Reiði (Icelandic for "anger") is the second full-length studio album by English indie rock band Black Foxxes. It was released on 16 March 2018 through Spinefarm Records/Search And Destroy Records and was produced by Adrian Bushby. It was featured on Kerrang! as an Album Of The Week[1] and was placed at #7 on Drowned in Sound's end-of-the-year 15 Favorite Albums of 2018 list.[2]
| Reiði | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 March 2018 | |||
| Label | Spinefarm Records/Search And Destroy Records | |||
| Producer | Adrian Bushby | |||
| Black Foxxes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from IReiði | ||||
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Background and recording
editMost of the record was inspired by one of Mark Holley's trips to Iceland. The lead singer explained: "My mental health was so bad the first time I went to Iceland, but I was starting to see progress every time I went. It was a big step for me to go to a place that is barren, with no-one there and insane weather conditions, and do it all by myself. It felt like there was a mutual relationship between me and that place because I overcame a lot out there. I wrote plenty of music when I went to Iceland the second time, and our new record reflects that."[3]
The band recorded Reiði at VADA studios in Warwickshire, England, with producer Adrian Bushby.[4]
Musical style and lyrics
editThe album revolves around the opposing concepts of light and dark: "reiði" is the Icelandic word for "rage", and it's pronounced "ray-dee"; instead, "sæla" means "happiness".[5]
Ideally, Reiði is divided in two parts, with a light and ethereal first half, and the second part venturing into darker territories.[6]
The lyrics shift from Holley's constant fight with anxiety and health issues, as he reveals: "The thirst for adventure is an overall theme of the album, but more than that, it’s an obvious journey from start to finish about myself. I sing a lot about rage on this album, and the final words sung on the record are ‘now I understand rage’. That’s what’s pulling it all together – you’re going through this journey of working things out with the writer."[3]
The band experiments with different melodies and riffs, making Reiði a sonically ambitious record that embraces pop and shoegaze influences.[7]
Talking about "Sæla", Holley revealed: "It is about a desire to leave a place that was starting to feel stagnant, I think it’s Foxxes at our poppiest but it’s still got all the undertones of darkness stacked amongst it. I remember watching the film ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ before we headed out to Europe for a show and fell in love with that phrase (and the film) and jotted some lyrics down on the trip that were inspired by it."[8] "Float On" was written by Holley in memory of his cousin who drowned in a river.[9]
Release and promotion
editOn 6 December 2017, Black Foxxes released a first single, "Sæla", and a corresponding video.[10]
On 5 February 2018, they released the single "Manic In Me", along with a music video shot in Iceland.[11][12]
On 5 March 2018, they revealed a third single, "JOY", and a video directed by Josh Street and Sam Brown; Holley's dog Tarka appears in it.[13][14]
From 16 March to 22 March, the band did a promotional run in various HMV stores across the UK to perform a short acoustic set, meet fans and sign copies of the new record.[15]
On 21 September 2018, they released an acoustic version of "Oh, It Had To Be You".[16]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100[17] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| All Things Loud | 10/10[18] |
| Dead Press! |   [19] |
| Drowned In Sound | 10/10[20] |
| Louder Sound |    [21] |
Reiði has been critically acclaimed and defined as "exceptional and thought provoking",[22] "nothing short of sublime",[23] containing "more shiver-inducing, goosebump-raising thrills than most bands manage in an entire career".[24]
In particular, critics appreciated how Black Foxxes distanced themselves from the raw and dark atmospheres of I'm Not Well, leaving the door open for light and a sense of hope, evoking tenderness and beginning to heal.[25]
The sound of Reiði has been compared to bands like Alice In Chains, The Xcerts and Manchester Orchestra.[26]
Drowned in Sound included the album in their 15 Favorite Albums of 2018 list, placing it at number 7.[2]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breathe" | 04:25 |
| 2. | "Manic In Me" | 02:58 |
| 3. | "Sæla" | 02:50 |
| 4. | "The Big Wild" | 04:24 |
| 5. | "Oh, It Had To Be You" | 05:03 |
| 6. | "JOY" | 04:44 |
| 7. | "Am I Losing It" | 03:45 |
| 8. | "Flowers" | 04:24 |
| 9. | "Take Me Home" | 04:25 |
| 10. | "Float On" | 05:49 |
| Total length: | 42:00 | |
Personnel
edit- Mark Holley - vocals, guitar
- Tristan Jane - bass guitar
- Anthony (Ant) Thornton - drums
References
edit- ^ Hickie, James (16 March 2018). "Album Of The Week: Black Foxxes' Reiði". Kerrang!. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ a b Sound, Drowned in (8 December 2018). "Drowned in Sound's 15 Favourite Albums of 2018". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Black Foxxes: "Those demons will always be there"". Upset. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes". Raw Power Management. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Review)". Depth Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Backseat Mafia. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ altdialogue (12 March 2018). "Album Review: Reiði by Black Foxxes". Alt Dialogue. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes share bliss and happiness with 'Sæla' - Born Music". www.bornmusiconline.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Guitars, Thea de Gallier2018-06-04T13:51:51 154Z (4 June 2018). "The playlist: Black Foxxes' Mark Holley". MusicRadar. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Black Foxxes - Sæla, retrieved 4 September 2019
- ^ Black Foxxes - Manic In Me, retrieved 4 September 2019
- ^ "Black Foxxes' New Video Will Give You Chills". Kerrang!. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Black Foxxes - Joy, retrieved 4 September 2019
- ^ "VIDEO: Black Foxxes – Joy | DEAD PRESS! | It's more than "just music" to us". www.deadpress.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Writers, LSF Staff (5 March 2018). "BAND NEWS: Black Foxxes drop new single, album due 16th March, gigs & instores March/April 2018". Local Sound Focus. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes release VADA studios version of 'Oh, It Had to Be You'". www.punktastic.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Reiði". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Review: Black Foxxes Excel On Reiði". All Things Loud. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: Black Foxxes – Reiði". Dead Press!. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes – Reiði". Drowned In Sound. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ McConville, Mark (21 March 2018). "REVIEW: Black Foxxes Excel on REIðI". All Things Loud. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Birkbeck, Tim (12 March 2018). "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Album Review)". VultureHound Magazine | Entertainment & Wrestling. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Rock, Dannii Leivers 2018-03-07T19:33:00 650Z Classic. "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Album review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Warrington Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ Reiði, retrieved 4 September 2019