Volcano (Gatsbys American Dream album)
Encyclopedia
Volcano is the fourth album by Gatsbys American Dream
. The album is also known by the full title printed on the cover, Gatsbys American Dream and the Volcano.
After recording the album In the Land of Lost Monsters
in 2004, the band began looking for a new record label. Gatsbys was approached by Fearless Records
, and quickly began work on the album Volcano. Volcano was produced by Casey Bates
and Tom Pfaeffle and was recorded at The Tank Studio, where In the Land of Lost Monsters was also recorded.
To date, Volcano is Gatsbys' most significant album, and, as a concept album, the most thematically-focused. It revolves around the theme of humans emotions and their similarities to a volcano. Elaborating on this theme, the album explores the story of Pompeii
, the ancient Roman city that was both lost to and preserved by a volcanic eruption.
The song "Theatre", is used in the EA Sports
game NHL 2007.
The bonus CD was mailed to all who preordered the Volcano CD in 2005
But we were too close to finishing and we didn't have the luxury of spending time with the remix to see how we felt about it after a week of listening (which is very important, because you might like something right off the bat, but not like it a week later), so we stayed with the version that made the album. Which is a lot of people's favorite track on the record, so we don't regret at all not putting the remix version on, volcano is still volcano, and it's cool to hear an alternate version of one of the songs. love you all."
Gatsbys American Dream
Gatsbys American Dream is a Seattle-based indie rock band. Since their founding in 2002, they have released four full-length albums and one EP. They have also appeared on several compilations with original songs and covers. Gatsbys American Dream drew their name from F...
. The album is also known by the full title printed on the cover, Gatsbys American Dream and the Volcano.
After recording the album In the Land of Lost Monsters
In the Land of Lost Monsters
In the Land of Lost Monsters is an EP by Gatsbys American Dream released in 2004. After their second release Ribbons and Sugar, the band grew rapidly in popularity with their fans, but not with record labels...
in 2004, the band began looking for a new record label. Gatsbys was approached by Fearless Records
Fearless Records
Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
, and quickly began work on the album Volcano. Volcano was produced by Casey Bates
Casey Bates
Casey Bates is a Seattle based music producer, mixer, and musician. He has recorded his own music and worked with several artists on record labels such as Fearless, Fueled by Ramen, Equal Vision Records, and Eyeball Records...
and Tom Pfaeffle and was recorded at The Tank Studio, where In the Land of Lost Monsters was also recorded.
To date, Volcano is Gatsbys' most significant album, and, as a concept album, the most thematically-focused. It revolves around the theme of humans emotions and their similarities to a volcano. Elaborating on this theme, the album explores the story of Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, the ancient Roman city that was both lost to and preserved by a volcanic eruption.
The song "Theatre", is used in the EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
game NHL 2007.
Track listing
- "Theatre" – 2:50
- "Pompeii" – 1:53
- "The Guilt Engine" – 2:48
- "A Mind of Metal and Wheels" – 2:02
- "Fable" – 2:42
- "The Giant's Drink" – 3:13
- "Shhhhhh! I'm Listening to Reason" – 3:53
- "Meet Me at the Tavern in Bowerstone" – 0:28
- "Your Only Escape" – 2:26
- "The Hunter" – 1:49
- "Speaker for the Dead" – 3:38
- "The Badlands" – 2:46
- "The Loosing of the Shadow" – 2:36
Bonus CD Track Listing
- "The Guilt Engine (Remix)" - 3:09
- "Acoustic Vox" - 2:00
- "Theater Demo" - 3:09
- "Pompeii Demo" - 1:51
- "Killer Clown Demo" - 2:54
- "Shhhhhh! I'm Listening To Reason (Live)" - 3:04
The bonus CD was mailed to all who preordered the Volcano CD in 2005
Bobby Darling on "The Guilt Engine Remix"
"Guilt Engine was originally a minute longer than the remix version. It got cut and cut and cut until we got the album version. Then when we were getting close to finishing the record I threw a temper tantrum and said we had to "remix" it, and guilt engine remix is what came out.But we were too close to finishing and we didn't have the luxury of spending time with the remix to see how we felt about it after a week of listening (which is very important, because you might like something right off the bat, but not like it a week later), so we stayed with the version that made the album. Which is a lot of people's favorite track on the record, so we don't regret at all not putting the remix version on, volcano is still volcano, and it's cool to hear an alternate version of one of the songs. love you all."
Allusions
- The song name "A Mind of Metal and Wheels" comes from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, wherein Saruman is described as possessing "a mind of metal and wheels" by Treebeard, leader of the EntEntEnts are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
s. - Track number 5 (Fable) is based on the William GoldingWilliam GoldingSir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...
novel The Lord of The Flies - The song "The Giant's Drink" is based on the Orson Scott CardOrson Scott CardOrson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
novel Ender's GameEnder's GameEnder's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
. - The song "Shhhhhh! I'm Listening to Reason" alludes to a quote from the film Pee-Wee's Big AdventurePee-wee's Big AdventurePee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his full-length debut and starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. Reubens also co-wrote the script with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane...
. - The song "Meet Me At The Tavern In Bowerstone" is based on the XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
/PC game FableFable (video game)Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
. - "Your Only Escape" is about Interview with a Vampire.
- The song "Speaker for the Dead" is also a reference to an Orson Scott Card novel of the same name.
- Many of the lyrics from "The Badlands" are taken from The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
series. - The song "The Loosing of the Shadow" is from the Ursula K. LeGuin novel A Wizard of EarthseaA Wizard of EarthseaA Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K. Le Guin and set in the fantasy world archipelago of Earthsea depicting the adventures of a budding young wizard named Ged...
Band members
- Nic Newsham - vocals
- Bobby Darling - guitars, vocals, assistant production
- Rudy Gajadhar - drums
- Kirk Huffman - bass, vocals
Other contributors
- Ryan Van Wieringen - Ryan, although not a part of the band at the time, can be heard in track 12 singing "Hear you coming"
- Casey BatesCasey BatesCasey Bates is a Seattle based music producer, mixer, and musician. He has recorded his own music and worked with several artists on record labels such as Fearless, Fueled by Ramen, Equal Vision Records, and Eyeball Records...
- Production, Engineering, Mixing, Additional Instrumentation and Vocals - Tom Pfaeffle - Production, Engineering, Mixing, Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Ed Brooks - Mastering
- Mike Kaminsky - Management
- Troy Brock - Graphic Design
- Jeremy Kirby - Graphic Design
- Adam Brock - Illustration
- Dan Young - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Paul Benson - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Kenny Choi - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Kaylan Cloyd - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Shane Tutmarc - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Mark Gajadhar - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Kyle SBL - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Jeremy Kirby - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals
- Andrew DeAnda - Additional Instrumentation and Vocals