Asking Alexandria (album)

''Asking Alexandria'' is the fifth studio album by British rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 15 December 2017 through Sumerian Records, as well as their first album working with producers Matt Good and Jonathan Davis instead of longtime producer Joey Sturgis. It also marks the group's slight departure from their heavier metalcore roots and towards a more straight forward and melodic hard rock sound. On 27 December 2019, the deluxe version of the album titled ''LP5 DLX'' was released.

Composition

Style

This album has been described as hard rock, metalcore, and post-hardcore, with elements of pop.

Release and promotion

On 21 September 2017, the band released the lead single " Into the Fire" from the album. The band released a second single from the album, entitled "Where Did It Go?", on 25 October 2017. On 25 May 2018, the band released the third single "Alone in a Room" alongside an accompanying lyric video. On 15 December, the band released their fourth single "Vultures" and its corresponding animated music video.

Critical reception

''Asking Alexandria'' received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 73 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "Overall, ''Asking Alexandria'' is a worthy return from the classic lineup, retaining the best aspects of its past and taking steps into its future. Regardless of a stumble or two, ''Asking Alexandria'' is well worth a listen. While '' The Black'' was a passable offering at a time when it seemed like it would be a permanent arrangement, this reunion simply feels right."

Michacel Hann at ''The Guardian'' stating, "The York quintet are the model of an If-You-Like-This-Sort-of-Thing band – huge, monolithic sheets of sound, precision-tooled to get large crowds putting their hands in the air. The formula is shaken up – a furious Slipknot-esque break is put in the middle of Into the Air; 'Hopelessly Hopeful' and 'When the Lights Come On' dial down the metal and ramp up the pop – but you're never more than a couple of minutes away from some preposterous chorus. It doesn't sound like Def Leppard, but it is reminiscent of that band's willingness to smooth off metal's rough edges and boost the melodies." ''Louder Sound'' gave the album a positive review and stated: "Ultimately, then, ''Asking Alexandria'' isn't a throwback or a sidestep – it's a whole new animal, and it's gonna need a bigger zoo."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.

Asking Alexandria
* Danny Worsnop – lead vocals, additional guitar
* Ben Bruce – lead guitar, backing vocals, vocals on track 11
* Cameron Liddell – rhythm guitar
* Sam Bettley – bass
* James Cassells – drums

Additional musicians
* Bingx – guest vocals on track 11
* Hyro the Hero – guest vocals on track 15

Additional personnel
* Matt Good – production, engineering, keyboards, programming
* Jonathan Davis – production
* Will Beasley and Ryan Daminson – engineering
* Taylor Larson – mixing
* Ted Jensen – mastering
* Don Sepulveda – management
* Ash Avildsen and Nick Walters – A&R
* Daniel McBride – artwork, layout
* Sanjay Parikh – band photo
* Steven Contreras – photography

Charts

References

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2017 albums
Asking Alexandria albums
Sumerian Records albums
Albums produced by Matt Good