Dissonants

Last updated

Dissonants
Dissonantsalbumartwork.png
Studio album by
Released26 February 2016
RecordedFebruary - May 2015, Florida, U.S.
Genre
Length44:48
Label Rise, UNFD
Producer James Paul Wisner, Erik Ron
Hands Like Houses chronology
Unimagine
(2013)
Dissonants
(2016)
Anon.
(2018)
Singles from Dissonants
  1. "I Am"
    Released: 15 March 2015
  2. "New Romantics"
    Released: 2 October 2015
  3. "Colourblind"
    Released: 21 January 2016
  4. "Degrees of Separation"
    Released: 5 May 2016

Dissonants is the third album by Australian rock band Hands Like Houses, released on 27 February 2016. It was preceded by the singles "I Am", released on 15 March and "New Romantics", released on 2 October 2015. The album follows the band's second studio album, Unimagine (2013), and debuted at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums chart. It is the first album to not feature keyboardist Jamal Sabet who left the band back in 2014 to pursue other musical endeavours. In the week of 29 March 2016, "Colourblind" debuted on the US Active Rock chart at No. 49. [2] This is the last album the band released on Rise Records before moving to Hopeless Records in 2017.

Contents

Background

Hands Like Houses began recording the album in April 2015. The band worked with James Paul Wisner, whom they had previously worked with on their sophomore effort, Unimagine (2013). After about two months, the band said that the album was near completion. During an interview with ppcorn.com, guitarist Alex Pearson gave a tentative October release date for the album. [3]

Despite a few setbacks, including the cancellation of a headline UK tour in November 2015, the band announced on 18 December 2015 that the album would be released on 26 February 2016 and unveiled the album's full track listing and artwork. [4] The band performed two free acoustic performances with signings in Australia upon the album's release.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Blunt MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Currently StreamingStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Mind Equals Blown7/10 [7]
Mosh9/10 [8]
New Noise MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [9]
RockRevolt MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [10]

The album was met with critical acclaim upon its release. Most critics citing the album's massive choruses, the lyrics, and Trenton Woodley's vocals. Most credited the band's "heavier" sound as part of the album's success.

Writing for Highlight Magazine, Annette Hansen said of the lyrics, "The magic on this record, though, is in the emotional appeal and lush imagery presented in the lyrics. As I kept listening to this album, hearing more and more of the lyrics each time, it was hard not to want to make note of many beautiful lines." She went on to quote songs Colourblind and Stillwater as examples. [11]

Matt Doria of Blunt Magazine praised Woodley's programming and lyrics in particular, writing, "...synths are indefinitely more refined - less obnoxious, but as prevalent as they've ever been. Along with a broadened hot-to-cold singing range, his songwriting has also sharpened tenfold; subject matter is the same as it's always been, but Woodley is no longer appealing exclusively to Newtown hipsters..." [12]

Track listing

All songs written by Hands Like Houses, with additional writers listed [13]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Am"Erik Ron4:19
2."Perspectives"Ron3:57
3."Colourblind"Mike Green3:42
4."New Romantics" Caleb Shomo 3:38
5."Glasshouse"Shomo4:20
6."Division Symbols"Green3:40
7."Stillwater"Ron3:48
8."Momentary" 3:14
9."Motion Sickness" Blake Harnage, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen 3:35
10."Degrees of Separation"Harnage, Shomo, Gunnulfsen3:41
11."Grey Havens" Beau Burchell 3:43
12."Bloodlines" 3:11

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] 7
US Billboard 200 [15] 68

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morbid Angel</span> American death metal band

Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered one of the most influential bands in the genre and important in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots, they were one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, multiple tempo changes and a dark atmosphere. They have been described as one of "the most influential and emulated bands in death metal", alongside Obituary, Death, Cynic, Autopsy and Deicide, and have been cited as an influence by many later bands. They were also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992, heavy rotation of their music videos on MTV, and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head. Their first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the genre.

<i>Sonic Nurse</i> 2004 studio album by Sonic Youth

Sonic Nurse is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 8, 2004 by Geffen Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparks (band)</span> American rock and pop band

Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics--often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references--and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. They have been much more successful in Europe than in their native U.S., though they maintain a loyal cult following in the States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Blunt</span> English singer-songwriter

James Blunt is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After leaving the military, he rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the singles "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Harnage</span> Musical artist

Blake Preston Harnage is an American songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He has written, produced, engineered, mixed or performed on songs for Versa, PVRIS, Hands Like Houses, All Time Low, With Beating Hearts, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hands Like Houses</span> Australian rock band

Hands Like Houses are an Australian rock band from Canberra. Formed in 2008, the group is currently signed to Hopeless Records and UNFD. Their debut album, Ground Dweller, was released on 13 March 2012 and charted at number 141 on the Billboard Top 200 and number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. Their second album, Unimagine, was released on 23 July 2013, during their route on Warped Tour. The band's third album, Dissonants was released on 26 February 2016, followed by their fourth, Anon, on 12 October 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 1975</span> English rock band

The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Now based in Manchester, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer George Daniel.

<i>Unimagine</i> 2013 studio album by Hands Like Houses

Unimagine is the second album by Australian post-hardcore band Hands Like Houses, released on 23 July 2013 on Rise Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psycho (Muse song)</span> 2015 single by Muse

"Psycho" is a song by the English rock band Muse from their seventh studio album Drones, released on 12 March 2015 as a promotional single and the first from the album. It was later featured as the B-side to the official lead single later that month, "Dead Inside".

<i>Lifes Not out to Get You</i> 2015 studio album by Neck Deep

Life's Not out to Get You is the second studio album by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep. Following the success of their debut album, Wishful Thinking (2014), the majority of the band members quit their day jobs and vocalist Ben Barlow dropped out of university. Working with Jeremy McKinnon, Andrew Wade and Tom Denney, the band recorded their second album between December 2014 and January 2015. Following recording the band immediately went on tour.

<i>Twelvefour</i> 2015 studio album by The Paper Kites

Twelvefour is the second album by Australian band The Paper Kites, released on 28 August 2015 by Wonderlick Entertainment and Sony Music Australia. The album's release was preceded by lead single "Electric Indigo", released on 19 June 2015. Its video, directed by Matthew J Cox, was released on 13 July. The second single, "Revelator Eyes", followed in September with a video directed by Dan Huiting. "Renegade", the third single, was released along with a video in April 2016.

<i>Outback Worship Sessions</i> 2015 studio album by Planetshakers

Outback Worship Sessions is a studio album from Planetshakers. Planetshakers Ministries International and Integrity Music released the album on May 12, 2015. They worked with Ed Cash, in the production of this album.

<i>Taking One for the Team</i> 2016 studio album by Simple Plan

Taking One for the Team is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Simple Plan. It was released on February 19, 2016 through Atlantic Records and represents the band's first full-length record in nearly five years. Following the release of three buzz singles in mid-2015, the band released "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" featuring American rapper Nelly as the official lead single for the album on October 16, 2015. It debuted at number 4 on the Canadian Albums Chart, earning the band their fourth consecutive top-5 and a perfect streak of top-10s for their first five studio albums. It is the band's final album release as a quintet, as bassist David Desrosiers left Simple Plan in July 2020 due to sexual misconduct allegations. It is also the band's last album released through Atlantic, as the band fulfilled their contract to the label with this album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3Teeth</span> American industrial metal band

3Teeth is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band currently consists of Alexis Mincolla (vocals), Chase Brawner (guitars), Xavier Swafford, Andrew Means, and Nick Rossi (drums). They have currently released three studio albums: their self-titled debut in 2014, <shutdown.exe> in 2017, and Metawar on July 5, 2019, via Century Media Records.

<i>The Black</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Asking Alexandria

The Black is the fourth studio album by British rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 25 March 2016 through Sumerian Records and was produced by Joey Sturgis. It is their only album to feature second lead vocalist Denis Stoff, who replaced original lead vocalist Danny Worsnop. Worsnop returned to the band in October 2016. The album was preceded by the singles "I Won't Give In" released on 26 May 2015, "Undivided" released on 25 September 2015, and the album's eponymous track "The Black" released on 2 February 2016. The first song on the album, "Let It Sleep", was released on 3 March 2016, with a music video for the track being released the following day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavydirtysoul</span> Twenty One Pilots song

"Heavydirtysoul" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fourth studio album Blurryface (2015). It was written by vocalist Tyler Joseph, who derived some of its lyrics from a poem called "Street Poetry" which he had written and published three years earlier. The track was produced by American record producer Ricky Reed and recorded at Serenity West Recording in Hollywood, California. As the opening track of Blurryface, "Heavydirtysoul" acts as the album's introduction, both musically and thematically. The song contains a self-referential statement where Joseph touches on the concept by candidly addressing its music with self-aware lyrics that give away his insecurities.

<i>The Silver Scream</i> 2018 album by Ice Nine Kills

The Silver Scream is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Ice Nine Kills, released on October 5, 2018 by Fearless Records. Much like their previous album where all tracks were inspired by different novels, all the tracks are inspired by horror films. Some examples of the source material are; A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ("Savages"). The album features guest appearances by the band's former singer Jeremy Schwartz, Tony Lovato of Mest, actress Chelsea Talmadge, Randy Strohmeyer of Finch, Buddy Schaub and "JR" Wasilewski of Less Than Jake, Will Salazar of Fenix TX, and Stanley Kubrick's grandson Sam Kubrick of the UK band Shields. The album marked their highest chart positions in the US, debuting at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Hard Rock Albums chart. "A Grave Mistake" became the band's first top ten hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. This is the final album to feature guitarist and vocalist Justin DeBlieck, as well as bassist Justin Morrow, who departed from the band in March 2019 to join Motionless in White.

<i>Anon</i> (album) 2018 album by Hands Like Houses

Anon is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Hands Like Houses, released on 12 October 2018 by UNFD and Hopeless Records. It was produced by Colin Brittain, Mike Green, Alex Prieto, and Erik Ron at Steakhouse Studios in Hollywood.

<i>Bodies</i> (album) 2021 studio album by AFI

Bodies is the eleventh studio album by American rock band AFI. The album was released through Rise Records on June 11, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King (Florence and the Machine song)</span> 2022 single by Florence and the Machine

"King" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Dance Fever (2022). It was written and produced by Florence Welch and Jack Antonoff. The song was released on 23 February 2022.

References

  1. iTunes staff. "Dissonants by Hands Like Houses". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  2. "America's Music Charts". Mediabase. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. Johnson, Mark. "Hands Like Houses: "A bit of a darker side to the next album"". ppcorn.com. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  4. "NEWS: Hands Like Houses announce new album, 'Dissonants', out February 26th 2016!". DEAD PRESS!. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  5. Neil Z. Yeung. "Dissonants - Hands Like Houses, Songs, Reviews, Credits, AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  6. Kesterson, Kristin (26 February 2016). "Album Review: Dissonants by Hands Like Houses". Currently Streaming. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  7. M. J. Rawls. "Hands Like Houses - Dissonants". Mind Equals Blown. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  8. Santhi Tara Weiss. "Hands Like Houses - Dissonants Album Review". Mosh (Hit the Floor0. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  9. Nathaniel Lay. "Album Review: Hands Like Houses - Dissonants". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  10. Ted Darden. "ALBUM REVIEW: HANDS LIKE HOUSES - DISSONANTS". RockRevolt Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  11. Annette Hansen. "Review: Hands Like Houses - Dissonants". Highlight Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  12. Matt Doria. "Review: Hands Like Houses - Dissonants". Blunt Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  13. "AllMusic Review by Neil Z. Yeung". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  14. "Australiancharts.com – Hands Like Houses – Dissonants". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  15. "Hands Like Houses Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.