American Tragedy (album)
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''American Tragedy'' is the second studio album by American rap rock band
Hollywood Undead Hollywood Undead is an American rap rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2005. All of the band members use pseudonyms and previously wore their own unique mask, most of which were based on the common hockey goaltender design. The ...
. Production for the album began following the induction of Daniel Murillo into the band in early 2010 and lasted until December. Don Gilmore and
Ben Grosse Ben Grosse is an American record producer and mixer, known for his signature sound involving metal and hard rock music. Grosse has mixed and produced numerous albums for popular artists such as Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson, Sevendust, Disturbe ...
, who helped produce the band's debut album, '' Swan Songs'' (2008), also returned to produce the album along with several other producers including
Kevin Rudolf Kevin Winston Rudolf (born February 17, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist from New York City, New York. He is best known for his 2008 single " Let It Rock". Early life Kevin Winston Rudo ...
,
Sam Hollander Sam Hollander is an American songwriter. He has collaborated with the likes of Panic! at the Disco, One Direction, Fitz and the Tantrums, Train, Weezer, Blink-182, Ringo Starr, Def Leppard, Katy Perry, Carole King, Jewel, Pentatonix, Daug ...
, Dave Katz, Griffin Boice, Jeff Halavacs, and Jacob Kasher. The album is musically heavier and features darker lyrical content than the band's previous effort. Originally set to release in March, ''American Tragedy'' was released on April 5, 2011 in the United States and was released on various other dates that month in other countries. A remix of the album, '' American Tragedy Redux'', was released on November 21, 2011. The album debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling approximately 67,000 copies in its first week in the United States, and ended up becoming the 142nd best selling album of 2011 in the US. It also charted in a few other countries, including Canada and the UK, a first for the band. The album also had five singles: " Hear Me Now", " Been to Hell", " Coming Back Down", " Comin' in Hot", and " My Town", with music videos being made for all of them except "Coming Back Down" as it was released on the same day as "Been to Hell". The band participated in three headlining tours: the '' Revolt Tour'', the ''Endless Summer Tour'', and the ''World War III Tour'', as well as other supporting tours throughout 2011 to promote the album. Upon release, ''American Tragedy'' received mixed reviews. Critics consistently noted the darker and more serious tone of the album, but to mixed reception. Lyrics were widely criticized while the energy and instruments were praised in most reviews.


Background and promotion

To promote the album, the band participated in three headlining tours and several other supporting tours. The first headlining tour, the '' Revolt Tour'', began on April 6 and spanned across the spring until May 27, playing with Drive-A,
New Medicine New Medicine (formerly A Verse Unsung) is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 2009. History New Medicine was originally formed as A Verse Unsung by two friends, Jake Scherer and Dan Garland, who were attending Orono Hig ...
, 10 Years, and others at various
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venues across North America. The second headlining tour for the album was the ''Endless Summer Tour'' with All That Remains and Hyro Da Hero which began in
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, and ended in
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. The third tour was the ''World War III Tour'', which the band called the biggest tour they had done yet. The tour was co-headlined with
Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British Rock music, rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley. Initially formed in 2006 ...
with support acts
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, D.R.U.G.S., and
Borgore Yosef Asaf Borger ( he, יוסף אסף בורגר; born 20 October 1987), known professionally as Borgore, is an Israeli EDM producer, DJ, singer-songwriter and rapper. He is the founder of the label Buygore Records. Biography Yosef Asaf ...
, with different local openers for each location. For supporting tours, the band began with the ''Nightmare After Christmas Tour'' with headliners
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance ...
and supporters Stone Sour and
New Medicine New Medicine (formerly A Verse Unsung) is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 2009. History New Medicine was originally formed as A Verse Unsung by two friends, Jake Scherer and Dan Garland, who were attending Orono Hig ...
on January 20, 2011, which was the first supporting tour for the album. The band also supported the Buried Alive Tour with headliner
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance ...
and supporters
Asking Alexandria Asking Alexandria are a British Rock music, rock band from York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarists Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, lead vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley. Initially formed in 2006 ...
and Black Veil Brides on November 19, 2011. Outside of official tours, the band played several festivals throughout 2011 including UFEST in Mesa, Arizona, Rockfest, and Summerfest in
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. The band also played various holiday shows, such as a
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show in
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, with
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Floggingmolly.c ...
and others. The album spawned five singles in total. On December 8, 2010, the band released the artwork for the album's first single, titled " Hear Me Now". The track was released on December 13 for radio and was made available online a week later on December 21. "Hear Me Now" was the album's most successful single, charting variously on the ''Billboard'' Heatseeker charts, Alternative charts, and the Rock charts. On March 22, the band appeared live on the late night talk show
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as a musical guest where they performed the single "Hear Me Now" to promote the album. The band reportedly almost drank the entire bar behind the
Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (alternatively known as Turner Entertainment Networks from 2019 until 2022) was an American television and media conglomerate. Founded by Ted Turner and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (lat ...
set, with
George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has rece ...
saying to J-Dog, "Drink all of it. Go ahead, I don't care. But I've never seen anyone drink that much." The album's second and third official singles, " Been to Hell" and " Coming Back Down", were both released on March 15, 2011. "Been to Hell" was previously released as a
promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
with a lyric video on February 6, but was then released as a single with a music video, leading to it chart on ''Billboards Heatseeker and
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
charts.{{cite web, url={{BillboardURLbyName, artist=hollywood undead, chart=all , publisher= Billboard , title=Been to Hell - Hollywood Undead , date=March 23, 2011 , access-date=March 25, 2011 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110329171653/http://%7b%7bbillboardurlbyname%7cartist=hollywood/ Because "Coming Back Down" was released on the same day as "Been to Hell", the track did not get a music video. "Coming Back Down" previously surfaced due to a leak on February 18 and was later confirmed to be on the album and was produced by Kevin Rudolf. Brian Voerding noted that the song showed the band's strength in both singing and rapping while comparing the sound to
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...
.{{cite web, url=http://www.aolradioblog.com/2011/02/24/hollywood-undead-coming-back-down/, publisher=AOL Radio Blog, author=Brian Voerding, title=Hollywood Undead, 'Coming Back Down' – New Song, date=February 24, 2011, access-date=February 27, 2011 The album's fourth single, " Comin' in Hot", was released on April 9 with a music video to celebrate the album's release. Similar to "Been to Hell", "Comin' in Hot" was originally a free promotional single released on January 21, but was later released as an album single following the release of ''American Tragedy''.{{cite web, url=http://evigshed.com/hollywood-undead-comin-in-hot-video/ , publisher=Evigshed , author=Sylvie Lesas , title=Hollywood Undead Comin in Hot Video , date=April 13, 2011 , access-date=April 23, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420072801/http://evigshed.com/hollywood-undead-comin-in-hot-video/ , archive-date=April 20, 2011 The track was reviewed by ''Evigshed'' along with "Hear Me Now" after it was released as a promotional single, who gave both "Comin' in Hot" and "Hear Me Now" a perfect ten out of ten score, noting that "Comin' in Hot" was much more upbeat and was extremely catchy. On July 8, it was announced the fifth single for the album would be " My Town". The band began shooting the music video in early July and announced that fans would be featured in the video if they recorded themselves performing the song in front of a famous landmark. The video has no release date yet.


Composition


Influences, style and themes

''American Tragedy'' opens with the single " Been to Hell". J-Dog said that the song is, "the truth about what really happens to people when they move to L.A., to be actors or models or God knows what other delusions people have... failure. It's all too true, but most people aren't there to see it first-hand. But we are, so it's our interpretation of it all." The track is followed by "Apologize", a track that directly addresses critics and states the band's defiance in the face of negative opinions, as evident by the chorus, "We don't apologize and that's just the way it is, but we can harmonize even if we sound like shit."{{cite web, url=http://theminaretonline.com/2011/04/13/article18090 , publisher=The Minaret , author=Richard Solomon , title=Hollywood Undead Rises Above the Sophomore Slump , date=April 13, 2011 , access-date=April 13, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811151529/http://theminaretonline.com/2011/04/13/article18090 , archive-date=August 11, 2011 Third is " Comin' in Hot", a party song and the album's fourth single that uses humor to describe what happens in night clubs.{{cite web, url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/the-top-ten-reasons-you-need-hollywood-undead-s-american-tragedy/8938388, publisher=Artist Direct, title=The Top Ten Reasons You Need Hollywood Undead's "American Tragedy", author=Rick Florino, date=April 25, 2011, access-date=May 1, 2011 " My Town" is the fifth single and a
mid-tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
song talking about Los Angeles and Hollywood. Next is "I Don't Wanna Die", a song about the fear of death fueling the need to kill another person. " Hear Me Now" was the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from the album and is about the troubles each band member was going through at the time the song was written. The song's lyrics tell the story of a person who is depressed and hopeless, taking a very somber tone to the track. Despite this, the instruments and melodies contrast to make an uptempo track.{{cite web, url=http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/12/12/hollywood-undead-hear-me-now/, publisher=AOL Radio Blog, title=Hollywood Undead, 'Hear Me Now' – New Song, author=Nadine Cheung, date=December 12, 2010, access-date=December 12, 2010 Next is "Gangsta Sexy", a
party anthem Many political parties and other political movements have adopted a song or anthem to represent their beliefs and principles. This party song or party anthem is often sung or performed at party conferences. Algeria * National Liberation Front ...
song about heading to nightclubs and pursuing women. The following track, "Glory", is a
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
-inspired song which drew influence from war and fighting. "Lights Out", the ninth song on the album, is about
Deuce Deuce, Deuces, or The Deuce may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deuce, in the ''Danger Girl'' comic book series * Deuce, a character in ''Shake It Up'' * Deuce, in the ''Wild Cards'' science fiction universe * Deuce Biga ...
, ex-vocalist of Hollywood Undead. It is a response to "Story of a Snitch". " Coming Back Down", the third single released from the album, is a
rock ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cu ...
song with
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
s on the track. The lyrics describes about a story of an unknown loved one who has recently died, with the narrator having difficulty trying to live without them. "
Bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
", the eleventh track from the album, is a song about suicide. It is played in an upbeat tempo with energetic vocals, which gives contrast to the dark lyrical content. Rick Florino called the track, "heart-wrenching genius". "Levitate" is an uptempo discothèque song about sex, while the verses of the song talk about suicide and alcoholism.{{cite web, url=http://www.dallasvoice.com/hai-q-music-review-american-tragedy-1084989.html, publisher=Dallas Voice, author=Drake Von Trapp, title=Hai-Q Music Review: 'American Tragedy', date=August 3, 2011, access-date=August 8, 2011 It was also featured in the Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed trailer, "Autolog Drift Challenge", as well as on the game's soundtrack, where it was ranked eighth on ''ProGamists list of "Top ten songs featured in racing games".{{cite web, url=http://www.progamist.com/2011/08/pro-focus-top-10-songs-featured-in.html , publisher=ProGamist , author=Subham Singh , title=PRO Focus: Top 10 Songs Featured In Racing Games , date=August 20, 2011 , access-date=September 3, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010201010/http://www.progamist.com/2011/08/pro-focus-top-10-songs-featured-in.html , archive-date=October 10, 2011 "Pour Me", the last soft song on the album, is a dark ballad that has been often compared to
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's " Stan". Johnny 3 Tears stated that, "We were messing around with chord progressions and that came out like a more
major chord In music theory, a major chord is a chord that has a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a major triad. For example, the major triad built on C, called a C major triad, has pitch ...
style than we were used to it. It's melodic and poppy sounding. We're talking about drinking obviously because all of us sometimes drink too much. It's one of those basic every day things that people go through but they don't know how to voice it or others around them don't know to voice it. It's almost like you're looked down upon, but no one actually talks about it." "Tendencies", which is the closing track for the standard edition of the album, is a high tempo
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
song about murder. Johnny 3 Tears said, "When we wrote Tendencies, I wanted to make a song that kids would just go nuts to when we played it. Kids start moshpits at our shows. Not every song we have is the best mosh song, so I wanted to make a song kids could go crazy for." While the band was touring with
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance ...
, the guitarist
Synyster Gates Brian Elwin Haner Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American guitarist, best known for being the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. He ranks No. ...
spoke about "S.C.A.V.A." stating "Holy shit, that's the craziest verse I've ever heard! The lyrics are insane."{{cite web, url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/hollywood-undead-talk-american-tragedy-heavy-metal-and-dead-cultoure/8771881, publisher=Artist Direct, title=Hollywood Undead Talk "American Tragedy," Heavy Metal, and "Dead Cultoure", author=Rick Florino, date=April 7, 2011, access-date=May 1, 2011, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110411103410/http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/hollywood-undead-talk-american-tragedy-heavy-metal-and-dead-cultoure/8771881, archive-date= April 11, 2011 , url-status= live


Reception


Critical reception

{{Album ratings , MC = 59/100{{cite web, url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/american-tragedy, publisher=
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 ...
, title=American Tragedy Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More at Metacritic, access-date=April 16, 2011
, rev1 =
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 ...
, rev1Score = {{Rating, 2, 5{{cite web, url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/american-tragedy-r2142963/review, author=Jason Lymangrover, title=American Tragedy — Hollywood Undead, publisher=AllmMusic, date=May 6, 2011, access-date=May 7, 2011 , rev2 =
Artistdirect ARTISTdirect is an American online digital media entertainment company. Overview Founded in 1994, it owns several websites, including artistdirect.com and artistdirectinterviews.com. These websites are a group of affiliate websites offering mul ...
, rev2Score = {{Rating, 5, 5 , rev3 =
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
, rev3score ={{Rating, 1, 5 , rev4 = ''
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 Un ...
'' , rev4Score = {{Rating, 2, 5 , rev5 = '' The Minaret Online'' , rev5Score = {{Rating, 4.5, 5 , rev6 = ''
Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
'' , rev6Score = {{Rating, 4, 5 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 album received 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 59, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Rick Florino of Artistdirect gave ''American Tragedy'' 5 out of 5, particularly praising the band's choice to avoid duplicating their debut album, '' Swan Songs'', and instead choosing to create a, "darker, deeper, and far deadlier ride this time around." Florino compared various elements of the album to the
Wu Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
and
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
, particularly comparing the album's production (which was done by various producers with executive producer Don Gilmore) to Nine Inch Nails' second album ''
The Downward Spiral ''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994 by Nothing Records in the United States and Island Records in Europe. It is a concept album detailing the self-destru ...
'' (1994). He also lauded the irony of the quality singing on, "Apologize", combined with the lyrics, "But we can harmonize, even if we sound like shit." Florino concluded that, "Hollywood Undead's genius lies—in that dangerous space between unforgettable and unsettling," pointing this out in the track, "Bullet", for it being the, "sunniest and catchiest tune on ''American Tragedy''," while still telling, "a potent and poignant tale of longing for suicide." The other track Florino pointed out for being unforgettable is, "Pour Me", calling it, "an evil power ballad that everyone who hears it will feel."{{cite web, url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/hollywood-undead-american-tragedy-review-5-out-of-5-stars/8771805, publisher=Artist Direct, author=Rick Florino, title=Hollywood Undead "American Tragedy" Review — 5 out of 5 stars, date=April 4, 2011, access-date=April 5, 2011, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110411103452/http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/hollywood-undead-american-tragedy-review-5-out-of-5-stars/8771805, archive-date= April 11, 2011 , url-status= live ''Revolver'' magazine reviewer Jeremy Borjon gave the album four out of five in his review, calling ''American Tragedy'', "one hell of an album that will leave fans’ heads buzzing long after the clubs have let out and the hangover sets in." Borjon complimented the shift in moods throughout the album and the lyrical quality compared to ''Swan Songs''. He praised several tracks including "Been to Hell", "Apologize", "Comin' in Hot", "Bullet", "Levitate", and "Tendencies" as numerous outstanding points in the album. Borjon did criticize the slower songs, "Coming Back Down" and "Pour Me" but dismissed that that were, "easily forgotten among the album's many undeniably addictive future hits."{{cite web, url=http://www.revolvermag.com/beta/reviews/review-hollywood-undead-american-tragedy.html , publisher=
Revolver Magazine ''Revolver'' is a heavy metal music and hard rock magazine, published in North America. It has been in print since 2000, and is about both established acts and up-and-comers in heavy music. In the fall of 2017, ''Revolver'' underwent a brand re ...
, author=Jeremy Borjon , title=Review: Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy , date=April 4, 2011 , access-date=April 5, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407120630/http://www.revolvermag.com/beta/reviews/review-hollywood-undead-american-tragedy.html , archive-date=April 7, 2011
Richard Solomon of ''The Minaret'' proclaimed that, "If you're a Hollywood Undead fan, you'll love ''American Tragedy''. As for people who didn't care for Swan Songs, you'll probably still love ''American Tragedy''." Instrumentally, Solomon noted one of his only complaints of the album, being that, "At times, the synthesizer seems a little too heavy handed, but it succeeds more often than not." Solomon complimented the album being different and further encouraged the Deluxe Edition tracks in addition to the album itself. Mikael Wood of the ''Los Angeles Times'' was more critical in his review. He praised the energy of the album, pointing out the, "Booming groove," of "Apologize", and the "disco-metal urgency," of "Levitate". Wood's biggest complaint of the album was that the band has, "filtered out any sense of humor from its music, which makes ''American Tragedy'' virtually impossible to listen to for longer than a few songs at a time."{{cite web, url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/04/album-review-hollywood-undeads-american-tragedy.html, work=
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 Un ...
, author=Mikael Wood, title=Album review: Hollywood Undead's 'American Tragedy', date=April 5, 2011, access-date=April 5, 2011
Alistair Lawrence of BBC Music said that the album is, "The result is that they've ditched some of the early, growling quirkiness that at least gave them an initial, oddball appeal." Lawrence finishes his review noting, "Hollywood Undead are content to deliver clichés – more out of a lack of imagination than cynical opportunism, but it still smacks of both. That's why to seasoned ears or any genre fan requiring more than more of the same, they're very, very boring."{{cite web, url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/hrpn, publisher=BBC Music, author=Alistair Lawrence, title=Hollywood Undead American Tragedy Review, date=April 4, 2011, access-date=April 5, 2011, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110408143214/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/hrpn, archive-date= April 8, 2011 , url-status= live


Accolades

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AOL Music AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
, author=The AOL Radio Staff, title=10 Best Rock Songs of 2011, date=December 14, 2011, access-date=December 15, 2011
, {{won , align="center", 5th , - , colspan="14" style="font-size:90%" align="center", "—" denotes a nomination that did not place or places were not relevant in the award.


Commercial performance

Prior to release, ''American Tragedy'' was projected by several publications to sell about 65,000 copies in the first week of release in the United States, and was expected to reach number three on the ''Billboard'' 200. When the official sales week ended, the album exceeded expectations and sold about 67,000 copies, but was outsold by
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
's ''
The King of Limbs ''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
'' and so debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200. Weekly sales topped albums such as
Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...
's '' Rolling Papers'' and
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
's '' F.A.M.E.'', and was right behind
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
's '' 21'', ''
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
's'' ''
Femme Fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
'', and Radiohead's ''The King of Limbs''. Upon learning of the album's first-week sales, Jordon Terrell, also known to fans of the band as "Charlie Scene." jokingly remarked, "I gotta be honest with everyone: I was really looking forward to the opportunity to be on top of Britney this week, but being right behind her and Adele is a memory we'll relish forever."{{cite web, url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/04/13/who-are-hollywood-undead-american-tragedy/, publisher=
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, author=Kyle Anderson, title=Who are Hollywood Undead, and what are they doing with the fourth-biggest album in the country?, date=April 13, 2011, access-date=April 13, 2011
The album also debuted at number one on the US Hard Rock charts, number two on the US Rock, Digital, and Alternative charts, and number 11 on the Tastemaker Albums charts. Outside of the US, ''American Tragedy'' charted number five in Canadian albums charts and number 43 in the UK albums charts.{{cite web, url={{BillboardURLbyName, artist=hollywood undead, chart=all, publisher=Billboard, title=American Tragedy — Hollywood Undead, date=April 5, 2011, access-date=April 15, 2011, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110416044749/http://www.billboard.com/, archive-date= April 16, 2011 , url-status= live{{cite web, url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/American%20Tragedy , publisher=
Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
, title=The Official Charts Company - Hollywood Undead - American Tragedy , date=April 16, 2011 , access-date=July 31, 2011


Track listing

All tracks are written and performed by Hollywood Undead, with specific writers detailed for each track. {{Track listing , headline = Standard Edition , extra_column = Producer(s) , title1 = Been to Hell , writer1 = Matthew Busek, Jorel Decker, Daniel Murillo, George Ragan, Jordon Terrell , extra1 = Don Gilmore , length1 = 3:23 , title2 = Apologize , writer2 = Busek, Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra2 = Griffin Boice , length2 = 3:27 , title3 = Comin' in Hot , writer3 = Dylan Alvarez, Murillo, Terrell , extra3 = Griffin Boice , length3 = 3:43 , title4 = My Town , writer4 = Alvarez, Busek, Murillo, Ragan , extra4 =
Sam Hollander Sam Hollander is an American songwriter. He has collaborated with the likes of Panic! at the Disco, One Direction, Fitz and the Tantrums, Train, Weezer, Blink-182, Ringo Starr, Def Leppard, Katy Perry, Carole King, Jewel, Pentatonix, Daug ...
, Dave Katz , length4 = 3:36 , title5 = I Don't Wanna Die , writer5 = Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra5 = Griffin Boice , length5 = 3:59 , title6 = Hear Me Now , writer6 = Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra6 = Sam Hollander, Dave Katz , length6 = 3:34 , title7 = Gangsta Sexy , writer7 = Alvarez, Busek, Murillo, Terrell , extra7 = Don Gilmore , length7 = 3:54 , title8 = Glory , writer8 = Busek, Decker, Murillo, Ragan , extra8 = Don Gilmore , length8 = 3:34 , title9 = Lights Out , writer9 = Alvarez, Busek, Decker, Murillo, Terrell , extra9 =
Ben Grosse Ben Grosse is an American record producer and mixer, known for his signature sound involving metal and hard rock music. Grosse has mixed and produced numerous albums for popular artists such as Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson, Sevendust, Disturbe ...
, length9 = 3:51 , title10 = Coming Back Down , writer10 = Decker, Murillo, Ragan , extra10 =
Kevin Rudolf Kevin Winston Rudolf (born February 17, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist from New York City, New York. He is best known for his 2008 single " Let It Rock". Early life Kevin Winston Rudo ...
, Jeff Halavacs, Jacob Kasher , length10 = 3:23 , title11 =
Bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
, writer11 = Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra11 = Griffin Boice , length11 = 3:18 , title12 = Levitate , writer12 = Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra12 = Kevin Rudolf, Jacob Kasher , length12 = 3:24 , title13 = Pour Me , writer13 = Murillo, Ragan , extra13 = Don Gilmore , length13 = 4:03 , title14 = Tendencies , writer14 = Busek, Decker, Murillo, Ragan , extra14 = Griffin Boice , length14 = 3:32 , total_length = 50:41 {{Track listing , headline = Deluxe Edition , extra_column = Producer(s) , title15 = Mother Murder , writer15 = Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra15 = , length15 = 4:10 , title16 = Lump Your Head , writer16 = Alvarez, Busek, Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra16 = , length16 = 3:37 , title17 = Le Deux , writer17 = Alvarez, Decker, Murillo, Terrell , extra17 = , length17 = 3:45 , title18 = S.C.A.V.A. , writer18 = Busek, Murillo, Ragan , extra18 = , length18 = 4:04 , total_length = 66:17 {{Track listing , headline = Japanese Bonus Track , extra_column = Producer(s) , title19 =
Undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
, note19 = live , writer19 = Busek, Decker, Aron Erlichman, Ragan, Terrell , extra19 = Erlichman,
Danny Lohner Daniel Patrick “Danny” Lohner, frequently known as Renholdër, is an American musician. He worked with Trent Reznor on numerous occasions, both with Nine Inch Nails and on the now defunct Tapeworm project. He has also played for Methods of M ...
, length19 = 4:48 , total_length = 71:05 {{Track listing , headline = Japanese Bonus DVD , title1 = Hear Me Now , note1 = music video , length1 = 3:47 , title2 = No. 5 , note2 = music video , length2 = 3:22 , title3 = Undead , note3 = censored version) (music video , length3 = 3:14 , title4 =
Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...
, note4 = music video , length4 = 3:35 , title5 = Everywhere I Go , note5 = music video , length5 = 4:06 , total_length = 17:24 {{Track listing , headline = iTunes Bonus Track , extra_column = Producer(s) , title19 = Street Dreams , writer19 = Busek, Decker, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra19 = Don Gilmore , length19 = 4:04 , total_length = 70:21 {{Track listing , headline = iTunes Pre-order Bonus Tracks , extra_column = Producer(s) , title20 = Comin' in Hot , note20 = instrumental , writer20 = Alvarez, Murillo, Terrell , extra20 = Griffin Boice , length20 = 3:43 , title21 = Apologize , note21 = instrumental , writer21 = Alvarez, Busek, Murillo, Ragan, Terrell , extra21 = Griffin Boice , length21 = 3:27 , total_length = 77:31


Personnel

;Hollywood Undead *Daniel "Danny" Murillo – lead vocals *Jorel "J-Dog" Decker – rap vocals {{Small, (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12, and 14; bonus track 16), piano {{Small, (track 14) *Matthew "Da Kurlzz" Busek – hype vocals {{Small, (tracks 1-2, 4, 9, and 14; bonus tracks 16 and 18-19) *Dylan "Funny Man"/"King Kong" Alvarez – rap vocals {{Small, (tracks 1, 3-4, 7, and 9; bonus tracks 16-17) *George "Johnny 3 Tears" Ragan – rap vocals {{Small, (tracks 1-2, 4-6, 8, and 10-14; bonus tracks 15-16 and 18-19) *Jordon "Charlie Scene" Terrell – vocals {{Small, (tracks 1-7, 9, and 11-12; bonus tracks 15-17 and 19), guitars {{Small, (tracks 1 and 11) ;Production {{col-start {{col-2 *Don Gilmore – production, composer *Griffin Boice – production, engineering, mixing, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, organ, programming,
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
*
Ben Grosse Ben Grosse is an American record producer and mixer, known for his signature sound involving metal and hard rock music. Grosse has mixed and produced numerous albums for popular artists such as Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson, Sevendust, Disturbe ...
 – production, engineering, mixing, keyboards, programming, composer *Jeff Halatrax – production, guitars *
Kevin Rudolf Kevin Winston Rudolf (born February 17, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist from New York City, New York. He is best known for his 2008 single " Let It Rock". Early life Kevin Winston Rudo ...
 – production, engineering, instrumentation, composer * S*A*M – production, programming, composer *Sean Gould – engineering, mixing, guitars, bass, programming *Ken Dudley – engineering *Paul Pavao – engineering *Mark Kiczula – engineering *Jeremy Miller – assistant engineer {{col-2 *Grant Michaels – assistant engineer, programming *Graham Hargrove – assistant engineer *Sean Curiel – drum engineering *Dylan Dresdow – mixing *Serban Ghenea – mixing *John Hanes – mixing *Jaime Martinez – mixing assistant *Tim Roberts – mixing assistant *
Jonas Åkerlund Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish film director, screenwriter, music video director, and drummer. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record of fiv ...
 – photography *Jeff Janke – photography *Rogelio Hernandez II –
art direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...
,
design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
* James Diener – A&R {{col-end


Charts

{{col-start {{col-2


Weekly charts

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" , - ! scope="col", Chart (2011) ! scope="col", Peak
position , - {{album chart, BillboardCanada, 5, artist=Hollywood Undead, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, Scotland, 40, date=20110410, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, UK2, 43, date=20110410, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, Billboard200, 4, artist=Hollywood Undead, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, BillboardAlternative, 2, artist=Hollywood Undead, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, BillboardHardRock, 1, artist=Hollywood Undead, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 , - {{album chart, BillboardRock, 2, artist=Hollywood Undead, rowheader=true, access-date=May 17, 2021 {{col-2


Year-end charts

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" , - ! scope="col", Chart (2011) ! scope="col", Position , - ! scope="row", US ''Billboard'' 200 , 142 , - ! scope="row", US Top Rock Albums (''Billboard''){{cite web, url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2011/top-rock-albums, title=Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2011, work=Billboard, access-date=May 17, 2021 , 26 {{col-end


Release history

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" , - ! Region ! Date ! Label ! Format ! Catalog ! Ref , - , rowspan="2",
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, rowspan="2", April 4, 2011 , rowspan="2",
Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
, CD, Digital download , B004NTVMRY , {{cite web, url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004NTVMRY, publisher= Amazon (UK), title=American Tragedy: Hollywood Undead: Amazon.co.uk: Music, access-date=March 19, 2011 , - , Deluxe edition CD and digital download , B004QHBMZK , {{cite web, url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004QHBMZK, publisher=Amazon (UK), title=American Tragedy (Deluxe Edition): Hollywood Undead: Amazon.co.uk: Music, access-date=March 19, 2011 , - , rowspan="2", United States , rowspan="2", April 5, 2011 , rowspan="2", A&M/Octone , CD, Digital download , 15275 , {{cite web, url={{AllMusic, class=album, id=r2142963, pure_url=yes, publisher=
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 ...
, title=Overview: American Tragedy - Hollywood Undead, access-date=March 19, 2011
, - , rowspan="2", Deluxe edition CD and digital download , 2762142 , {{cite web, url={{AllMusic, class=album, id=r2169602, pure_url=yes, publisher=Allmusic, title=Overview: American Tragedy (Deluxe Edition) - Hollywood Undead, access-date=March 23, 2011 , - , Australia , April 8, 2011 , Universal Music Australia , 00602527621425 , {{cite web, url=http://www.getmusic.com.au/artist/music/detail.aspx?pid=109887&aid=59276, publisher=Get Music, title=Hollywood Undead: Discography: American Tragedy (Deluxe Edition), access-date=April 20, 2011, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730144932/http://www.getmusic.com.au/hollywoodundead/store/detail?id=109887, archive-date=2012-07-30, url-status=dead , - , rowspan="2", Japan , rowspan="2", April 13, 2011 , rowspan="2",
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
, CD, Digital download , UICA1058 , {{cite web, url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3975379, publisher=HMV Online Japan, title=American Tragedy (Normal Edition) - Hollywood Undead - HMV Online Shopping & Information Site, access-date=March 19, 2011 , - , Deluxe edition CD and digital download , UICA9031 , {{cite web, url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3975378, publisher=HMV Online Japan, title=American Tragedy (Deluxe Edition) - Hollywood Undead - HMV Online Shopping & Information Site, access-date=March 19, 2011 , -


External links


Official band website


References

{{Reflist, 2 {{Hollywood Undead {{Authority control 2011 albums Hollywood Undead albums Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums