Creature (Within the Ruins album)
| Creature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Within the Ruins | ||||
| Released | February 17, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | November 10, 2008 – January 2, 2009 | |||
| Studio | Zing Studios, Stadium Sound Recording Studio | |||
| Genre | Metalcore, progressive metal, deathcore | |||
| Length | 38:46 | |||
| Label | Victory | |||
| Producer | Eric Arena, Joe Cocchi | |||
| Within the Ruins chronology | ||||
| ||||
Creature is the debut studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It was released via Victory Records on February 17, 2009.[1] It is their only studio album to feature Jon Grande on vocals. Additionally, it is their only studio album to feature Kyle Marcoux on guitar, and also Madison Roseberry on bass. The album features a distinctly different sound than the established sound the band would reveal on their sophomore release Invade
The album saw the creation of the band's first music video, recorded for the song "Extinguish Them" and published to the band's Youtube channel on October 2, 2011.[2]
Background and production
Creature was recorded between November 10, 2008 and January 2, 2009 at Zing Recording Studios in Within the Ruins' hometown of Westfield, Massachusetts. Zing had previously produced highly acclaimed metalcore albums[3] by renowned metal bands such as Unearth's The Oncoming Storm, August Burns Red's debut Thrill Seeker, several Killswitch Engage albums, and Shadows Fall's Somber Eyes to the Sky.[4] The band would return to Zing to engineer the vocals on their 2017 release Halfway Human.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Sputnikmusic | 3/5[5] |
Critics praised the intricate and melodic guitar work of Cocchi and Marcoux and the preciseness of McGuill's drumming, but they noted the absence of Roseberry's bass from the mix. Sputnikmusic user Keilo also noted the album's similarity to the sound of August Burns Red, even going so far as to call the album a "ripoff"[5]
Sputnikmusic reviewer David Witten, who gave the album a 3.5 / 5 also praised the guitar work, calling it "damned good". He added:
Within the Ruins sure can play guitar. The leads, technical patterns, and chugging riffs are all executed to near perfection on Creature. The drums are there and sound fine, but they never stand out anywhere near as much as the guitars do. There is probably a bass player, but he is almost always covered up by the guitars.[5]
Ultimate Guitar reviewer akronos additionally heaped praise on the guitar work, stating:
Although there are no face-melting solos to be found, the entire album remains consistent in it's high level of technicality. Each riff glides into the next one without sounding detached or misplaced.[6]
akronos similarly praised McGuill's drumming:
Of course, even for all of the fretboard-ferocity, the drumwork on the album is probably my favorite part. To my ears, the drumming is near flawless in composition and execution. Kevin McGuill, the man behind the tubs, lends a bit of his own personality to each and every breakdown that give it that extra little bit of badassery.[6]
Creature was ranked 53rd by Metal Injection readers in the blog's end-of-year "Best Albums of 2009" poll.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Book of Books" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Arsenal" | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Dig a Ditch" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Call off the Wedding" | 3:58 |
| 5. | "Extinguish Them" | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Jump Ship" | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Creature" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Tractor Pull" | 4:56 |
| 9. | "Holy Mess" | 4:36 |
| 10. | "Victory" (instrumental) | 2:26 |
| Total length: | 38:46 | |
Personnel
Within the Ruins
- Jon Grande – vocals
- Joe Cocchi – guitars
- Kyle Marcoux – guitars
- Madison Roseberry – bass guitar
- Kevin "Drummer" McGuill – drums
Production
- Eric Arena – engineering, mixing
- Jim Fogarty & Jay Deluca – engineering
- Joe Cocchi – production
- Eric Arena – production
- Godmachine – design, artwork
- Doublej – layout
- Jeremy Saffer – photography
References
- ↑ "Within The Ruins Releases". Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ↑ withintheruinsVEVO (October 2, 2011). "Within The Ruins - Extinguish Them". Retrieved March 5, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Top 100 Metalcore albums - Metal Storm". Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Welcome To Zing Recording Studios". Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Within the Ruins - Creature (album review ) - Sputnikmusic". Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- 1 2 "Within the Ruins: Creature Review". Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ↑ "The Top Albums of 2009 as decided by the Metal Injection Junkies - Metal Injection". December 31, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2017.