Speaker of the Dead
Encyclopedia
Speaker of the Dead is the fourth studio album by deathcore
band Emmure
, released on February 15, 2011. It is the first release ever by the band to have a gap more than just a year between their last release and is also the first album by them to be produced by Joey Sturgis
. Speaker of the Dead maintained positive reviews and was praised primarily by fans of Emmure's debut album Goodbye to the Gallows
as to where the sound on Speaker of the Dead draws close to the record than any other release that they have made, according to the band. It was the second and last album to feature drummer Mike Kaabe on drums after he was fired from the band in October 2011.
released a 41 second teaser on YouTube
which displayed the album's official artwork, as well as giving a preview of "Children of Cybertron", the intro track off of the album. On January 18, 2011, the first single
, "Demons with Ryu", was released on iTunes
and Amazon MP3
. On February 9, 2011, a music video was made and released for the song "Solar Flare Homicide". At the release, Speaker of the Dead debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200, No. 18 on the Rock Albums chart, No. 4 on the Hard Rock Albums chart, and No. 11 on the Independent Albums chart.
) were met with mixed to negative reaction, many critics believe that Speaker of the Dead is Emmure's "redemption" and "solidifies their future as a band." Fans of the band have also warmly received the album.
Amongst the positive reviews, AudioOpinions.net gave the album a score of 9.5/10 and have said that "Emmure keeps their heavy sound while incorporating new elements, and Speaker of the Dead is the album fans have been waiting for." Peter Gorgui of ReviewRinseRepeat.com wrote a negative review of the album calling Speaker of the Dead a "failure" and describing the album's content as "boring" and "desperate". Gorgui did, however, praise the production done on the album by Joey Sturgis
, saying Sturgis gave the album "a crunchy and crisp sound."
Production
Deathcore
Deathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...
band Emmure
Emmure
Emmure is an American band formed in 2003, originally based in Connecticut, but now residing in Queens, New York. The group has a total of seven releases...
, released on February 15, 2011. It is the first release ever by the band to have a gap more than just a year between their last release and is also the first album by them to be produced by Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Joey Sturgis started recording in 2004. Foundation Recording Studio managed by Rise Records founder Craig Ericson...
. Speaker of the Dead maintained positive reviews and was praised primarily by fans of Emmure's debut album Goodbye to the Gallows
Goodbye to the Gallows
-Notes:*According to archived album art, "Rusted Over Wet Dreams" was originally called "Scorpios With Black Names Are Bad News." The reason for this name change is unknown.*Track 6, titled "Travis Bickle" is a reference to the Martin Scorsese film "Taxi Driver"....
as to where the sound on Speaker of the Dead draws close to the record than any other release that they have made, according to the band. It was the second and last album to feature drummer Mike Kaabe on drums after he was fired from the band in October 2011.
Background
On January 7, 2011, Victory RecordsVictory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
released a 41 second teaser on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
which displayed the album's official artwork, as well as giving a preview of "Children of Cybertron", the intro track off of the album. On January 18, 2011, the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Demons with Ryu", was released on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and Amazon MP3
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. On February 9, 2011, a music video was made and released for the song "Solar Flare Homicide". At the release, Speaker of the Dead debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200, No. 18 on the Rock Albums chart, No. 4 on the Hard Rock Albums chart, and No. 11 on the Independent Albums chart.
Reception
Speaker of the Dead has been met mostly with positive reviews. After Emmure's past two albums (The Respect Issue and FelonyFelony (album)
Felony is the third full-length album by deathcore band Emmure under the Victory Records label. It was released on August 18th, 2009. The album debuted at #60 on the Billboard Top 200 selling roughly 8,000 copies in its first week...
) were met with mixed to negative reaction, many critics believe that Speaker of the Dead is Emmure's "redemption" and "solidifies their future as a band." Fans of the band have also warmly received the album.
Amongst the positive reviews, AudioOpinions.net gave the album a score of 9.5/10 and have said that "Emmure keeps their heavy sound while incorporating new elements, and Speaker of the Dead is the album fans have been waiting for." Peter Gorgui of ReviewRinseRepeat.com wrote a negative review of the album calling Speaker of the Dead a "failure" and describing the album's content as "boring" and "desperate". Gorgui did, however, praise the production done on the album by Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis
Joey Sturgis is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Joey Sturgis started recording in 2004. Foundation Recording Studio managed by Rise Records founder Craig Ericson...
, saying Sturgis gave the album "a crunchy and crisp sound."
Track listing
Personnel
Emmure- Mark Davis – bass guitar
- Mike Kaabe – drums
- Jesse Ketive – guitar
- Mike Mulholland – guitar
- Frankie Palmeri – vocals
Production
- Joey SturgisJoey SturgisJoey Sturgis is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Joey Sturgis started recording in 2004. Foundation Recording Studio managed by Rise Records founder Craig Ericson...
- producer, mastering, mixing, engineering - Nick Sampson - vocal editing
- Taylor Voeltz - vocal producer
- We Are Synapse - album artwork