Rheia (album)

Last updated
Rheia
Oathbreaker - Rheia.jpg
Studio album by
Oathbreaker
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2016 (2016-09-30)
RecordedApril 2016 [1]
StudioAtomic Garden Studio [1]
(East Palo Alto, California)
Genre
Length63:22
Label Deathwish
Producer Jack Shirley, Oathbreaker
Oathbreaker chronology
Eros|Anteros
(2013)		Rheia
(2016)

Rheia is the third studio album by Belgian metal band Oathbreaker. The album was produced by Jack Shirley and released through independent record label Deathwish Inc. on September 30, 2016. [5] Oathbreaker toured internationally in support of Rheia from September until December with Skeletonwitch and Iron Reagan. [6] The title references Rhea, mother goddess in Greek mythology.

Contents

Background

Following 2013's Eros/Anteros , the band's first release to feature clean vocals, Oathbreaker decided to continue the mix of clean and harsh vocals on their next album, making sure to "not sound like a Nightwish cover band." Rheia was recorded in San Francisco with producer Jack Shirley, who was known for his work with bands like Deafheaven and Loma Prieta. [7] The band also wanted the album to sound less dark and aggressive than its predecessor. [8] "Stay Here/Accroche-Moi" was the final song to be recorded. [9]

Lead vocalist Caro Tanghe said that her lyrics for Rheia were the most direct that she had written, which was inspired by her boyfriend and bandmate Gilles Demolder encouraging her to open up more. [8] Both Tanghe and Demolder stated that singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek was the main influence on Rheia's lyrics, which tackle subjects ranging from the death of Tanghe's grandmother to her strained personal relationships to her estranged parents. [7] [8]

The album's cover art depicts Tanghe and Demolder's hands joined together with burning candle wax as it reacts to cold water. [7] [9]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [10]
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim! 8/10 [11]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [2]
PopMatters 6/10 [12]
Sputnikmusic3.8/5 [13]

Rheia was well received by music critics upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10] Exclaim! 's Natalie Zina Walschots thought that the band has released "a vast and complex record that doesn't just react toward but actively embraces the aesthetics of doom and sludge." [11] Andy O'Conor of Pitchfork said of the album: "While still fairly beholden to black metal, Rheia shares a core ideal with Cobalt's Slow Forever and Deafheaven's New Bermuda : They broke out of black metal's stylistic confines, using it as a launching pad more than a set of totalitarian marching orders, and in the process became emotive, powerful metal albums." [2] PopMatters critic Chris Conaton described the record as "wonderful in terms of contrasting black metal fury with quieter moments," but thought that the songwriting lags behind the atmosphere." [12] Sputnikmusic staff critic Tristan Jones described the album as "a swan song," writing that the record "demonstrates the band's evident progress instrumentally and vocally and [Jack] Shirley's influence takes them to new heights, and chasmic lows." [13]

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeRank
Treble [14] USThe Top 50 Albums of 201650
Consequence of Sound [15] USThe Top 10 Metal Albums of 20169
Terrorizer [16] UKAlbums Of The Year 20163
Noisey [17] USThe 100 Best Albums of 201620

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Oathbreaker. [1]

No.TitleLength
1."10:56"2:11
2."Second Son of R."5:55
3."Being Able to Feel Nothing"7:08
4."Stay Here / Accroche-Moi"5:12
5."Needles in Your Skin"7:14
6."Immortals"8:52
7."I'm Sorry, This Is"4:14
8."Where I Live"7:01
9."Where I Leave"8:52
10."Begeerte"6:43

Personnel

Rheia personnel adapted from CD liner notes. [1]

Oathbreaker

Additional musicians

Production

Artwork

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [18] 104

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deathwish Inc.</span> American independent record label

Deathwish, Inc. is an American independent record label conceived by Jacob Bannon of Converge and Tre McCarthy in 2000. Their first release was Deeper the Wound, a split album between Converge and Japanese band Hellchild on April 23, 2001. Deathwish established itself quickly, working with a diverse group of bands and eventually becoming one of the most respected and innovative labels in contemporary hardcore punk and aggressive music in general.

Gouge Away is an American hardcore punk band based in Florida that formed in 2012. The band is influenced by post-hardcore and noise rock bands such as The Pixies, the Jesus Lizard, Fugazi, Unwound, the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and Nirvana. Gouge Away released its debut album , Dies in 2016 to underground acclaim, and released its second album Burnt Sugar through Deathwish Inc. in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deafheaven</span> American black metal band

Deafheaven is an American post-metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released a demo album together. Following its release, Deafheaven recruited three new members and began to tour. Before the end of 2010, the band signed to Deathwish Inc. and later released their debut album Roads to Judah, in April 2011. They popularized a unique style blending black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock, among other influences, later called "blackgaze" by reviewers.

<i>Roads to Judah</i> 2011 studio album by Deafheaven

Roads to Judah is the debut studio album by the American blackgaze band Deafheaven. The album was released by Deathwish Inc. on April 26, 2011. Roads to Judah was recorded in four days between December 2010 and January 2011.

<i>Sunbather</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Deafheaven

Sunbather is the second studio album by the American metal band Deafheaven. After the release of their debut record Roads to Judah, the then two piece group consisting of George Clarke and Kerry McCoy began work on Sunbather under the label Deathwish and recorded in several days in January 2013. The recording process brought a third member into the fold with drummer Dan Tracy who would go on to become a permanent fixture of the band. The album was recorded in The Atomic Garden Recording Studio, owned by Jack Shirley who had been a long time producer of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untitled Deafheaven demo</span> 2010 EP (demo) by Deafheaven

The untitled demo by the American black metal band Deafheaven was self-released by the band on June 1, 2010. The demo would later be remastered/re-released as an EP in 2012 through Sargent House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerry McCoy (musician)</span> American guitarist (born 1988)

Kerry Dylan McCoy is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of San Francisco–based blackgaze band Deafheaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whores (band)</span> American noise rock band

Whores is an American noise rock/sludge metal band based in Atlanta, Georgia. It currently consists of vocalist and guitarist Christian Lembach, bass guitarist Casey Maxwell and drummer Douglas Jennings Barrett. The band has released two records through Brutal Panda Records and is known for its "intensely cathartic live shows".

<i>Clean</i> (Whores EP) 2013 EP by Whores.

Clean is the second EP release by American noise rock band Whores. It was released on October 29, 2013, via Brutal Panda Records. The EP was produced and mixed by Ryan Boesch, who is known for his engineering work for acts such as Melvins, Helmet and Foo Fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amenra</span> Belgian metal band

Amenra is a Belgian post-metal band from Kortrijk. It was formed in 1999 by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, who now perform alongside drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Tim De Gieter. Among a number of other works, they have released six studio albums in the Mass series, the latest of them through Neurot Recordings. The band's sixth album De Doorn debuted at No. 3 in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackgaze</span> Fusion genre of black metal and shoegaze

Blackgaze is a fusion genre combining elements of black metal and shoegaze. The word is a blend of the names of the two genres, described by The Guardian as "the buzz term for a new school of bands taking black metal out of the shadows and melding its blast beats, dungeon wailing and razorwire guitars with the more reflective melodies of post-rock, shoegaze and post-hardcore." According to Exclaim!, blackgaze "marries the harsh, alien instrumentation of black metal with the mellower, dreamy soundscapes of shoegaze."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frameworks (band)</span> American post-hardcore band

Frameworks are an American post-hardcore band from Gainesville, Florida that formed in 2011. The band released its debut album, Loom, thorough Topshelf Records in 2014 before signing to Deathwish Inc. for its second studio album, Smother, released on July 8, 2016.

Oathbreaker is a Belgian band from Flanders, formed in 2008 and currently signed to Deathwish Inc. The band consists of guitarists Lennart Bossu and Gilles Demolder, drummer Wim Coppers, and vocalist Caro Tanghe who performs both screamed and sung vocals. They are a part of Church of Ra, an artistic collective started by Amenra, a band of which Lennart and Caro are also members. Like Amenra, Oathbreaker emerged from the Belgian underground hardcore punk scene but integrated extreme metal and art music aesthetics.

Bosse-de-Nage is an American band from San Francisco, California, United States, composed of four anonymous members. Considered a part of the blackgaze scene, the band performs an experimental black metal style that draws from post-rock, shoegaze, post-hardcore, screamo, and indie rock, with influences from Slint, Mogwai, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. AllMusic critic Gregory Heaney wrote that the band "crafts a sound that's as comfortable expanding outward as it is contracting into a suffocating mass of needling guitars and frantic drumming." The band's lyrics touch upon various subjects, such as sex, filth, bodies, perversion, and death. Their name is taken from French symbolist Alfred Jarry's book The Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician; it is the name of a monkey which may or may not have been a hallucination of the narrator.

Jack Shirley is an American record producer, audio engineer and musician. He is known for his analog driven aesthetic, and work with eclectic artists, including Deafheaven, whose 2013 sophomore album Sunbather received widespread critical acclaim. Shirley also worked with various other music acts, including Jeff Rosenstock, Loma Prieta, Bosse-de-Nage, Punch, Whirr, Shinobu, La Bella, State Faults and Frameworks. Besides his production work, he plays guitar for the bands Comadre and Everybody Row.

<i>Eros/Anteros</i> 2013 studio album by Oathbreaker

Eros|Anteros is the second studio album by Belgian band Oathbreaker. It was released on 16 July 2013 by Deathwish Inc. The album has been praised for successfully mixing diverse genres including black metal, hardcore punk and shoegazing. The title references Eros and Anteros, gods of love in Greek mythology.

Super Unison was an American post-hardcore band that formed in 2014. The band's name was derived from the song of the same name released on 90s post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu's second studio album Yank Crime. Vocalist Meghan O'Neil Pennie describes the band's early material as "a weird intersection of Dischord Records and riot grrrl." The band has self-released an EP and released their debut studio album Auto through Deathwish Inc. in 2016. The band announced their dissolution in September of 2019.

<i>Infinite Granite</i> 2021 studio album by Deafheaven

Infinite Granite is the fifth studio album by American band Deafheaven, released on August 20, 2021, through Sargent House. The album represents a dramatic departure from the black metal influences of the band's previous albums, and a shift toward a shoegaze style with mostly clean vocals from frontman George Clarke.

<i>10 Years Gone</i> 2020 live album by Deafheaven

10 Years Gone is a live album by blackgaze / post-metal band Deafheaven. It was recorded live-in-studio at The Atomic Garden Studio East in Oakland, California, and released on December 4, 2020, through Sargent House.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rheia (CD gatefold). Oathbreaker. Deathwish Inc. 2016. DW196.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Andy, O'Connor (October 4, 2016). "Oathbreaker: Rheia Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Oathbreaker releasing 'Rheia,' streaming "Needles In Your Skin"".
  4. ↑ Kennelty, Greg (September 27, 2016). "Oathbreaker Is Streaming Its Blast-Heavy, Shoegazey New Album Rheia". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  5. ↑ Gotrich, Lars (August 17, 2016). "Songs We Love: Oathbreaker, '10:56 / Second Son of R.'". NPR . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Kim (September 26, 2016). "Oathbreaker's Game-Changing New Album, 'Rheia,' Will Rip Your Heart Out". Noisey . Vice . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Unpredictable & Audacious: Our Interview With Oathbreaker". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  8. 1 2 3 Yanick, Joe (2016-12-12). "Oathbreaker Focus on the Pain, the Only Thing That's Real". CLRVYNT. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  9. 1 2 "Caro Tanghe and Gilles Demolder from Oathbreaker". Echoes And Dust. 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  10. 1 2 "Reviews for Rheia by Oathbreaker". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Walschots, Natalie Zina (September 28, 2016). "Oathbreaker: Rheia". Exclaim! . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Conaton, Chris (October 19, 2016). "Oathbreaker: Rheia". PopMatters . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Jones, Tristan (October 2, 2016). "Review: Oathbreaker - Rheia". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  14. ↑ Treble Staff (December 7, 2016). "The Top 50 Albums of 2016". Treble. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  15. ↑ Barry, Sean; Hadusek, Jon (November 29, 2016). "The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  16. ↑ Whelan, Kez (December 8, 2016). "Albums Of The Year 2016". Terrorizer . Dark Arts Ltd. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  17. ↑ Noisey Staff (December 6, 2016). "The 100 Best Albums of 2016". Noisey . Vice . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Oathbreaker – Rheia" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.