| Reluctant Hero | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2020 | |||
| Studio | Hybrid Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:42 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Josh Wilbur | |||
| Killer Be Killed chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Reluctant Hero | ||||
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Reluctant Hero is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Killer Be Killed. It was released on November 20, 2020, by Nuclear Blast. [1]
The band began writing the album in 2016, before going to Hybrid Studios in California in 2018 to record the music. They then finished recording the vocals in 2019. [2]
In an interview, guitarist Max Cavalera discussed the origins of the album cover:
"I'm really happy with how it came out, because I wasn't happy with the first one. I have a lot of these National Geographic magazines at home, and one had a story about haunted places in America. One of them was this cemetery in Cleveland, which has this really cool statue of an angel with a sword. I thought it would look so badass on an album cover — it almost looks like black metal — so I suggested to our label to find someone to go over and take a picture of the statue." [3]
On September 4, 2020, Killer Be Killed announced the release of the album, along with the first single "Deconstructing Self-Construction". [1]
The second single "Dream Gone Bad" was released on October 13, 2020. [4]
On November 6, 2020, the third single "Inner Calm from Outer Storms" was released. [5] In a press release, bass guitarist Troy Sanders said the single is "about having the ability to sense a distant or unseen target. It explores a journey of reckless abandon where the destination may, or may not, actually exist." [6] The single also featured on Consequence of Sound's Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Songs of 2020. [7]
The fourth single, "From a Crowded Wound", was released on November 20, 2020, the same day as the album release. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 [9] |
| Kerrang! |   [10] |
| Louder Sound | [11] |
| Spectrum Culture | 75% [12] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.2/5 [13] |
Reluctant Hero was met with generally favorable reviews from critics. Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 78 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of six reviews. [14]
Max Heilman of Exclaim! said the songs on the release are "elevating poppy ideas with explosive, multilayered musicality and hard-hitting emotion. Reluctant Hero proves metal can be catchy without being stupid." [9]
| Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 30 Metal/Hard Rock Albums of 2020 | 21 | [15] |
| Kerrang! | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 22 | [16] |
| Loudwire | Top 70 Rock/Metal Albums of 2020 | N/A | [17] |
| Revolver | Top 25 Albums of 2020 | 9 | [18] |
All tracks are written by Killer Be Killed
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deconstructing Self-Destruction" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Dream Gone Bad" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Left of Center" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Inner Calm from Outer Storms" | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Filthy Vagabond" | 3:48 |
| 6. | "From a Crowded Wound" | 7:11 |
| 7. | "The Great Purge" | 4:13 |
| 8. | "Comfort from Nothing" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Animus" | 1:08 |
| 10. | "Dead Limbs" | 4:48 |
| 11. | "Reluctant Hero" | 6:05 |
Killer Be Killed
Additional personnel
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [19] | 45 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [20] | 46 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [21] | 52 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [22] | 35 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [23] | 69 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [24] | 16 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [25] | 47 |
Around the Fur is the second studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on October 28, 1997, by Maverick Records. The songs "My Own Summer " and "Be Quiet and Drive " were released as singles with accompanying music videos. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in 1999, and was later certified platinum in 2011.
Soulfly is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly, released on April 21, 1998, through Roadrunner Records. The record was released in memory of frontman Max Cavalera's deceased stepson and was the first album featuring Cavalera since leaving Sepultura two years prior. Soulfly has been certified gold by the RIAA.
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure in 1996. He currently plays in the heavy metal bands Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, Killer Be Killed and Go Ahead and Die. Cavalera was also involved in a short-lived side project called Nailbomb.
Prophecy is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly, released in 2004. It is noteworthy for three guest artists – the completely different line-up for the album apart from leader Max Cavalera, the world music influence from a stint that Cavalera spent in Serbia, and explicit spirituality themes on the album. The album has gone on to sell over 275,000 copies.
The untitled seventh studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, titled Rammstein on digital platforms and on CD-Text enabled devices, was released on 17 May 2019 through Universal Music. Their first studio album in ten years, it is their first not to be produced by Jacob Hellner; it was instead produced by Emigrate guitarist Olsen Involtini, who also serves as Rammstein's live sound engineer.
Troy Jayson Sanders is an American musician, best known as a member of heavy metal band Mastodon, in which he plays bass and sings alongside Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor. He is also active in the supergroups Killer Be Killed and Gone Is Gone and is the current touring bassist for rock band Thin Lizzy.
Inflikted is the debut studio album from Cavalera Conspiracy, the Cavalera brothers' first record together in 12 years - since the release of Roots by Sepultura in 1996.
Conquer is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly. It saw official release on July 23, 2008, in Australia, although the album had leaked early onto file-sharing networks. It was released on July 29, 2008, in Canada and the United States and debuted at #66 on the U.S. Billboard 200 — Soulfly's highest Billboard peak since their 2002 release, 3.
Savages is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly, released on September 30, 2013. The album is the first to feature drummer Zyon Cavalera, frontman Max's son, in a full-time capacity after the departure of David Kinkade in 2012. The first single from the album, "Bloodshed" featuring Max's other son Igor, debuted on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show on August 6, 2013.
Killer Be Killed is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in early 2011. The lineup also features Mastodon bassist and co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge drummer Ben Koller. The band had slowly been working on material before announcing its name in October 2013, along with their signing to Nuclear Blast. The group's self-titled debut record was released in 2014. In September 2020, the group returned with a new single, and released their second album Reluctant Hero in November of that year.
Killer Be Killed is the debut studio album by American heavy metal supergroup Killer Be Killed featuring Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan, Max Cavalera of Soulfly/ex-Sepultura, Troy Sanders of Mastodon, and Dave Elitch of the Mars Volta. It was recorded in September 2013 at Fortress Studio in Los Angeles and released May 9, 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album reached No. 58 on the U.S. Billboard 200 during its first week of release and sold around 5,500 copies.
Ritual is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Soulfly, released on October 19, 2018, through Nuclear Blast. It is the third Soulfly album with Max Cavalera's son Zyon behind the drum kit, and the last album to feature lead guitarist Marc Rizzo, and features musical guests Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Ross Dolan of Immolation, and Mark Damon of The Pretty Reckless. Four singles were released from the album—"Evil Empowered", title track "Ritual", "Dead Behind the Eyes", and "Under Rapture".
Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.
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Weight of the False Self is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Hatebreed. The album was released on November 27, 2020, through Nuclear Blast.
Ohms is the ninth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on September 25, 2020, through Reprise Records. The album was produced by Terry Date, making it their first collaboration since the unreleased Eros and the final with bassist Sergio Vega who departed from the band in early 2021. The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Ohms" and "Genesis". The song "Ceremony" was later released as a single. Ohms received acclaim from critics. The opening track Genesis was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and the closing track and title track Ohms was nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
For Those That Wish to Exist is the ninth studio album by British metalcore band Architects. It was released on 26 February 2021 through Epitaph Records. The album was produced by Dan Searle and Josh Middleton.
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Totem is the twelfth studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly. It was released on August 5, 2022, by Nuclear Blast. It is also the first album since 2002 to not feature long running lead guitarist Marc Rizzo who parted ways with the band in 2021. The album's producer Arthur Rizk, John Powers and Chris Ulsh contributed guitar solos.
