Universal Pulse is the tenth studio album 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 311

311 (band)

311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...

, released on July 19, 2011 on 311 Records/ATO Records

ATO Records

According to Our Records was founded in early 2000 by Dave Matthews , Coran Capshaw, Chris Tetzeli, and Michael McDonald as a division of RCA Records...

.

Album information

Like its predecessor, Uplifter

Uplifter

-Bonus tracks:-Album:-Singles:...

, this album was produced by Bob Rock

Bob Rock

Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...

, who has produced or engineered albums by numerous notable acts, such as Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, Aerosmith

Aerosmith

Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

, Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

, The Cult

The Cult

The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...

, Our Lady Peace

Our Lady Peace

Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...

 and The Offspring

The Offspring

The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...

. Unlike previous albums where their record label requested that the drums be recorded at an alternate location, all tracks, including the drums, were recorded at the Hive Studio. To support the album, 311 invited Sublime with Rome

Sublime with Rome

Sublime with Rome is a musical collaboration between Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, formerly of the band Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. The group chiefly performed songs by Sublime, which was fronted by Bradley Nowell until his death in 1996...

 to co-headline the 2011 Unity Tour, with special guests DJ Soulman and DJ Trichrome. The artwork was done by Sonny Kay. With only eight songs and clocking within less than thirty minutes, it's their shortest album yet.

The album's first single "Sunset in July

Sunset in July

"Sunset in July" is a song by American rock band 311. It is the lead single from their tenth studio album, Universal Pulse. The single was first aired June 3, 2011 on Los Angeles radio station KROQ.-Charts:...

" was released on June 3, 2011. The album's second single "Count Me In

Count Me In (311 song)

"Count Me In" is a song by American rock band 311. It is the second single from their tenth studio album, Universal Pulse. The single is a radio-only single and it was released on October 4, 2011.-Charts:...

" was released on October 4, 2011.

Reception

Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine comments "Within the sharp relief of Bob Rock’s immaculate production, this can mean that the fuzz-toned guitars and crunching riffs are strenuously underlined: they are the foundation of this unusually rock-oriented 311 album yet in this crystal-clear atmosphere they drill, not pummel." and concludes that "Universal Pulse can be wearying even at its half-hour length."

Track listing

Charts

Charts	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 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...	7
U.S. Billboard Rock Albums	2
U.S. Billboard Digital Albums	4
U.S. Billboard Independent Albums	1
U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums	2
U.S. Billboard Tastemaker Albums	1

Personnel

• Nick Hexum
  Nick Hexum
  Nicholas Lofton Hexum is an American musician, currently the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band 311.-Early life:Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Hexum went to Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska...
  
   – vocals, rhythm guitar, programming
• Doug "SA" Martinez
  SA Martinez
  Douglas Vincent "SA" Martinez is a vocalist and DJ for the alternative rock band 311. He is of Hispanic descent. Martinez's nickname is partially a play on the Mexican Spanish slang term "ese", meaning "buddy" or "friend." It is also said that SA had an "out-of-body experience" in college and S.A...
  
   – vocals, turntables
• Tim Mahoney – lead guitar
• P-Nut
  P-Nut
  Aaron Charles Wills , is an American musician, bassist for band 311, and music producer / bassist for band Hollows Follow.- Background :...
  
   – bass
• Chad Sexton
  Chad Sexton
  Chad Ronald Sexton is the drummer for American rock band 311. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and went to Westside High School with fellow band members Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney....
  
  – drums, percussion