''Exi(s)t'' is the second studio album by American
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
band, Reflections. The album was released October 22, 2013 through labels eOne Music and
Good Fight Entertainment
Good Fight Entertainment is a business conglomerate that was founded in 2010. The company consists of a record label, band management, sports management, a clothing line and an art studio. Good Fight was founded by Paul Conroy and Carl Severson wh ...
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and all other digital retailers on September 10, 2013. Reflections simultaneously released a lyric video for the single through their YouTube channel. Vocalist Jake Foster explained "My Cancer" and some of the background to their music writing: "This song was written to speak to a lot of people in my life and I hope that other people can use it the same way and connect with us... we aren't writing music as a gimmick. We write music to express our struggles and triumphs to try and let people know that they are not alone. We couldn't be more excited for everyone to hear the new song. Hopefully everyone enjoys the new album."
The album was leaked a few days prior to its actual release date.
Chart performance
''Exi(s)t'' debuted at #179 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 1,972 copies within the first week of being released. The album made it onto five ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' charts:
* Heatseeker Chart - #6
* Hard Rock Chart - #12
* Independent Album Chart - #35
* Top Current Album Chart - #179
* Digital Albums Chart - #130
The album also made it onto four of
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
' album charts—three U.S. charts and one Canadian chart:
* iTunes Metal Album Chart - #1
* iTunes Rock Album Chart - #15
* iTunes Canadian Album Chart - #91
* iTunes Album Chart (all genres) - #68
Guitarist Charles Caswell was excited to have made it onto the charts: "We want to sincerely thank everyone for the continuing support of our debut record. It's unreal to think our music hit the charts! We can't express enough how much it means to us!"
Reception
''Exi(s)t'' was well received by most critics, though some had nothing good to say of the album. Austin Weber from ''
No Clean Singing
No (and variant writings) may refer to one of these articles:
English language
* ''Yes'' and ''no'' (responses)
* A determiner in noun phrases
Alphanumeric symbols
* No (kana), a letter/syllable in Japanese script
* No symbol, displayed 🚠...
'' spoke very positively, stating "''Exi(s)t'' is a big step up from Reflections' promising but not yet diverse enough debut, ''The Fantasy Effect''. Sonically, Reflections have matured into a band capable of giving us a very nasty, massive-sounding assault of heaviness, and yet the undercurrents of sadness and beauty that find their way into the music counterbalance the aggression nicely. The end result is both catchy and calming, a byproduct of Reflections writing in a more sophisticated format then most of their peers. With ''Exi(s)t'', Reflections have just climbed up from the pile into elite status." Dave from Hellhound Music also had much positive to say of the album: "Every song on ''Exi(s)t'' is a sonic roller coaster blazing through with enormous depth and shockingly-raw personal exposition."
Metal Blast gave a very negative review, stating that ''Exi(s)t'' "frankly just isn't very good" and that "I rarely regret listening to an album... ''Exi(s)t''... is one of those albums."
Track listing
Personnel
;Reflections
* Jake Wolf –
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
* Patrick Somoulay – lead guitar
* Charles Caswell –
rhythm guitar
In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
* Cam Murray –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...