Asking Alexandria is the fifth studio album by English rock band Asking Alexandria.[2] It was released on 15 December 2017 through Sumerian Records. This is their first album since the return of original lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, as well as their first album working with producers Matt Good and Jonathan Davis instead of longtime producer Joey Sturgis. It also marks the group's slight departure from their heavier metalcore roots and towards a more straight forward and melodic hard rock sound.[3] On 27 December 2019, the deluxe version of the album titled LP5 DLX was released.[4]
| Asking Alexandria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 December 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Studio | Good Sounds Studio, Tempe, Arizona, U.S.[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:07 | |||
| Label | Sumerian | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Asking Alexandria chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Asking Alexandria | ||||
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Composition
editStyle
editThis album has been described as hard rock,[5][6][7] metalcore,[1][7] and post-hardcore,[1] with elements of pop.[8]
Release and promotion
editOn 21 September 2017, the band released the lead single "Into the Fire" from the album.[9][10] The band released a second single from the album, entitled "Where Did It Go?", on 25 October 2017.[11] On 25 May 2018, the band released the third single "Alone in a Room" alongside an accompanying lyric video.[12] On 15 December, the band released their fourth single "Vultures" and its corresponding animated music video.[13]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 73/100[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Louder Sound |  [15] |
Asking Alexandria received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 73 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14] AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "Overall, Asking Alexandria is a worthy return from the classic lineup, retaining the best aspects of its past and taking steps into its future. Regardless of a stumble or two, Asking Alexandria is well worth a listen. While The Black was a passable offering at a time when it seemed like it would be a permanent arrangement, this reunion simply feels right."[1]
Michacel Hann at The Guardian stating, "The York quintet are the model of an If-You-Like-This-Sort-of-Thing band – huge, monolithic sheets of sound, precision-tooled to get large crowds putting their hands in the air. The formula is shaken up – a furious Slipknot-esque break is put in the middle of Into the Air; 'Hopelessly Hopeful' and 'When the Lights Come On' dial down the metal and ramp up the pop – but you're never more than a couple of minutes away from some preposterous chorus. It doesn't sound like Def Leppard, but it is reminiscent of that band's willingness to smooth off metal's rough edges and boost the melodies."[8] Louder Sound gave the album a positive review and stated: "Ultimately, then, Asking Alexandria isn't a throwback or a sidestep – it's a whole new animal, and it's gonna need a bigger zoo."[15]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alone in a Room" | Danny Worsnop, Ben Bruce, Matt Good | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Into the Fire" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, James Cassells | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Hopelessly Hopeful" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Where Did It Go?" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Rise Up" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:07 |
| 6. | "When the Lights Come On" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Under Denver" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 4:05 |
| 8. | "Vultures" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Eve" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 3:58 |
| 10. | "I Am One" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Empire" (featuring Bingx) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells, Chanler Hendrickson | 4:16 |
| 12. | "Room 138" | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 3:44 |
| Total length: | 44:07 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Into the Fire" (radio edit) / "Xplicit" (latter starts at 3:30 into the track) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 5:40 |
| Total length: | 49:47 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Into the Fire" (radio edit) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good, Cassells | 3:30 |
| 14. | "Vultures" (rock version) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:26 |
| 15. | "Where Did It Go?" (Hyro the Hero mash-up) | Worsnop, Bruce, Hyron Fenton | 2:17 |
| 16. | "Perfect" (Ed Sheeran cover; live from Sirius XM) | Ed Sheeran | 4:31 |
| 17. | "Rise Up" (original demo) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:19 |
| 18. | "Alone in a Room" (acoustic) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 4:25 |
| 19. | "Alone in a Room" (Dex Luthor remix) | Worsnop, Bruce, Good | 3:17 |
| Total length: | 68:00 | ||
Personnel
editCredits adapted from AllMusic.[1]
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Asking Alexandria
Additional musicians
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Additional personnel
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Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] | 53 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[18] | 53 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] | 71 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 5 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 200 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] | 63 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[23] | 86 |
| US Billboard 200[24] | 27 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Yeung, Neil. "AllMusic Review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria announce album". Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria self-titled album review". Metal Hammer. 6 December 2017.
- ^ a b "ASKING ALEXANDRIA Releases Deluxe Version Of Self-Titled Album". Blabbermouth.net. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Album review altpress". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ "altwire". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Soundboard - Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria album review". Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ a b c Hann, Michael (4 January 2018). "Asking Alexandria: Asking Alexandria review – member-swapping metallers embrace pop". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria release first song since new return". Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria unleash Into the Fire". Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- ^ "AUDIO: Asking Alexandria – Where Did It Go?". Dead Press!. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria release new music video for 'Alone In A Room'". Distorted Sound. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "ASKING ALEXANDRIA Releases Animated Music Video For 'Vultures'". Blabbermouth.net. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ a b Alderslade, Merlin (6 December 2017). "Asking Alexandria - Asking Alexandria album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria new song". Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #452". auspOp. 23 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 25 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ "Asking Alexandria Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2017.