The Taking (album)
Encyclopedia
The Taking is the third studio album by American hard rock
band Loaded
. It was produced by Terry Date
in Seattle, Washington, and was released on April 19, 2011 through Eagle Rock Entertainment
. Writing for the album began in 2009, while the band were touring in support of Sick
. It will be the first Loaded release, since Episode 1999: Live
, without drummer Geoff Reading
, who, after departing the band, was replaced by Isaac Carpenter
in September 2009.
A feature length film about the album, as well as Loaded, by filmmaker
and documentarian
Jamie Burton Chamberlin is currently being filmed, with the album serving as the films soundtrack.
announced, during Loaded's tour, that the band were writing new material for their next album. He said that they have some "great ideas and riffs" that the band wrote during their tour. Loaded parted ways with record label Century Media
in February 2010 with the band continuing the work on new material. Prior to the beginning of recording, producer Terry Date
approached the band and offered to produce the new album, with recording beginning, at Studio X
, in August 2010, and completed by the beginning of September. On October 28, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Eagle Rock Entertainment
for the release of their album. In November, Blabbermouth.net
announced the album's title, The Soundtrack, with a release date scheduled for March 22, 2011. It was later revealed in interviews with guitarist Mike Squires
and filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin that the album title was changed to The Taking, and the release date was change from March 22, to April 19, 2011.
and Major League Baseball
for their coverage of the American League Championship Series
, National League Championship Series
, and the World Series
while a second song entitled "Fight On" was confirmed for the album. Loaded performed the two new songs at the Seattle Seahawks
Veterans Day half time show on November 7.
and documentarian
Jamie Burton Chamberlin on a film based on the album in October 2010. Chamberlin stated that the film would be more "about designing a fictitious story line which will be a part of the larger project, and will be a contemporary version of, say, Hard Days Night
meets (Led Zeppelin
's) Song Remains the Same
, with aspects of documentary, music video, and live performance, all interconnected by an underlying motivation" and that the "album will serve as the soundtrack." The film is to feature a number of cameos from various musicians, including John Roderick of The Long Winters
, Chris Ballew
of The Presidents of the United States of America
, Soundgarden
members Ben Shepherd
and Kim Thayil
as well as Lemmy of Motörhead. Shooting locations for the film include Seattle, with the band planning to perform unannounced acoustic shows for filming, and Los Angeles. Chamberlin hopes to premier the film at the 2011 SXSW
while a trailer for the film was released in January 2011.
based on five reviews. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
gave the album three out of five stars stating that McKagan "turns in his hardest record in recent memory" and that the album "does make a brute impression [...] playing with a vitality that almost compensates for how they fetishize the past." Kerrang!
magazine stated that with the album, "Loaded sound like a proper band now." Revolver
magazine's Kory Grow complimented it's "big hooks and driving riffs" while noting punk
influences on the album. Joseph Viney, reviewing for Sputnikmusic
, gave the album a three-and-a-half out of five stars, noting a darker tone throughout the album, with songs such as “Lords Of Abbadon,” “Executioner’s Song” and “She’s An Anchor” earning comparisons to Down
and Alice in Chains
. Ultimate Guitar Archive
commented that the album's music has "a bit of GN’R
influence injected into it all, but [that] there’s just as much a heavy helping of punk and even 70’s glam" while they also complimented the lyrics stating they have "some fantastic moments." David Jón Fuller of the Winnipeg Free Press
stated "it's clear McKagan hasn't lost any of his musical swagger" and while "his vocals are little more than shouting [...] the sound is powerful and bottom-heavy."
Production
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
. It was produced by Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
in Seattle, Washington, and was released on April 19, 2011 through Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
. Writing for the album began in 2009, while the band were touring in support of Sick
Sick (Loaded album)
Sick is the second studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009 in Europe and April 7 in...
. It will be the first Loaded release, since Episode 1999: Live
Episode 1999: Live
-Personnel:Loaded*Duff McKagan – vocals, bass*Michael Barragan – guitar*Dez Cadena – guitar*Taz Bentley – drumsAdditional personnel*Nick Raskulinecz – recording, mixing...
, without drummer Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading is an American musician. In his career, Reading has been a member of a number of groups, including Loaded , Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, The Disciples Geoff Reading (born February 23, 1968, in Rochester, New York) is an American musician. In his career, Reading has...
, who, after departing the band, was replaced by Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter
Isaac Carpenter is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, audio engineer and session musician. Carpenter is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock group Gosling as well as its previous incarnation Loudermilk...
in September 2009.
A feature length film about the album, as well as Loaded, by filmmaker
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and documentarian
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Jamie Burton Chamberlin is currently being filmed, with the album serving as the films soundtrack.
Background and production
In July 2009, singer and guitarist Duff McKaganDuff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
announced, during Loaded's tour, that the band were writing new material for their next album. He said that they have some "great ideas and riffs" that the band wrote during their tour. Loaded parted ways with record label Century Media
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
in February 2010 with the band continuing the work on new material. Prior to the beginning of recording, producer Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
approached the band and offered to produce the new album, with recording beginning, at Studio X
Bad Animals Studio
Bad Animals Studio is a music and media recording studio on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. It was originally founded as Steve Lawson Productions by founders Steve and Debbie Lawson in 1979. In 1991, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Lawson to create Studio X. In 1992, the studio...
, in August 2010, and completed by the beginning of September. On October 28, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
for the release of their album. In November, Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
announced the album's title, The Soundtrack, with a release date scheduled for March 22, 2011. It was later revealed in interviews with guitarist Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
and filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin that the album title was changed to The Taking, and the release date was change from March 22, to April 19, 2011.
Promotion
A new song by Loaded from the album entitled "We Win" is being used by ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for their coverage of the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
, National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
, and the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
while a second song entitled "Fight On" was confirmed for the album. Loaded performed the two new songs at the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
Veterans Day half time show on November 7.
Film
Loaded began collaborating with filmmakerFilmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and documentarian
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Jamie Burton Chamberlin on a film based on the album in October 2010. Chamberlin stated that the film would be more "about designing a fictitious story line which will be a part of the larger project, and will be a contemporary version of, say, Hard Days Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
meets (Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's) Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
, with aspects of documentary, music video, and live performance, all interconnected by an underlying motivation" and that the "album will serve as the soundtrack." The film is to feature a number of cameos from various musicians, including John Roderick of The Long Winters
The Long Winters
The Long Winters is an American indie rock band based in Seattle, Washington.-Early history:Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He later returned to Seattle, formed the Bun Family Players and the The Western State Hurricanes...
, Chris Ballew
Chris Ballew
Christopher "Chris" Ballew is a member of the alternative rock group The Presidents of the United States of America and performs as a children's artist under the pseudonym Caspar Babypants....
of The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America (band)
The Presidents of the United States of America, commonly referred to as Pot USA or "PUSA" or The Presidents, are a twice Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band. The band formed in Seattle, USA, in 1993. The three-piece group currently comprises vocalist and "basitarist" Chris Ballew,...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
members Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
and Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
as well as Lemmy of Motörhead. Shooting locations for the film include Seattle, with the band planning to perform unannounced acoustic shows for filming, and Los Angeles. Chamberlin hopes to premier the film at the 2011 SXSW
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
while a trailer for the film was released in January 2011.
Critical reception
The Taking received generally positive reviews, scoring a 65 out of 100 ("generally favorable reviews") on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
based on five reviews. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
gave the album three out of five stars stating that McKagan "turns in his hardest record in recent memory" and that the album "does make a brute impression [...] playing with a vitality that almost compensates for how they fetishize the past." Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine stated that with the album, "Loaded sound like a proper band now." Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
magazine's Kory Grow complimented it's "big hooks and driving riffs" while noting punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
influences on the album. Joseph Viney, reviewing for Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
, gave the album a three-and-a-half out of five stars, noting a darker tone throughout the album, with songs such as “Lords Of Abbadon,” “Executioner’s Song” and “She’s An Anchor” earning comparisons to Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
and Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive, also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is a large guitarist community website known for its large amount of guitar and bass tablature, reviews of music and equipment, interviews with notable musicians, online written and video lessons, and forums...
commented that the album's music has "a bit of GN’R
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
influence injected into it all, but [that] there’s just as much a heavy helping of punk and even 70’s glam" while they also complimented the lyrics stating they have "some fantastic moments." David Jón Fuller of the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
stated "it's clear McKagan hasn't lost any of his musical swagger" and while "his vocals are little more than shouting [...] the sound is powerful and bottom-heavy."
Tracks
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top 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... |
12 |
Personnel
Loaded:- Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
– lead vocals, 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... - Isaac CarpenterIsaac CarpenterIsaac Carpenter is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, audio engineer and session musician. Carpenter is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock group Gosling as well as its previous incarnation Loudermilk...
– 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 ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Jeff RouseJeff Rouse (musician)Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Mike SquiresMike Squires (musician)Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
– 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
Production
- Terry DateTerry DateTerry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...