Background and production
After the release of their seventh studio album, Five Crooked Lines (2015), the band shifted focused on touring and music festival appearances. [4] Drummer Steve Molella, who joined the band in 2013, gradually became a key contributor to the group's studio process. In 2023, the band partnered with Craft Recordings to assemble a comprehensive overview of their career, featuring twelve tracks drawn from their six prior albums and remastered for consistency.
The compilation includes two new recordings — the band's first since 2015. "Together Right" was recorded in Toronto with Molella and co-produced by the group, while "Welcome to the Machine" revisits a longtime live favorite. [5]
Singer Scott Anderson described "Together Right" as "about unity — the bonds between people and how far that bond can extend before it's broken," adding that although the chorus sounds optimistic, "it's really a desperate plea from one party to another asking please stick around, let's go down with this ship together" [6] and telling Heavy Magazine that the release came at "the right moment" for the band to agree on a definitive track list, with guitarist James Black designing the artwork and the group obsessing over song order and mastering choices. [7]
The retrospective also situates Greatest Hits within the band's wider legacy — from their early days as Rainbow Butt Monkeys to platinum success with "Paralyzer" and Juno Awards for Them vs. You vs. Me . [8] [9]
"Together Right" was released on April 25, 2023, coinciding with the announcement of the album, with the single's official music video premiering May 10, 2023 via YouTube. The single achieved radio success in both the United States and Canada, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, [10] and topping the Mediabase Canada Rock chart for six consecutive weeks and becoming one of the country's most-played rock songs of summer 2023. [11] Due to this achievement, the band was honored by the SOCAN with a No. 1 Song Award. [12]
Greatest Hits was released on June 16, 2023, on CD and to digital retailers, followed by a vinyl edition on August 25 — the first time several of the included tracks were issued on vinyl. [5] A limited Blue Smoke pressing was sold via the band's website and Craft Recordings, with an indie-store Yellow Marble variant and a Walmart-exclusive Purple Smoke edition. [3]
To promote the compilation, Finger Eleven launched a North American Greatest Hits Tour through summer and fall 2023, featuring career-spanning setlists and closing encores with "Together Right". [13]
Critical reception
Greatest Hits received generally positive reviews. Spotlight Report praised it as a "tight, well-balanced collection that captures the essence of Finger Eleven's versatility," while calling it "a nice addition for longtime fans." [15] Cryptic Rock described it as "a worthy compilation of some of the band's boldest moments," though noted the omission of certain deep cuts such as "Suffocate". [16]
Critics also noted that the compilation showcases the band's versatility, spanning "cathartic metal and alt-rock balladry to danceable funk, power pop, and beyond." [3]
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