Skeletons’ will merely reaffirm their passion for a band that has survived so much in such a short time. For those who have yet to truly listen to the band, this is an album that will alter your perceptions."
Skeletons stylistically reverts to "music similar to their first two albums", although it has substantially less unclean vocals. The album "refuses to stomp over old ground" by incorporating "electro" and "pop punk" elements into a few of the tracks. Other reviewers, though, criticize the album by calling it "safe", and saying that it doesn't take any "deviations from the beaten path."
2009 Never Sleep Again tour
On October 14, an e-mail about a nationwide 2009 tour was sent out to the Hawthorne Heights official mailing list. The e-mail stated:Not all of the bands mentioned ended up joining Hawthorne Heights for the 2009 Never Sleep Again tour. Anarbor declined the offer in order to focus on the recording of their debut album The Words You Don't Swallow
The Words You Don't Swallow
The Words You Don't Swallow is the first full length studio album by American pop rock band Anarbor. The band recorded the album with Mike Green . Their debut album was released on April 20, 2010...
. Likewise, Punchline declined and was replaced with The Story Changes, a rock band that formed in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, the same city Hawthorne Heights originated in.
Fans had a chance to hear two songs from the upcoming album during this tour, however. As promised, download cards for the song "Unforgivable" were distributed while on tour. In addition, "End of the Underground," which was originally going to be included as a track on the band's previous album, was performed live. On Skeletons, "Unforgivable" became track number 12, and "End of the Underground" became track number 3.
Album title
The album's title is not taken from any of the tracks' titles, or even lyrical content on the album (although "End of the Underground" does make lyrical references to skeletons); instead, JT Woodruff explained:Thus, the album was given the name Skeletons.Track listing
Personnel
Hawthorne Heights- JT Woodruff - 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...
, 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...
, keyboardKeyboard 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... - Micah Carli - 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...
, unclean vocals - Matt Ridenour - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Eron Bucciarelli - 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 ....
, percussion
Production
- Album produced by Howard BensonHoward BensonHoward Benson is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer and aerospace engineer.-Biography:Howard Benson has a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University and studied composition at the Philadelphia College for Performing Arts. Later he worked for Garrett AiResearch, where he worked...
- Album art created by Mike Egan