FVEY | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 August 2014 | |||
Recorded | York Street Studio, Auckland, New Zealand | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:34 | |||
Label | Roadrunner, Warner | |||
Producer | Jaz Coleman | |||
Shihad chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from FVEY | ||||
|
FVEY (pronounced Five Eyes) is the ninth studio album by New Zealand alternative rock band Shihad, released on 8 August 2014. [2] The album debuted at number one on the New Zealand albums chart, making it Shihad's fifth New Zealand number one album. The chart position also makes Shihad the only New Zealand band to have five number one albums, tying them with solo artist Hayley Westenra who also has five number one albums. [3]
The album name is a reference to "Five Eyes", often abbreviated as FVEY, an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
For the production of their ninth studio album, Shihad worked with Jaz Coleman, of English post-punk band Killing Joke. Coleman produced Shihad's debut album, Churn , but a disagreement with the band occurred after the release of the album. Following a 15-year period in which Coleman and Shihad did not communicate, Coleman made amends with the band members at a London, UK awards ceremony. [4] Toogood explained in June 2014:
Three years ago we were at the Metal Hammer awards. I hadn't talked to Jaz for ages. We'd had a falling out, I just didn't have time for him. Tom [Larkin] went and chatted to him and was like, "come over and talk to him". I was like, "Fuck that guy". But he was softer—he doesn't drink alcohol anymore. He's still gnarly and idealistic and brutal but minus the alcohol that makes him this focused machine. It was just the perfect meeting of what we wanted to do and having the right guy to do it with. [5]
Toogood explained that the entirety of the ninth album was recorded live, while Coleman conducted, and the band members were forced to focus entirely on each song as they were recorded, without outside distractions, such as mobile phones. [5]
FVEY was released on 8 August 2014 on the Warner Music New Zealand label. [6] The first single, "Think You're So Free", was described by Australia's Double J radio station as sounding "more furious now than they ever have" and the music video for the song was published on YouTube on 5 July 2014. [7] [8] Prior to the release of the album, Toogood explained that anger towards social injustice was a primary motivation during the songwriting process, stating: "I don't have any answers but just as a concerned citizen, I'm going, 'This is bullshit'. The music's how we feel about that. It's fucking frustrating." Musically, the band chose a heavier sound, signifying a return to the first album, which the band found most enjoyable to play during their greatest hits tour. [5]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metro | [9] |
The Music | [10] |
The New Zealand Herald | [11] |
Renowned for Sound | [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
FVEY received mostly positive reviews. Chris Schulz of The New Zealand Herald praised the intensity of the album, stating "They've just made the angriest album of their career - and it's a work of beauty." [11]
All tracks are written by Shihad [14] .
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Think You're So Free" | 4:07 |
2. | "FVEY" | 5:31 |
3. | "The Big Lie" | 5:18 |
4. | "Grey Area" | 3:02 |
5. | "The Living Dead" | 4:47 |
6. | "Song for No One" | 3:54 |
7. | "The Great Divide" | 6:38 |
8. | "Model Citizen" | 3:33 |
9. | "Wasted In the West" | 3:11 |
10. | "Loves Long Shadow" | 4:50 |
11. | "Cheap As" | 7:43 |
Total length: | 52:34 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "The Reason Why" | 5:44 |
13. | "Dark Secret" | 4:53 |
14. | "All Right Here" | 4:18 |
15. | "Funeral Dance" | 6:09 |
Total length: | 73:38 |
Shihad
Art and design
| Production and recording
|
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] | 9 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [16] | 1 |
Chart (2014) | Position |
---|---|
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [17] | 29 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ) [18] | Gold | 7,500^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide, making it one of the fastest selling albums in her country's history.
The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
Killing Joke are an English rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (bass).
Shihad are a rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1988. The band consists of founders Tom Larkin, Phil Knight and Jon Toogood, who were joined by Karl Kippenberger in 1991. The band were known as Pacifier between 2002 and 2004.
Jonathan Charles Toogood is the frontman of the New Zealand rock band Shihad. He formed the band in 1988 with fellow Wellingtonian Tom Larkin. Toogood and Larkin met as teenage fans of AC/DC and Metallica.
Tom Larkin is a founding member of the New Zealand band Shihad, band manager, and music producer. He grew up in Wellington, New Zealand but now lives in Melbourne in Australia. He is often mentioned as one of the greatest hard rock drummers that New Zealand has ever produced.
Malcolm Welsford is a New Zealand Record Producer and is best known for his work with Shihad, The Feelers and Supergroove.
Killjoy is the second full-length album released by New Zealand rock band Shihad. This album was released in May 1995.
Pacifier is the fifth studio album released by New Zealand band, Shihad.
Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012).
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is an English singer and musician. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of post-punk group Killing Joke.
Head Like a Hole is a rock band from Wellington, New Zealand. The group is named after the Nine Inch Nails song of the same name.
Beautiful Machine is the seventh studio album by Shihad and was released on 21 April 2008 in New Zealand and 17 May 2008 in Australia.
Ignite is the eighth studio album by Shihad and was released on 20 September 2010 in New Zealand and 24 September 2010 in Australia. Ignite debuted at number one on the New Zealand Music Chart, eventually achieving gold sales there.
Julia Mary Deans is a New Zealand singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of rock band Fur Patrol.
The Adults is a "collaborative name" used for two different recording projects led by New Zealand musician and Shihad frontman Jon Toogood. The first iteration of the Adults was a New Zealand rock supergroup that released a self-titled album in 2011. In 2018 a completely different set of musicians performed on Haja, an album that blended Aghani Al-Banat with New Zealand hip hop.
The Official New Zealand Music Chart is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ. The Music Chart also includes the top-20 New Zealand artist singles and albums and top 10 compilation albums. All charts are compiled from data of both physical and digital sales from music retailers in New Zealand.
The discography of Shihad, a New Zealand rock band, consists of ten studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, eight EPs, 36 singles and 40 music videos.
"Dogs Are Talking" is a song by Australian hard rock band the Angels, released in April 1990 as the second single from The Angels ninth studio album Beyond Salvation. The flipside featured tracks from bands who would be touring in support slots in both Australia and New Zealand, The Hurricanes, Baby Animals and The Desert Cats for Australia and Nine Livez and Shihad for New Zealand.
Old Gods is the tenth studio album by New Zealand alternative rock band Shihad, released on 8 October 2021. The album debuted at number one in New Zealand.