Renacer
Studio album by
Senses Fail
ReleasedMarch 26, 2013 (2013-03-26)
RecordedNovember–December 2012
StudioRed Bull Studio and The Airport Studio, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length43:04
LabelStaple
ProducerShaun Lopez
Senses Fail chronology
Follow Your Bliss: The Best of Senses Fail
(2012)		 Renacer
(2013)		 Pull the Thorns from Your Heart
(2015)
Senses Fail studio album chronology
The Fire
(2010)		 Renacer
(2013)		 Pull the Thorns from Your Heart
(2015)
Singles from Renacer
  1. "Mi Amor"
    Released: February 4, 2013

Renacer (Spanish: "to be reborn") is the fifth studio album by American post-hardcore band Senses Fail, released on March 26, 2013.[1]

It is the first album without founding member and guitarist Garrett Zablocki, Matt Smith (of Strike Anywhere) joined as his replacement. Jason Black, the band's bassist did not participate in the writing/recording of the album due to obligations with Hot Water Music, Zack Roach instead performed bass on the album. It is also the last album to feature long time drummer, Dan Trapp, as he parted ways with the band in late 2014. The album is the first Senses Fail album to explore heavier sounds, such as metalcore, hardcore punk, and sludge metal.

Background

In January 2011, founding guitarist Garrett Zablocki left the group and was replaced by Matt Smith of Strike Anywhere.[2] After a UK tour in February and a US tour in March, the group mainly hung out in the following season, occasionally playing shows. During this time, they met up to figure out the new writing process between existing guitarist Zach Roach and the newly-added Smith to see how things would play out, rather than actually writing new material.[3] In February 2012, the band started writing for their next album.[4] In April, vocalist Buddy Nielsen revealed that the group planned to record following their stint on the Warped Tour.[5]

They had been writing new material on and off for sometime, and were aiming to continue writing during Warped Tour.[6] In addition, they expected to have a new album out by February or March 2013. While on Warped Tour, the group released a best-of compilation Follow Your Bliss: The Best of Senses Fail.[7] On their tour bus, they set up a V-drum kit in the back lounge of their tour bus and would take turns jamming with drummer Dan Trapp. They shared the rough ideas from each day with the rest of the members and rework them over a period of time. Following the tour's conclusion, Nielsen and Trapp spent time in a mutual friend's studio making demos for future reference.[8]

Production

Sessions for their new album took place in Los Angeles, California with producer Shaun Lopez.[9] The band opted to work with Lopez, as opposed to Brian McTernan, who produced the group's preceding three studio albums, as they "needed to change everything up", according to Nielsen.[10] He theorised they wouldn't have written the songs they did if they knew they'd be using McTernan again. Both Nielsen and Trapp wanted to work with someone else and record in a different studio.[10] Nielsen said Lopez's prior experience with Far, Crosses and Deftones was "perfect for where we were trying to go."[11] Recording started on November 13, 2012;[9] by November 17, they had finished tracking drums at Red Bull Studios. That same day, Smith laid down scratch guitar for the songs.[12]

The group took November 19 off as Lopez wanted to spend the day working on the drums. The following day, they relocated to Lopez's The Airport Studio to track bass,[13] which was done by November 23.[14] Roach remarked they felt like "kids in a candy store"[13] as Lopez's studio had around 30 guitars and hundreds of vintage guitar pedals they could work with.[8] They tracked rhythm guitars and vocals into early December,[15] typically with guitars being done until 8 pm, by which point they'd shift to vocals. With most of the guitars done, the group minus Nielsen would spend time relaxing at their apartment or looking around Los Angeles, before going back to the studio to hear Nielsen's vocals. Eventually, Roach and Smith flew home, leaving Nielsen and Trapp to finish minor parts and supervise the mixing process.[16]

Composition

According to the band's bio-page on Staple Records, the album title Renacer means "to be reborn" in Spanish. This serves as the main theme of the album as Nielsen wanted to take a heavier and more adventurous creative direction.[17] "Mi Amor" is sung mostly in Spanish, Nielsen stated: "We have always wanted to do a song in Spanish... I was searching for a different type of screaming pattern for the song and decided to try to write a line or two in Spanish—just to see if it would spark an idea. I went line by line translating from English to Spanish—all the while making sure the rhyme scheme worked out and it actually made sense. It came together so well that I just rolled with it.”.[18] "The Path" is about approaching life with a positive attitude.[19]

Renacer features a heavier melodic hardcore, heavy hardcore, and metalcore sound,[20][21][22] in contrast to earlier albums' post-hardcore sound. They had removed almost all of the pop elements, and replaced them with hardcore riffs and breakdowns.[23] It also has elements of sludge metal.[24] About the sound of the new album, Nielsen stated he had always wanted to move away from the pop-orientated sound to a "heavier and more exploratory [direction]" as he wanted there to be more "space, because we wanted the record to sound heavy and open. If you want something to sound heavy, it’s about the space, not necessarily just the chord structures or the screaming."[24] He said the stylistic change was down to the new song writers in the group, in addition to his urge for a new sound. Nielsen had previously explored hardcore with Bayonet in 2009.[25] It was a side project that served as a collaboration between Nielsen and the Banner guitarist Jeremy Comitas, who co-wrote with the group for Renacer.[10]

Release

On January 14, 2013, Renacer was announced for release in March.[26] "Mi Amor" was released as a single on February 4.[27] On March 1, "The Path" was made available for streaming.[19] A trailer for the album was released on March 15.[28] Renacer was made available for streaming via MTV on March 20,[24] before being released on March 26 through Vagrant Records imprint Staple Records.[26] A music video was released for "Mi Amor" on April 10,[29] directed by Behn Fannin. The video features a panda bear coming to life. Neilsen described the idea behind it as wishing to make something which would "spur people to watch the video more than once."[30] The two ways he thought would accomplish this was by having shock value or being funny, with the latter being chosen. The song's theme, being that "love can change all, whether it is human love or panda love", served as "a funny, cute way to show a visual representation of 'Mi Amor' and what it might mean to others."[30] Nielsen also stated the original plan was for a soft porn/horror movie, but since he thought no one would like it, they opted for pandas.[30]

For touring, Gavin Caswell took over bassist Jason Black's position.[31] In April and May, the band went on a headlining US tour with support from Such Gold, Real Friends and Major League. For the first 500 people that pre-ordered tickets, they were given a three-track EP, which consisted of covers: "Mouth for War" by Pantera, "Suffer" by Bad Religion" and "AM/PM" by American Nightmare.[32] In May and June, the group went on a headlining UK tour with support from Handguns,[33] before embarking on a few European dates.[34] On August 2, a music video was released for "Between the Mountains and the Sea", directed by Markus Lundqvist and filmed in Stockholm, Sweden.[35] The clip features an elderly couple having difficulty with basic tasks, such as eating breakfast and consuming pills. Nielsen said the video's goal was to "show that sadness and hopefulness at times coexist."[36] Following the video, the band went on an Australian tour;[37] they were supported on each date by several local acts.[38] In October and November, the group went on a headlining US tour with support from For the Fallen Dreams, Expire and Being as an Ocean.[39]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[40]
Review scores
SourceRating
Alternative Press[41]
Alter the Press![42]
Dead Press![43]
idobi3.75/5[21]
Mountain TimesFavorable[44]
The MusicUnfavorable[45]
PopMatters[20]
Ultimate Guitar7.7/10[46]

The album received mostly positive reception. Edward Strickson of Alternative Press gave Renacer a 4/5, praising the band's contrast in sound in comparison to their other albums.[41] Ultimate Guitar praised the album, calling it "quite possibly the best album they've ever made."[46]

However, in a 4/10 review, Pop Matters criticized the lyrics and stated the album "paints a clear portrait of a band lacking the courage and will to abandon the tendencies they have clearly grown out of and no longer stand behind."[20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Renacer"2:27
2."Holy Mountain"3:52
3."Mi Amor"3:29
4."Closure/Rebirth"3:24
5."The Path"3:54
6."Canine"3:27
7."Glass"4:22
8."Ancient Tombs"4:00
9."Frost Flower"2:22
10."Snake Bite"3:45
11."Courage of the Knife"3:15
12."Between the Mountains and the Sea"4:57
Total length:43:04

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[47] 84
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[48] 15
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[49] 26
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[50] 3
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[51] 16

References

  1. ↑ "Sensesfail.com - Senses Fail Announce Fifth Album and Release of New Single". Sensesfail.com. February 4, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  2. ↑ Yancy, Bryne (January 26, 2011). "Senses Fail / The Ghost Inside / Man Overboard / Transit (US)". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  3. ↑ Verducci, Richard (December 22, 2011). "Buddy Nielsen (Senses Fail)". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  4. ↑ Bird, Michele (January 19, 2012). "Senses Fail to begin writing new album". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  5. ↑ Yancey, Bryne (April 9, 2012). "Senses Fail to record new album following Warped Tour". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  6. ↑ Paul, Aubin (June 6, 2012). "Senses Fail talk next full length". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  7. ↑ Aberback, Brian (July 10, 2012). "Ridgewood's Senses Fail performs on the Warped Tour at PNC". NorthJersey. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Roach, Zack (December 3, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #4: Breathing life into an album skeleton". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Whitt, Cassie (November 13, 2012). "Senses Fail enter studio; plan 2013 release". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 Gomez, Adrian (April 12, 2013). "Senses Fail takes 'heavier,' new route". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  11. ↑ Childers, Chad (September 25, 2013). "Senses Fail's Buddy Nielsen Talks Musical Transition, Fall Tour + More". Noisecreep. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ Roach, Zack (November 23, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #1: Drums done, let's drink". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Roach, Zack (November 27, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #2: A rhythm section, some karaoke and Robin Meade's feet". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  14. ↑ Roach, Zack (November 29, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #3: Salsa dancing and the infinite mexican beer". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  15. ↑ Roach, Zack (December 7, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #5: Expect things to get super-weird". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  16. ↑ Roach, Zack (December 14, 2012). "Senses Fail Studio Blog #6: Clarity and Heaviness". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Staplerecords.com - Senses Fail Artist Page". Staplerecords.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Senses Fail Release New Song "Mi Amor"; Renacer Pre-Order Details". PureVolume. February 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018.
  19. 1 2 Whitt, Cassie (March 1, 2013). "Senses Fail stream new song, "The Path"". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 Anta, Julio (July 15, 2013). "Senses Fail: Renacer". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  21. 1 2 Rose, Ethan. "Senses Fail – Renacer: Album Review". idobi.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  22. ↑ Reid, Sean. "SENSES FAIL – 'HELL IS IN YOUR HEAD'". punktastic.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  23. ↑ Rolli, Bryan (May 8, 2017). "Senses Fail and the relentless pursuit of screamo". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  24. 1 2 3 O'Neil, Luke (March 20, 2013). "Stream Senses Fail's new album, 'Renacer'". MTV. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  25. ↑ Gould, Eli (August 1, 2013). "New Horizons". The Music. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  26. 1 2 Whitt, Cassie (January 14, 2013). "Senses Fail announce fifth album, 'Renacer'". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Mi Amor - Single". itunes.apple.com. February 4, 2013. Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  28. ↑ Bird, Michele (March 15, 2013). "Senses Fail release 'Renacer' album trailer". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  29. ↑ Whitt, Cassie (April 10, 2013). "Senses Fail release "Mi Amor" music video". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  30. 1 2 3 O'Neil, Luke (April 11, 2013). "New Video: Senses Fail, 'Mi Amor'". MTV. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018.
  31. ↑ Watt, Lochlan (July 31, 2013). "Bringing The Mood". The Music. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  32. ↑ Whitt, Cassie (January 16, 2013). "Senses Fail announce 'Renacer' headlining tour". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  33. ↑ Kraus, Brian (December 1, 2012). "Senses Fail announce UK spring tour with Handguns". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  34. ↑ Bird, Michele (February 19, 2013). "Senses Fail confirm more dates for international tour". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  35. ↑ Whitt, Cassie (August 2, 2013). "Senses Fail release "Between The Mountains And The Sea" video". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  36. ↑ Childers, Chad (August 2, 2013). "Senses Fail Unveil 'The Mountains and the Sea' Video". Noisecreep. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  37. ↑ Paul, Aubin (July 17, 2013). "Senses Fail / The Acacia Strain". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  38. ↑ Staff (July 19, 2013). "Senses Fail Local Supports Announced". The Music. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  39. ↑ Mendyuk, Bridjet (July 11, 2013). "Senses Fail announce U.S. headline tour". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Renacer Reviews". Metacritic.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  41. 1 2 "Alternative Press". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  42. ↑ Strickson, Edward (March 4, 2013). "ATP! Album Review: Senses Fail - Renacer". Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  43. ↑ Bliss, Tony (March 26, 2013). "ALBUM: Senses Fail – Renacer". Dead Press!. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  44. ↑ Campbell, Jesse (March 28, 2013). "Senses Fail is reborn with 'Renacer'". Mountain Times. Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  45. ↑ Doyle, Benny (May 29, 2013). "Senses Fail / Renacer". The Music. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  46. 1 2 UG Team (March 28, 2013). "Renacer review by Senses Fail". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Senses Fail Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  48. ↑ "Senses Fail Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Senses Fail Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Senses Fail Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Senses Fail Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
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