''Wake'' is the sixth and final
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
from
For Today
For Today was an American Christian metalcore band from Sioux City, Iowa, formed in 2005. They released two EPs, ''Your Moment, Your Life, Your Time'' and ''Prevailer'', and six full-length albums: '' Ekklesia'' in, 2008, ''Portraits'' in 2009, ...
.
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
released the album on October 2, 2015.
The album debuted at No. 67 on the ''Billboard'' 200, with around 7,000 copies sold the United States in its first week of release.
Critical reception
Awarding the album four stars for
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
, Chad Bowar describes, "The album blends ferocious yells and dense riffs with melodic vocals and memorable choruses. They are tailor made for live shows, with both pit-inducing breakdowns and singalong parts. The songwriting is excellent, shifting tempos and intensities enough to avoid monotony, and even though they aren't reinventing the wheel, the execution is flawless."
Natasha Van Duser, giving the album four stars from ''New Noise Magazine'', states, "New sonic directions are typically hard to uphold, but For Today transitions flawlessly with ''Wake'' creating one of the most brutal records they’ve released to date."
Signaling in a nine out of ten review at Revival Media, Joshua Palmer responds, "Its ability to have the same gritty sound through its softer and harder sections gives it that edge over today's metalcore and shows they are not going anywhere anytime soon."
Phillip Noell, rating the album a 9.3 out of ten for Christ Core, says, "They deliver every time."
Ben Rickaby, awarding the album three and a half stars from ''
HM Magazine
''HM Magazine'' is a monthly, digital and print on demand publication focusing on hard music and alternative culture of interest to Christians. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The magazine states that its goal is to "honestly and accurate ...
'', says, "''Wake'' hits close to home, and, throughout the album, there’s a prevailing message of hope through looking to the cross."
Assigning the album a nine out of ten by
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music.
Hi ...
, Rob Birtley recognizes, "It would be easy for the band to hide in a repetition of Christian platitudes, but Montgomery's skillful writing ably bridges the gap that both Christians and non-Christians can relate to to produce songs that are truly memorable."
Rating the album a six out of ten at ''
Outburn
''Outburn'' is a print magazine and online publication focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970 ...
'', Nathaniel Lay writes, "''Wake'' falls short too often to leave a lasting impression. It's the weakest release the band has had in recent memory as a result. I'm only a fan of Immortal and Fight The Silence, and quite honestly my favorite band is
Design The Skyline."
Luke Morton, indicating in a six out of ten review by ''
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 ...
'', says, "Despite the initial refreshing blasts, there are no obvious risks being taken. Yes, the music is high quality but it's all a bit too safe and wipe-clean. Clean vocals and crushing vocals break the monotony, but For Today are still searching for that diamond they're so close to."
Specifying in a three star review from Already Heard, Rob Fearnley replies, "Is ‘Wake’ a strong album? Absolutely, yes. Is it going to open them up to a wider audience? Probably not, but for die-hards of the genre there's certainly enough to be content with if not overly excited."
Track listing
Personnel
For Today
*
Mattie Montgomery
Mattie Montgomery is an American musician and the former lead vocalist and frontman of Christian metal band For Today from 2007. He released six albums and one EP with the band before they broke up in 2016. In addition to his work with For Toda ...
- lead vocals
*Ryan Leitru - lead guitar, clean vocals
*Brandon Leitru - bass
*David Puckett - drums, percussion
Additional personnel
* Randy Leboeuf – piano arrangements on tracks: 5, 9
Production
* Will Putney – producer, mixing, mastering
* Will Putney – audio engineer
* Randy LeBoeuf – audio engineer, additional engineering
* Tom Smith Jr. – audio editing
* Steve Seid – audio editing
* Manny Muniz – audio editing
* Jim Hughes (Northary) – layout
* Jordan Butcher – additional artwork
* Dave Quiggle – additional artwork
Chart performance
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wake (album)
2015 albums
For Today albums
Nuclear Blast albums
Albums produced by Will Putney