''The Million Masks of God'' is the sixth studio album by American
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Jer ...
. It was released through
Loma Vista on April 30, 2021. The album was announced on February 18, 2021, alongside the release of the first single "Bed Head".
Background
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Jer ...
released their fifth studio album, ''
A Black Mile to the Surface'', on July 21, 2017 via
Loma Vista Recordings
Loma Vista Recordings is a record label founded by Tom Whalley, former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Executive of A&R at Interscope Records. The label was initially a joint venture with Republic Records and is based in Beverly Hill ...
and Favorite Gentlemen. That fall, the band embarked on a North American headlining tour, with support from
Foxing
Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old paper documents such as books, postage stamps, old paper money and certificates. The name may derive from the fox-like reddish-brown color of the stains, or ...
and
Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw is an American rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. Their first album, ''Belongs to the Dead'', was released in 2006. They released a 7-inch single, "Spirit Desire", in 2009, on Tiny Engines. They released two more ...
. In 2018, Manchester Orchestra and
The Front Bottoms
The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich.
History
The group formed in 2006 in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. In August 2007, after ...
coheadlined a winter tour, bookended by Manchester Orchestra's annual Thanksgiving show, "The Stuffing", and the Front Bottoms' Christmas performance, "Champagne Jam". The following year, Manchester Orchestra went on tour again, this time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2009 album ''
Mean Everything to Nothing
''Mean Everything to Nothing'' is the second studio album by the Atlanta-based indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on April 21, 2009 through independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings and produced by Joe Chiccarelli a ...
''. The band played the album in its entirety, with support from Foxing and
Oso Oso
Oso Oso is an American rock band from Long Beach, New York. Jade Lilitri (vocals, guitar), formerly oState Lines is the only permanent member. The last name Lilitri is a pen name. The band has released three studio albums and two EPs. Their 2019 ...
.
The
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic forced most concert performances to cease in 2020. Manchester Orchestra frontman
Andy Hull
John Andrew Hull (born November 7, 1986) is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project, Right Away ...
spent the better part of the year releasing
demo album
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
* Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhe ...
s from his side project,
Right Away, Great Captain!, as well as collaborating with Foxing and
Touché Amoré
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...
. In October, Manchester Orchestra performed two socially-distant concerts at South Farms in
Morris, Connecticut
Morris is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,256 at the 2020 census.
Europeans first began to settle the area that became Morris about 1723. Originally part of the town of Litchfield, it was called the ...
. On February 12, 2021, Manchester Orchestra performed ''A Black Mile To The Surface: The Global Concert Film'', a black-and-white YouTube livestream performance of ''Black Mile'' in its entirety. The performance itself, as well as a Facebook encore screening and a pre-show virtual meet and greet, were made free to the public. Hull said that the concert film "feels like the perfect way to close the ''Black Mile'' chapter, and I'm excited to say that this is more than just a concert. It's also the beginning."
Writing and recording
Writing for ''The Million Masks of God'' began in late 2017, but Hull told ''Aesthetic Magazine'' that Manchester Orchestra "really began putting it together in the beginning of 2019".
Recording largely took place between Echo Mountain Recording in North Carolina and Gruska's studio in Los Angeles.
The band recorded at Sound City Studios for three days before returning to Gruska's home in Los Angeles, where Hull, McDowell, Gruska, and Marks stayed for two weeks.
The acoustic guitars used on ''The Million Masks of God'' were made by
C. F. Martin & Company. Initially, Hull recorded electric guitars on a
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in t ...
while McDowell used a
Fender Coronado
The Fender Coronado is a double-cutaway thin-line hollow-body electric guitar, announced in 1965. It is manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The aesthetic design embodied in the Coronado represents a departure from previous F ...
, but the guitarists switched instruments shortly into production. McDowell said that he and Hull "got them and immediately got jealous of the other one".
By the time of that the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
shut down most work in the US in March 2020, Manchester Orchestra had finished recording the album, and was about to begin
mixing with Marks. Marks would spend six hours a day mixing for three months.
Composition and themes
''The Million Masks of God'' has been described as
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
and
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
with comparisons to
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...
,
Band of Horses
Band of Horses is an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line-up also inclu ...
,
Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
,
Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...
,
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles that was formed in 2000. The band is composed of Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester.
The band released their debut EP, '' Pikul'', in July ...
,
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ...
, and
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
.
The album title derives from "Gold Leaves", an early poem by
G. K. Chesterton that details the narrator's shifting relationship with God as he ages.
Release and promotion
Manchester Orchestra announced the details of their then-upcoming album, including the title, track listing, and release date, on February 18, 2021. As part of the album announcement, the first
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
and
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
from ''The Million Masks of God'', "Bed Head", were released the same day. In an interview with
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
's
Alt Nation
Since 2008, Sirius XM Radio has had a similar channel lineup, with a few differences based on whether the individual has a Sirius, XM, or SiriusXM radio. For technical reasons, separate radios continue to be manufactured for the separate services ...
, Hull described the song as about "two old friends existing in two separate realities", having a "conversation about the lives they lived, the consequences of life's decisions, and finding purpose in trying to be better".
The second single and music video, "Keel Timing", were released on March 26, 2021. Although it was released later, Hull said that "Keel Timing" "serves as a prequel" to "Bed Head", and is "an isolated internal investigation about personal growth". The final single to be released before ''The Million Masks of God'', "Telepath", debuted on April 27, 2021. The track was accompanied by a single-shot video, directed by Isaac Deitz, and describes "the ebb and flow of life long commitment to another person". ''The Million Masks of God'' was released on April 30, 2021, through Loma Vista Recordings.
Reception
Critical reception
''The Million Masks of God'' was met with mostly positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, ''The Million Masks of God'' received "universal acclaim" with an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 81 based on 12 reviews.
Multiple reviewers compared ''The Million Masks of God'' to Manchester Orchestra's previous release, ''A Black Mile to the Surface''. Adam Feibel of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' said that ''Million Masks'' demonstrated how ''Black Mile'' was "not an ambitious, outlying experiment, but the new template for Manchester Orchestra records going forward".
Writing for ''
The Line of Best Fit
''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music.
It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
'', Dave Beech agreed that ''Million Masks'' felt "much the same" as ''Black Mile'', both in sound and storytelling, and that it "successfully expand
further still on the huge ambition and the cinematic scope introduced by its predecessor".
In a more negative review, Jordan Walsh of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' referred to the album as "less of a natural evolution and more like a retread" of Manchester Orchestra's previous album.
Grant Sharples of ''
Paste'' countered that "it makes sense that this new record derives so much of its sound from its predecessor. This is what Manchester Orchestra sounds like now."
Certain reviewers compared ''Black Mile'' and ''Million Masks'' to Manchester Orchestra's early work. Jordan Blum of ''
Consequence
Consequence may refer to:
* Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment''
* In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior
* Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...
'' contrasted the later "gracefully melodic, emotional, and dense" albums with Manchester Orchestra's "relatively rowdy and simplistically produced" debut album, 2006's ''
I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
''I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child'' is the debut studio album from Atlanta alternative rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released via Favorite Gentlemen/ Canvasback Recordings on October 14, 2006.
The song "Wolves at Night" is featured in t ...
''.
Colin Dempsey of ''Spectrum Culture'', meanwhile, declared that Hull was "finally mature enough to appreciate the power of restraint", following the "youthful overspilling" of ''Mean Everything to Nothing'' and the "grandiosity" of ''
Simple Math
''Simple Math'' is the third studio album from Atlanta-based indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on May 10, 2011 through independent label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, itself distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. The album w ...
'' (2011).
Reviewers also drew attention to Hull and McDowell's desire to create a "movie album" with ''The Million Masks of God''.
Matt Collar of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described the album as an "epic dramatic arc", and "a cinematic experience exploring themes of birth, death, and what lies beyond".
Sarah Jamieson of ''
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'' echoed the "cinematic" label, praising the "dynamic and vital" sound of ''The Million Masks of God''.
Writing for ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', Will Richards highlighted the sonic cohesion of the album, saying that the record "traverses every corner of
anchester Orchestras sound, from beefy rock songs to string-assisted grandeur and acoustic bliss, further cementing their place as an under appreciated band to treasure".
Commercial performance
''The Million Masks of God'' had a moderate commercial showing in North America and Europe. In the US, the album debuted at number 31 on the
''Billboard'' 200. It also appeared on the US
Top Rock Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
,
Top Alternative Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
, and
Independent Albums
The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
charts, coming in at numbers five, three, and four, respectively.
In the United Kingdom, ''The Million Masks of God'' reached number 87 on the
Official Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, and number 22 on the
Scottish Albums Charts.
Elsewhere in Europe, the album appeared on the Belgian
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization ...
charts at number 173,
the German
Offizielle Top 100 at number 54,
and the
Swiss Hitparade
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top ...
at number 46.
Track listing
Personnel
Manchester Orchestra
*
Andy Hull
John Andrew Hull (born November 7, 1986) is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project, Right Away ...
– vocals, guitar, keyboards,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*
Robert McDowell – guitar, keyboards,
programming, production
* Tim Very – drums, percussion
* Andy Prince – bass guitar
Additional musicians
* Ethan Gruska – keyboards, guitar, percussion, programming, production
* Caroline Swon – additional vocals on "Telepath"
Technical
*
Catherine Marks – production, engineering,
mixing
* Dowell Gandy – assistant engineer
* Jamie Martens – assistant engineer
* Paul Blakemore –
mastering
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Million Masks of God
2021 albums
Loma Vista Recordings albums
Manchester Orchestra albums