Galactic Conquest is the second full-length album by the Christian pop punk band Eleventyseven. The album was released on September 4, 2007, through Flicker Records.
| Galactic Conquest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 4, 2007 | |||
| Genre | Pop punk, power pop, electropunk | |||
| Length | 35:40 | |||
| Label | Flicker | |||
| Producer | Ian Eskelin | |||
| Eleventyseven chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Japan edition album cover | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk |   [1] |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| CCMCentral | (Favorable)[3] |
| Indie Vision Music | [4] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [5] |
| New Release Tuesday | [6] |
| Today's Christian Music | (Not favorable)[7] |
In December, 2017, ten years after release, a limited edition vinyl pressing and release of Galactic Conquest occurred.[8]
Critical reception
editThe album received a wide variety of reviews ranging from positive to very negative.
New Release Tuesday praised the album, stating, "Overall, a must-have for anybody looking for original Christian music. The style is great, and Eleventyseven have really found their niche." I mean, nobody else does it, and they do it perfectly. I would love to see the style throughout their next album, but this is one of my favorites for the year."[6] Kevan Breitinger of CCMCentral optimistically stated "The punk pop genre has been known, let’s face it, to lend itself to sophomoric behavior, repetitive beats, and a notable lack of imagination. But Eleventyseven’s sophomore release, Galactic Conquest, is decidedly un-sophomoric....Eleventyseven wrings as much out of it as anyone else in the mix, often a bit more. Galactic Conquest goes a long way in bringing soul to the genre."[3]
On the flipside, Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout said, "It's kind of sad nowadays that artists will put out music without much effort, knowing that there are kids out there who will buy it. I guess Eleventyseven is an amazing alternative to the filth and garbage that kids are listening to in the mainstream, like Soulja Boy or Nickelback, so I must give them props for that. And if it's what kids like, then Eleventyseven is doing a good job of keeping them entertained. But for those of us wanting some pop/punk with depth and maturity, steer clear of this, and go with FM Static or Run Kid Run. You'll most likely be more satisfied with them."[5] Finally, Andy Argyrakis of Today's Christian Music negatively stated, "The group's sugar-coated sounds and watered-down lyrics lack the full-fledged punch needed to fully land on any level....And while the project has a few more glimpses of saccharine satisfaction (thanks in part to producer Ian Eskelin of All Star United fame), Eleventyseven still has plenty of room to develop before a Galactic Conquest is even remotely possible."[7]
Singles
editThe song "Love In Your Arms" was released as the band's first single for this record, making it as high as the No. 6 spot in ChristianRock.Net's weekly Top 30.[9] The second song "It's Beautiful" also hit the Top 15, charting at No. 13 on the October 6, 2007 R&R chart.[10]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Matt Langston, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Initiation Sequence" | 0:11 | |
| 2. | "Love in Your Arms" | 2:53 | |
| 3. | "Happiness" | Langston, Ian Eskelin, Douglas Mckelvey | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Fight to Save Your Life" | 3:13 | |
| 5. | "How It Feels (To Be with You)" | Langston, Eskelin | 2:59 |
| 6. | "It's Beautiful" | Langston, Eskelin | 2:50 |
| 7. | "Retail Value" | 4:22 | |
| 8. | "Feel OK" | 2:54 | |
| 9. | "12 Step Programs" | 3:14 | |
| 10. | "Conan" | 3:35 | |
| 11. | "Galaxies Collide" | Langston, Eskelin | 3:06 |
| 12. | "Program Terminated" (hidden track "The Starship Unicorn") | 3:22 | |
| Total length: | 35:40 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "More than a Revolution" (originally on And the Land of Fake Believe) | Langston, Caleb Satterfield, Johnathan Stephens | 3:35 |
| 14. | "MySpace" (originally on And the Land of Fake Believe) | Langston, Satterfield, Stephens | 3:22 |
| 15. | "Just Say Yes" | 2:48 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "How It Feels (To Be with You) [Remix]" (also available on the Japanese edition of And the Land of Fake Believe) | 3:45 |
| 14. | "It's Beautiful (Remix)" (also available on the Japanese edition of And the Land of Fake Believe) | 3:21 |
Personnel
editEleventyseven
- Matt Langston - lead vocals, guitar, co-producer on track 11
- Caleb Satterfield - bass
- Johnathan Stephens - drums
Additional production
- Ian Eskelin - producer
- Travis Wyrick - producer (on Japanese edition bonus track 13 & 14 only)
- Will McGinniss - executive producer
- Mark Stuart - executive producer
- Mike Payne - additional guitar on track 3, acoustic guitar on track 6
- Tim Lauer - keyboards and string arrangement on track 6
- Aaron Shannon - recording, additional programming, mixing on track 11
- Ben Phillips - drums recording
- Barry Weeks - vocal engineering, additional vocal production
- JR McNeely - mixing
- Steve Blackmon - mixing assistant
- Dan Shike - mastering
- Heather Hetzler - A&R production
- Josh Heiner - art direction, styling
- Tim Parker - design, art direction
- Dave Hill - photography
- Love Sponge Strings
- Kris Wilkinson
- David Davidson
- David Angell
- Anthony Lamarchina Galactic Choir (on track 4)
- Matt Payne
- Mike Payne
- Matty McRee
- Marty Wheeler
- Troy Vest
- Zach Morris
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2007) | Peak positions |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Christian Albums[11] | 40 |
Music videos
edit- Love In Your Arms (and Initiation Sequence) on YouTube (opening intro to the video contains the song "Happiness" in the background)
Notes
edit- The song "Conan" is a tribute to late-night talk show host, Conan O'Brien.[5] Within the first line of the song, Max Weinberg is also mentioned.
- "Program Terminated" (the final track on the basic album track listing) has a hidden track, after a short silence, entitled "The Starship Unicorn". The song was released later as a separate track on the iTunes version of the album.[12]
- The Japanese edition of the album also comes with the music videos to the band's songs "Myspace" and "Love In Your Arms".
- In the music video for "Love in Your Arms", the band Flatfoot 56 cameo as the bullies that beat up the band at the beginning and end of the video.[13]
References
edit- ^ Joe DeAndrea (August 5, 2007). "AbsolutePunk review of Galactic Conquest". AbsolutePunk via Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on January 24, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Jared Johnson. "AllMusic review of Galactic Conquest". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b Kevan Breitinger (September 17, 2007). "CCMCentral review of Galactic Conquest". CCMCentral via Crosswalk.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Tyler Hess (January 21, 2009). "Indie Vision Music review of Galactic Conquest". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c Scott Fryberger (August 23, 2007). "Jesus Freak Hideout review of Galactic Conquest". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ a b "New Release Tuesday review of Galactic Conquest". New Release Tuesday. October 1, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "Today's Christian Music review of Galactic Conquest". Today's Christian Music via Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Galactic Conquest Limited Vinyl Pre-Order - Rock Candy Recordings". Big Cartel. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ ChristianRock.Net - The best Christian rock on the planet Archived June 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [1]; October 6, 2007; R&R as recorded at the Weekend 22 music program. Retrieved October 19, 2007
- ^ "Galactic Conquest Christian Albums chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ "Galactic Conquest on iTunes". iTunes store. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ "Eleventylife Podcast Episode 1.9". libsyn.com. January 6, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.