''Under the Skin'' is a live album by American

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

band Code Orange, released on September 4, 2020 through

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

. Under the Skin was recorded at the Theatre Factory in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

on July 30, 2020. The album features acoustic versions of some of the band's songs as well as a cover of

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

' "

Down in a Hole "Down in a Hole" is a power ballad by Alice in Chains, and the fifth and last single from their album ''Dirt'' (1992). It is the twelfth song on most pressings of the album and fourth or eleventh on others. The song was written by guitarist and ...

Background and release

Under the Skin was recorded at the Theatre Factory in

on July 30, 2020. The album follows a similar format to

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

. The album was first broadcast live via

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle con ...

. The album was released on September 4, 2020. The album featured acoustic renditions of songs from the bands discography, as well as a cover of "

" by

Alice In Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

Composition

The album features acoustic renditions of songs from the bands discography along with

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

backdops. The album ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' considers the album to "

ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...

back to

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

's glory-days while loading on electronic motifs." They even called the rendition of "Autumn & Carbine" a "twangy electro-

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

nightmare." The band utilizes electronic ambience and strings on the rendition of "Sulfur Surrounding".

Reception

''Under the Skin'' was met with mostly positive reviews. Jack Fermor-Worrell of ''Distorted Sound'' praised the album stating, "Under The Skin is yet another astonishing notch for Code Orange to add to their belt, and further affirmation that this is a collective willing and indeed more than able to go just about anywhere with their sound." Sam Law of ''

'' complemented the stipped won performances of the album calling the performances "even more powerful." Stephen Hill of ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' called the album "a showcase for why they are head and shoulders above their peers." Simon Crampton of ''Rock Sins'' praised the stripped down nature of the album stating, "they managed to strip down their songs and still manage to make them sound heavy, it's just a different type of heavy, one wraught with emotions and goose bump inducing atmosphere." Tess Hofer of ''Dead Press'' was more critical of the album, "though certainly offering a different and unheard side of Code Orange, along with allowing to shed and expose what composes the menace of their work, 'Under The Skin' is an idea better in theory than in practice. For Code Orange, less is less and more is more."

Track listing

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Under the Skin 2020 live albums Code Orange (band) albums