27 Miles Underwater is the second studio album by British hardcore punk band Higher Power. The album was released on 24 January 2020 through Roadrunner Records.
| 27 Miles Underwater | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 January 2020 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:18 | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Producer | Gil Norton | |||
| Higher Power chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from 27 Miles Underwater | ||||
Composition
editThe album has been described as alternative rock,[5] hardcore punk[6] and alternative metal.[6] Pitchfork called it "the most 1995 rock album of 2020", and as treating "’90s alt-rock with the reverence usually afforded to classic rock".[7] On the album, vocalist Jimmy Wizard makes use of both screaming and "airy melodies", emphasising his dark lyrical style.[8] Brooklyn Vegan called it "the first great rock album of 2020".[5] In an article for Discovered Magazine, writer Matty Williamson praised the album for expanding the band's sound to include pop music sensibilities, while still retaining their prior hardcore punk sound.[9]
Promotion
editThe band embarked on their first tour as a headlining act in promotion of the album. The first leg of the tour was in the United States from 20 January 2020 through 10 February 2020. The band opened for Beartooth for their Disease Tour from 16 February to 6 March 2020 by playing shows in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The band was to resume touring with the Knotfest at Sea cruise ship music festival which was to be held from 10–14 August 2020 on a cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Naples, Italy.[10] In May 2020 the event was postponed to August 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,[11] before being indefinitely postponed in July 2020.[12]
On 1 September 2020, it was announced that Higher Power would play at Outbreak Fest 2021 which will be held from 25–27 June 2021 at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, United Kingdom.[13]
Shows
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Supporting act(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ||||
| 20 January 2020 | Phoenix | United States | Nile Underground | Take Offense, Drain, Life's Question |
| 21 January 2020 | Las Vegas | American Legion Post 8 | ||
| 22 January 2020 | Los Angeles | The Echo | ||
| 23 January 2020 | Anaheim | Chain Reaction | ||
| 24 January 2020 | Sacramento | The Colony | ||
| 25 January 2020 | Portland | Post 134 | ||
| 26 January 2020 | Seattle | Vera Project | ||
| 28 January 2020 | San Jose | The Ritz | ||
| 1 February 2020 | Dallas | Ridglea | N/A | |
| 3 February 2020 | New Orleans | Gasa Gasa | ||
| 4 February 2020 | Atlanta | The Bakery | ||
| 5 February 2020 | Nashville | DRKMTTR | ||
| 6 February 2020 | Louisville | LDB | ||
| 7 February 2020 | Baltimore | Ottobar | ||
| 8 February 2020 | New York City | Union Pool | ||
| 9 February 2020 | Philadelphia | Creep Records | ||
| United Kingdom & Europe | ||||
| 16 February 2020 | Stuttgart | Germany | LKA Longhorn | Beartooth The Amity Affliction |
| 17 February 2020 | Vienna | Austria | ||
| 19 February 2020 | Solothurn | Switzerland | ||
| 20 February 2020 | Munich | Germany | ||
| 21 February 2020 | Oberhausen | |||
| 22 February 2020 | Wiesbaden | |||
| 24 February 2020 | Bristol | United Kingdom | ||
| 25 February 2020 | Glasgow | |||
| 26 February 2020 | Nottingham | |||
| 28 February 2020 | Manchester | |||
| 29 February 2020 | London | |||
| 1 March 2020 | Antwerp | Belgium | ||
| 3 March 2020 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | ||
| 4 March 2020 | Hamburg | Germany | ||
| 5 March 2020 | Berlin | |||
| 6 March 2020 | Leipzig | |||
| Summer Festivals | ||||
| 25 June 2021 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Bowlers Exhibition Centre | N/A |
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Album of the Year | 77/100[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Discovered | 8/10[15] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[8] |
| Kill Your Stereo | 75/100[16] |
| Pitchfork | 7/10[7] |
| Punknews.org |    [17] |
| Upset | [18] |
27 Miles Underwater was well received by contemporary music critics. On review aggregator website, Album of the Year, the album has an average rating of 77 out of 100 based on three critic reviews.[14] Ian Cohen, writing for Pitchfork gave the album a 7.0 out of 10, calling it "the most 1995 sounding album of 2020".[7] Cohen further said "while nearly every single part of a Higher Power song has an identifiable source, they cycle through ideas quick enough to avoid any charges of grand larceny even when they get caught stealing." He compared the album as a more accessible version of Turnstile, Creeper, or Code Orange.[7] In a mixed review, Sam Houldon, writing for Punknews.org, also compared the album to Turnstile's sophomore album, Time & Space (also released through Roadrunner Records), and said that "straight off the bat; there is a lot of Turnstile in this record. Not to an extent that is fundamentally a problem, but certainly to an extent that you’re likely to find yourself thinking about it on more than one occasion."[17]
Martyn Young, writing for Upset magazine gave the album an 8 out of 10 praising the composition and confidence on the record. Young wrote "it’s the sound of a confident band who know that they’re making a significant step up and are ready to shout about it."[18]
Accolades
edit| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stereogum | Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 18
|
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Seamless" | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Shedding Skin" | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Lost In Static" | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Rewire (101)" | 1:50 |
| 5. | "Low Season" | 2:37 |
| 6. | "Passenger" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "King Of My Domain" | 3:28 |
| 8. | "In The Meantime" | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Staring At The Sun" | 2:45 |
| 10. | "Self-Rendered: Lost" | 2:55 |
| 11. | "Drag The Line" | 4:07 |
| Total length: | 34:18 | |
Personnel
editHigher Power
- Jimmy "J-Town" Wizard – lead vocals
- Louis Hardy – guitar
- Max Harper – guitar
- Ethan Wilkinson – bass
- Alex Wizard – drums
Additional personnel
- Gil Norton – production
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Hear Higher Power Channel Deftones on Explosive New Song "Seamless"". Revolver. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ^ Hahn, Bryan (8 November 2019). "Higher Power are all out of hope in "Low Season" video". The Fader. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ^ White, Logan (17 January 2020). "Higher Power release brand new song "Lost In Static"". Substream. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- ^ Hahn, Bryan (27 May 2020). "Higher Power hunt for a familiar reality in "Rewire (101)"". The Fader. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b Sacher, Andrew. "UK punks Higher Power made the first great rock album of 2020". Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ a b Payne, Chris. "Inspirations: Higher Power Breathes Life Into Alt-Metal's Glory Days on '27 Miles Underwater'". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d Cohen, Ian. "Higher Power 27 Miles Underwater". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ a b Garner, George. "ALBUM REVIEW: HIGHER POWER – 27 MILES UNDERWATER". Kerrang!. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Williamson, Matty. "UNDER REVIEW – HIGHER POWER: 27 MILES UNDERWATER". Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Divita, Joe (20 February 2020). "Slipknot + 8 More Bands Announced for 2020 Knotfest at Sea Festival Cruise". Loudwire. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "Slipknot Postpone U.S. Tour, Knotfest UK And Knotfest at Sea". Kerrang!. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Harries, Paul (20 July 2020). "Slipknot Postpone Knotfest at Sea Cruise "for the Foreseeable Future"". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Home - Outbreak Fest 2021 - Lineup". Outbreak Fest. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Higher Power - 27 Miles Underwater - Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Williamson, Matty (13 January 2020). "Under Review - Higher Power - 27 Miles Underwater". Discovered Magazine. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Pallais, J.P. "Higher Power – 27 Miles Underwater". killyourstereo.com. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ a b Houldon, Sam (5 February 2020). "Higher Power 27 Miles Underwater (2020)". punknews.org. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ a b Young, Martyn (24 January 2020). "Higher Power – 27 Miles Underwater". Upset Magazine. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
External links
edit- 27 Miles Underwater at Roadrunner Records