Abominations | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 18, 2007 | |||
Recorded | January 16–February 3, 2007 [1] | |||
Length | 45:31 | |||
Label | Stolen Transmission | |||
Producer | John Goodmanson | |||
Schoolyard Heroes chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Abominations | ||||
|
Abominations is the third and final studio album by Seattle horror punk band Schoolyard Heroes. The album was recorded in January 2007 over the course of 18 days, and released on September 18 of the same year. After signing to Stolen Transmission, the album served as the band's major label debut and their first album not to be released independently through The Control Group. The production of the album was handled entirely by John Goodmanson with the majority of the lyrics composed by the band's singer and frontwoman Ryann Donnelly. Donnelly serves as the main singer on the album, with bassist Jonah Bergman performing backing vocals.
Envisioned as an album about falling in love during the apocalypse, the album was inspired by horror films, with the lyrics composed from themes such as death and tragedy. The album presents its themes in a theatrical, over-the-top and often campy style. It was promoted by two singles; lead single "Dude, Where's My Skin?" and "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame". Both songs received music videos directed by Brian and Brad Palmer.
In early 2008, the band completed a nationwide tour, opening for the Seattle-based band Aiden. The album received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Donnelly's singing, the often melodic composition, and the morbid themes expressed on the project. While a critical success, the album failed to achieve any chart positions. The album generated some controversy from concerned individuals who accused the album of promoting satanism and murder. The band announced their breakup on November 20, 2009, which meant that Abominations was their last album together as a group.
Following the release of Schoolyard Heroes' sophomore album, Fantastic Wounds , the band had begun to find commercial success in not only the Seattle rock scene, but in Olympia and other cities in Washington. [3] The band had generated enough interest to eventually be signed to Stolen Transmission, an imprint label of Island Def Jam Music Group. [4] Record producer John Goodmanson took interest in the band and served as the producer for Abominations, their third studio album. Goodmanson had previously attracted success as a producer for established acts such as Blondie and The Blood Brothers. [4] [5] All four members of the band remain on the project, with Donnelly serving as the main writing force. [4]
Like all of the band's projects, the album takes several of its themes from b-movies and horror films. [3] [6] Horror films had always been a substantial influence on the band; bassist Jonah Bergman's father had taken him to double features as a kid. [6] Donnelly had admired horror actor Vincent Price and wished to present vintage horror aesthetic into the project. [3] Brian K. Vaughan's dystopian comic book Y: The Last Man served as inspired for the song "Cemetery Girls". [4] Bergman was credited for writing the hook on "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame". [6]
The album contains elements of concept albums, with the album taking place during the apocalypse. [4] Donnelly had stated that the album is what would happen to a couple's relationship during the end of the world. The narrative of the album centers around the premise of every single male in the entire world suddenly dropping dead, and what would happen if all males spontaneously died for no apparent reason. [4] In an interview with Sentimentalist Magazine , Donnelly went into detail about the composition of the album, stating
"We've literally written about horror movies, like straight from the screen kind of thing, but this one is about horrific human beings and human nature, and the dark side of things, and there's still a lot of beautiful ways to sort of twist that and write about that. And "Cemetery Girls," is about all of the men just dying, for no apparent reason, and these women are rising up and taking over the world, and it's sort of the mixture of emotion that comes with things ending. Particularly this apocalyptic setting where there's a lot of death, but also strength that rises from it." [4]
While the album goes over fictional themes, Donnelly noted that the album still contained real-world social commentary. [4] Donnelly mused, "when you look at the news, it's really easy to get sucked into this mentality of is the world coming to an end?" and assured that she still wanted the album to be something you could dance to. [4] To prevent the album from being to depressing, the band attempted to present the album with the aesthetic of a b-movie, with a comical, overly theatrical tone. [4] Bergman stated that while the album goes go over dark topics and contains graphic imagery, the band wanted to offer the listeners something positive in nature. [7] He warned people not to look to deep into the music and stated that the band was a way for the members to vent. [7]
Abominations was recorded in 18 days, which Donnelly described as the most "delightful, pleasurable recording experience", commenting that she was saddened when the band had run out of material to record. [4] The band spent their loose time watching episodes of classic horror series like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits . [3]
Album opener "Dude, Where's My Skin?" begins the album with horror-movie imagery. [3] The track opens with the disturbing refrain of "take off your skin and dance with me" with Donnelly screaming in an operatic manner, over eerie guitar riffs. [8] "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame" features guttural screaming from both Donnelly and Bergman, with the song serving as a duet between the two. [8] Bergman's bass is less pronounced on the track, allowing the two trade lines more clearly. [9] Donnelly sings the line "you're so pretty" while Bergman screams back "you're so dead!" in a "demonic tone". [8] Donnelly declares the line "I am the devil and I've come to do the devil's work" on track "Cemetery Girls", morbidly referencing the famous line spoken by serial killer Charles "Tex" Watson, member of the Manson Family. [8] The track has a highly melodic riff and Donnelly screams her verses "like a battle cry". [10]
"Violence is All the Rage", despite the alarming title, has been described as having similarities with pop music in nature.[ citation needed ] While the's song's subject matter may be disturbing, the production and vocal arrangements have been described as something that could be a backing to a Kelly Clarkson track. [8] The track switches from heavy metal verses to disco-influenced choruses, and Donnelly's performance on the track has been compared to No Doubt era Gwen Stefani. [11]
"Children of The Night" features a chugging guitar in the style of math rock, with a percussive breakdown with eerie gothic moaning. [9] [12] The more horror-themed tone of the album takes a break on "The Last Man on Earth", which is a tender ballad. [8] [12] The track is an exercise in desperation, with Donnelly singing "you and I are the King and Queen of nothing" amongst a haunting guitar-based platform. [10] Donnelly asserts that her "lipstick tastes like murder" on "Razorblade Kisses" which contains guitar playing in the style of post-hardcore music. [8] [9] "Sometimes They Come Back" has been compared to the type of music produced by bands At the Drive-In and The Blood Brothers. [5] "Beautiful Woman Hunter" offers a showcase for Brian Turner's drums and cymbal performance, and Steve Bonell's guitar which shifts from slower portions to a chaotic, punk-ish breakdown. [9] The song exhibits Donnelly's more scream-heavy singing. [9]
"All the Pretty Corpses" is more poppy in nature, with epic, disparate sonic elements juxtaposed against more rock-centric riffing. [8] [11] Album closer "Screaming "Theater" in a Crowded Fire" begins like a musical at first, and then transforms into a showcase for Bonell's continuously evolving riffs. [9] The track is a macabre love song between a murderer and her victim, and contains the only time on the album when Donnelly and Bergman trade verses outside of a chorus. [12] The track features the two intimately singing together, with Bergman shouting the visceral line "you smeared my blood like a whore's mascara" back at Donnelly. [8]
Lead single "Dude, Where's My Skin?" debuted on the website PureVolume on August 8, 2007. [13] "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame" was chosen as the second single, and received a music video helmed by Brian and Brad Palmer. [5] [14] The video features kids in a cult, and was followed by a music video for "Dude, Where's My Skin?" [4] [5] [8] The band embarked on a nationwide tour, opening for the Seattle-based band Aiden in support for the album. [4] Donnelly expressed that performing was an important aspect to her music, stating that "the more visceral a response the audience can have, the better. I don't ever want to hide behind pyrotechnics, or too much show. I think that we are a really solid live band and really solid performers, and our music is the most important element of the equation. If your music isn't there, it's not going to matter; it's just going to be a circus." [4] The album was released onto iTunes on September 17. [15]
EarCandy, a Seattle-based music blog, had printed an irate letter authored from an anonymous writer. [8] The writer described the band as avowed satanists, accusing the band of wanting to corrupt the nation's children and "drive them to murder with their fascination with the dark and evil world of Satan." [7] [8] The letter had attracted the interest of the newspaper Seattle Post Intelligencer , who published the story. [7] Once the newspaper had published the story, readers visited the website of the band, with one commenting that the content had horrified him, stating that the band's lyrics glorified "death, dismemberment, murder and suicide." [7] A group of concerned parents were so offended by the gruesome nature of the band's lyrics that they were motivated to form a petition against the band. [8] The petition read that they were attempting to stop a tragedy before it began, and accused of the band of promoting satanism. [8]
Spin magazine interviewed Bergman about the accusations presented against the band, and Bergman assured that the parents were simply out of touch with their kids, calling the outrage ridiculous. [7] Bergman incited parents to talk to their children, assuring that the parents were underestimating the intelligence of their kids. [7] He noted that the members of the petition had "clearly never heard our music or seen our shows", and that the band wasn't about worshipping the devil, but having a good time. [7]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Three Imaginary Girls | [8] |
AbsolutePunk | 8.1/10 [9] |
Seattle Post Intelligencer | (favorable) [12] |
Exclaim! | (favorable) [11] |
Sentimentalist Magazine | (favorable) [10] |
Allmusic | (favorable) [16] |
Seattle Weekly | (favorable) [5] |
Website Three Imaginary Girls commented that the production on the album was pristine and mature, with the songs "teeming with sinister chords and spine-tingly good vocals." [8] They continued, writing that Abominations was the "perfect soundtrack for this ghoulish, All Hallows Eve season." [8] Blake Solomon of AbsolutePunk noted that he wasn't generally a fan of horror imagery, but commented that "the tales told within Abominations can get gruesome, but the flair and range of near-undead songstress Ryann Donnelly gives me just enough courage to continue on, soiled underwear and all." [9] Exclaim!'s Sam Sutherland mused that the album was more accessible than their first two albums, writing "it's great to know that after two fantastic, almost wholly ignored albums Schoolyard Heroes aren't giving up. In fact, they're getting better". [11]
Carrie Alison of Sentimentalist Magazine praised the album and viewed that Donnelly was destined to be the female equivalent Gerard Way, commenting "horror-punk be damned, I'll meet these guys behind the gym anytime." [10] Allmusic reported that the album "is full of surprisingly catchy songs, which shouldn't imply even remotely that the Schoolyard Heroes have turned pop. Quite the opposite. The angsty, horrorshow feeling of both the lyrics and the sonics are heavier than ever, belying both the appearance of the band (who look like art school geeks) and the immediate appeal of the music." [16] Travis Hay of Seattle Post Intelligencer felt that the band had shown impressive growth from their first two albums, and critiqued that the album "is chock full of playfully gruesome, over-the-top lyrics (i.e. "You smeared my blood like a whore's mascara"), though it won't leave you with nightmares. Instead you'll be left with 11 wickedly fierce songs from Seattle's favorite fearsome foursome." [12] Hannah Levin of Seattle Weekly wrote that the hiring of John Goodmanson was a wise decision, commenting that his production "revs up the band's inherent vitriol and pageantry while razor-tuning the goth-pop notes for broader appeal without blunting the edges." [5] According to Levin, tracks like "Cemetery Girls" and "All the Pretty Corpses" sound like "darkly catchy future teen anthems". [5]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dude, Where's My Skin?" | 2:45 |
2. | "The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame" | 3:21 |
3. | "Cemetery Girls" | 5:14 |
4. | "Violence is All the Rage" | 3:10 |
5. | "Children of the Night" | 3:45 |
6. | "The Last Man on Earth" | 3:22 |
7. | "Razorblade Kisses" | 3:31 |
8. | "Sometimes They Come Back" | 4:37 |
9. | "Beautiful Woman Hunter" | 4:33 |
10. | "All the Pretty Corpses" | 5:15 |
11. | "Screaming "Theater" in a Crowded Fire" | 5:58 |
Information taken from Abominations liner notes. [17]
|
|
David Eric Grohl is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of the grunge band Nirvana.
Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially by Scott Sundquist, and later by Matt Cameron in 1986. Yamamoto left in 1989 and was replaced initially by Jason Everman and shortly thereafter by Ben Shepherd. The band dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden would not continue, though they did reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell. Cornell and Thayil were the only members to appear on every album by the band.
Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.
Skate punk is a skater subculture and punk rock subgenre that developed in the 1980s. Originally a form of hardcore punk that had been closely associated with skate culture, skate punk evolved into a more melodic genre of punk rock in the 1990s similar to pop punk. Since then, it has predominately featured fast tempos, lead guitar playing, fast drumming, and singing. Occasionally, skate punk also combines the fast tempos of hardcore punk and melodic hardcore with the catchy hooks of pop-punk.
Sludge metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that combines elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. The genre generally includes slow tempos, tuned down guitars and nihilistic lyrics discussing poverty, drug addiction and pollution.
Lime Spiders were an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1979 with Mick Blood on lead vocals. He was later joined by Richard Lawson on drums, and David Sparks on guitar. Their debut studio album, The Cave Comes Alive! was released in June 1987 and reached the top 60 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Their most successful single, "Weirdo Libido", was released in January that year and reached the top 50 on the related Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In April its music video was the first ever shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV music series rage. The track was used on the 1988 feature film Young Einstein's soundtrack. The group disbanded in 1990 and in 1999 Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted they had provided "raucous sound mixed screaming vocals and wild, fuzz-tone guitar riffs to arrive at a mutant strain of acid punk that bordered on heavy metal".
"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the band's third single and was later featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, released during that same year. It is the first song written by the band.
Schoolyard Heroes was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States, consisting of four members: Ryann Donnelly, Jonah Bergman, Steve Bonnell (guitar), and Brian Turner (drummer).
Ass Cobra is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian punk rock band Turbonegro. It was first released in May 1996, with subsequent reissues in the following years. The album title and cover art is a reference to the AC Cobra sports car and Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys respectively.
Fantastic Wounds is the second studio album by American horror punk band Schoolyard Heroes. Like the band's first album The Funeral Sciences, it was released through the label The Control Group. Following the band's first release, they had generated success with the underground Seattle rock scene and had secured a small cult following, largely due to the reputation they had built from their concert tour with Vendetta Red.
"Dammit" is a song by American rock band Blink-182, released on September 23, 1997, as the second single from the group's second studio album, Dude Ranch (1997). Written by bassist Mark Hoppus, the song concerns maturity and growing older. It was written about a fictional breakup and the difficulty of seeing a former partner with another.
Dig Me Out is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on April 8, 1997, by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. Dig Me Out marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who would become the band's longest-serving drummer. The music on the record was influenced by traditional rock and roll bands, while the lyrics deal with issues of heartbreak and survival. The album cover is an homage to the Kinks' 1965 album The Kink Kontroversy.
All Hands on the Bad One is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on May 2, 2000, by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1999 to January 2000 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon and John & Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. The music on the record ranges from softer melodies to fast punk rock guitar work, while the lyrics address issues such as women in rock, morality, eating disorders, feminism, music journalism, and media.
Ryann Donnelly was born in Olympia, Washington. With friends from high school Jonah Bergman and Steve Bonnell, Ryann formed the band Schoolyard Heroes. Their debut album was The Funeral Sciences, and their second album, Fantastic Wounds, was a cult hit. In 2007 Schoolyard Heroes released Abominations, for which two music videos were made. Abominations received generally positive reviews from music critics. The band announced their break-up on November 20, 2009.
The Future of What is the third studio album by the American post-hardcore band Unwound, released on April 24, 1995 by Kill Rock Stars. The album was recorded in December 1994 at John and Stu's in Seattle, Washington.
Threads of Life is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Shadows Fall. Released on April 3, 2007, in the U.S. through Atlantic Records, the album debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200. The first single, "Redemption", made its premiere on Sirius Radio's Hard Attack station on February 16, 2007 and was released on iTunes on February 20. "Redemption" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards.
Conviction is the third studio album by American rock band Aiden, released on August 20, 2007 by record label Victory. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and exhibits a lighter, more melodic musical style for the band.
Career Suicide, released on October 9, 2007, through Nitro Records, is the fifth studio album from the Massachusetts based melodic hardcore band A Wilhelm Scream.
Phantom on the Horizon is a concept EP by American progressive rock band The Fall of Troy that was released on November 28, 2008, through Equal Vision Records. It is the completed version of the Ghostship Demos EP that the band released in 2004. This rerecorded version of the original demos features five "chapters" and was produced by Casey Bates.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help)