''Numb'' is the second and final studio album by the American band

Hammerbox Hammerbox was an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. The band formed around 1990 and disbanded in 1994 when lead singer Carrie Akre left the band to form Goodness. History Hammerbox formed around 1990 in Seattle and re ...

. It was released in 1993 on

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. The first single was "Hole". The band supported the album by touring with

King Missile King Missile is an American avant-garde art rock band best known for its 1992 single "Detachable Penis". Vocalist John S. Hall has fronted several disparate incarnations of the group since founding it in 1986. History King Missile (Dog Fly Rel ...

and Sloan, among others. The stress of being on a major label led in part to the band's breakup, as did A&M's inability to promote the album.

Production

The album was produced by

Michael Beinhorn Michael Beinhorn is a North American record producer, composer, author and musician. He has produced albums for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Hole, Violent Femmes and Marilyn Manson. Career 1977-1983: Early Years, Material, Herbie Hanco ...

. Although signed to a major label, the band tried to make the album sound more raw than its independent debut.

Critical reception

'' Spin'' wrote that the album's "high-impact, tuneful noise expands on the earlier album's promise, refining the songcraft without sacrificing any of its nervy edge." '' The Record'' considered it "for Seattle completists only," writing that Hammerbox "don't manage to imbue the already-tired genre with much personality of their own." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' noted that "Carrie Akre's trained, Pat Benatar-like vocals seemed predictable in the context of the rough-and-tumble, high-speed music." The ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'' likened the sound of ''Numb'' to "the Indigo Girls trapped in Kurt Cobain's body." Similarly, ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

'' compared Hammerbox to "Melissa Etheridge fronting Nirvana," writing that "the band has precious few songs with sufficient structural clarity, melodies or even distinctive riffs."

Track listing

# "Hole" – 2:39 # "Hed" – 3:17 # "No" – 4:13 # "Blur" – 3:07 # "Outside" – 3:30 # "When 3 Is 2" – 4:26 # "Trip" – 3:27 # "Attack of the Slime Creatures" – 3:46 # "God" – 3:56 # "Simple Passing" – 2:01 # "Sleep" – 4:33 # "Anywhere But Here"– 3:04

Personnel

Carrie Akre Carrie Akre (born September 24, 1966) is an American singer best known for her work with Seattle underground bands Hammerbox and Goodness. Since Goodness disbanded in 1998, she has contributed vocals to the project band The Rockfords (which i ...

- vocals * James Atkins - bass *

- producer * Dave Bosch - drums, backing vocals * Paul McKenna - engineering, mixing * Harris Thurmond - guitar *

Howie Weinberg Howie Weinberg is an American audio mastering engineer with over 2,257 mastering credits, three TEC Awards, 21 Grammy Awards, two Juno Awards, and one Mercury Prize. Career Weinberg mastered Herbie Hancock's 1983 album '' Future Shock''. Other ...

- mastering

References

{{Authority control Hammerbox albums 1993 albums A&M Records albums Albums produced by Michael Beinhorn