Until We Have Faces
Encyclopedia
Until We Have Faces is the third full-length studio album
from American Christian rock
band Red
. It was released on February 1, 2011 and is the first album the band released with four members, due to the absence of Jasen Rauch (although Rauch still contributes song-writing). It is named for C. S. Lewis's novel Till We Have Faces
.
"Watch You Crawl" featured in the 2011 THQ video game WWE '12
.
, who also produced the first two albums. A picture was recently posted on producer Rob Graves Twitter account showing three guitars with tape on them showing tunings of A#, A, and G#, which hints that this record may be heavier than the previous two. They also confirmed on their Facebook page that the new album will contain 11 tracks, and a 12th bonus track called "Until We Have Faces" will be available only from iTunes preorder.
The Christian Manifesto gave the rating album a 4.5 out of 5 and indicated that the songs are not always internally consistent, with an introduction in one style but developing into another style but concluding that it is a "great album from an oddly underrated band outside of Christian circles". TheNewReview gave it a 4.5 out of 5 too, pointing out that although Red has kept their same signature sound, they have "tweaked and perfected it". Reception on the site Sputnikmusic
has not been as positive, where it received a 3 out of 5. The reviewer credited this to the fact that while the album has a few standout songs, there are a few "lazy and boring songs".
for a scene in the video. The second music video, "Lie to Me" was shot on Tuesday April 26. Both videos were produced by Dan Atchison and directed by The Erwin Brothers. "Feed the Machine" was released on June 6, 2011. RED posted clips from the "Feed the Machine" video on their Facebook and YouTube pages before it was released. The music video for "Lie to Me (Denial)" will be premiered on July 7, on Noisecreep.
Red
Production and recording
Additional musicians
Artwork and design
chart at No. 2, with first week sales of around 43,000. Additionally, Red debuted at No. 1 on the following Nielsen SoundScan charts: Current Hard Music, Current Rock Music, Current Alternative, Christian Rock, Current Contemporary Christian Album and Record Label Independent charts. Further, Until We Have Faces remained in the Top 5 on both iTunes' Overall Album and Rock Album charts its entire first week. As of April, the album has sold over 100,000 copies in the US.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from American Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band Red
Red (band)
Red is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band's lineup consists of singer Michael Barnes, guitarist Anthony Armstrong, bassist Randy Armstrong and drummer Joe Rickard. They are known for their Christian rock music which incorporates other sounds such as...
. It was released on February 1, 2011 and is the first album the band released with four members, due to the absence of Jasen Rauch (although Rauch still contributes song-writing). It is named for C. S. Lewis's novel Till We Have Faces
Till We Have Faces
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold is a 1956 novel by C. S. Lewis. It is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, which had haunted Lewis all his life, and which is itself based on a chapter of The Golden Ass of Apuleius...
.
"Watch You Crawl" featured in the 2011 THQ video game WWE '12
WWE '12
WWE '12 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the first game in the WWE series and the fourteenth overall in the combined series. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown vs...
.
Production and recording
The band released a teaser video on Facebook via Youtube which featured the band name on a sheet of parchment, which burned away, revealing the album title. Unfortunately the music in this teaser video was not in any song on the album. Vocalist Michael Barnes stated on his Facebook page that the new album will be produced by Rob GravesRob Graves
Robert Douglas "Rob" Graves is an American songwriter, musician, and producer. He is most well known for his work with Grammy-nominated and Dove Award winning band Red....
, who also produced the first two albums. A picture was recently posted on producer Rob Graves Twitter account showing three guitars with tape on them showing tunings of A#, A, and G#, which hints that this record may be heavier than the previous two. They also confirmed on their Facebook page that the new album will contain 11 tracks, and a 12th bonus track called "Until We Have Faces" will be available only from iTunes preorder.
Promotion and release
On December 9, 2010 the song "Feed the Machine" was sent to all fans who submitted their face as part of the hype for the new album. The cover art has been revealed. On December 20, RED posted a download to the radio edit of "Faceless" for a limited time. "Faceless" was released to radio on December 31, 2010 as the first single from the album. A full track-listing along with 30 second previews for each song on the Christian Book Distributors website, Christianbook.com. The band released a promotional mosaic for the album, made-up of the fan-submitted pictures. A European edition titled, "Until We Have Faces [World Edition]" was released on July 5, 2011.Reception
Upon its release the album reached No. 1 on the iTunes album chart.The Christian Manifesto gave the rating album a 4.5 out of 5 and indicated that the songs are not always internally consistent, with an introduction in one style but developing into another style but concluding that it is a "great album from an oddly underrated band outside of Christian circles". TheNewReview gave it a 4.5 out of 5 too, pointing out that although Red has kept their same signature sound, they have "tweaked and perfected it". Reception on the site Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
has not been as positive, where it received a 3 out of 5. The reviewer credited this to the fact that while the album has a few standout songs, there are a few "lazy and boring songs".
Track listing
Music Videos
On Monday, April 25, Red started shooting for the music video "Feed the Machine". Fans were asked to come as extrasExtra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
for a scene in the video. The second music video, "Lie to Me" was shot on Tuesday April 26. Both videos were produced by Dan Atchison and directed by The Erwin Brothers. "Feed the Machine" was released on June 6, 2011. RED posted clips from the "Feed the Machine" video on their Facebook and YouTube pages before it was released. The music video for "Lie to Me (Denial)" will be premiered on July 7, on Noisecreep.
Teasers
- Until We Have Faces (Album title revealed)
- The Setup (New song teaser)
- The Kit (Recording drums)
- The Strings (Recording strings to album)
- The Violin (Recording violins to album)
- The Choir (Recording choirs to album)
- Listening to Joe (Recording drums Part 2)
- Inside the Vocal Booth (Recording vocals to album)
- The Photo Shoot Part 1 (Shooting photos for album)
- The Strings Part II (Recording strings to album)
- The Skull (Clip of Who We Are)
- The Strings Part III (Recording the strings to Feed The Machine)
Personnel
Information gathered from the digital Until We Have Faces extended booklet.Red
- Michael Barnes - lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
- Anthony Armstrong - lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Randy Armstrong - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, backing vocals - Joe Rickard - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production and recording
- Produced by Rob Graves
- Executive Producer: Jason McArthur
- Engineered by Rob Graves and Jasen Rauch
- Additional production by Jasen Rauch
- Mixed by Ben Grosse
- Mix Assistant: Paul Pavao
- Mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering, LA
- Drums produced by Rob Graves and Jasen Rauch
- Drums recorded at Paragon Studios, Franklin, TN
- Drums engineered by Fred Paragano and Brian Calhoon
- Strings recorded at Little Big Sound, Bellevue, TN
- Strings engineered by Baeho “Bobby” Shin
- Additional digital editing and engineering by Ben “Snake” Schmidt
- Additional background vocals by Mark Holman, Kerrie Roberts and Mike Seminari
- Strings on “Feed The Machine”, “Let It Burn” and “Lie To Me (Denial)” recorded at Paragon Studios, Franklin, TN
- Engineered by Fred Paragano and Brian Calhoon
- Conducting and Music Prep: Jim Gray
Additional musicians
- Choir: William Tant, Margaret Tant, Chandler Hart, Sarah ValleyRose, Kira Hinchey, Lori Casteel
- Strings: David Davidson – Violin
- David Angell – Violin
- Karen Winkelmann – Violin
- Pamela Sixfin – Violin
- Jim Grosjean – Viola
- Monisa Angell – Viola
- Kristin Wilkinson – Viola
- Bruce Christensen – Viola
- Elizabeth Lamb – Viola
- Anthony Lamarchina – Cello
- John Catchings – Cello
- Sarighani Reist – Cello
- Jack Jezioro – String Bass
- Assistant to Rob Graves: Ian Roberts
- Rob Graves uses Diezel Amplifiers, PRS Guitars and Taylor Guitars
- Kerrie Roberts appears courtesy of Reunion Records
Artwork and design
- Photography: Joseph Anthony Baker
- Additional photography: courtesy of red and John Clore
- Hair & Make-up: Jessica Katina
- Wardrobe styling by RED
- Art Direction: Beth Lee, Tim Parker
- Design: Tim Parker
- A&R Production: Michelle Box, Jason Root
Chart performance
Until We Have Faces debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart at No. 2, with first week sales of around 43,000. Additionally, Red debuted at No. 1 on the following Nielsen SoundScan charts: Current Hard Music, Current Rock Music, Current Alternative, Christian Rock, Current Contemporary Christian Album and Record Label Independent charts. Further, Until We Have Faces remained in the Top 5 on both iTunes' Overall Album and Rock Album charts its entire first week. As of April, the album has sold over 100,000 copies in the US.
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Digital Albums | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Christian Albums | 1 |