Reluctant Hero
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| Reluctant Hero | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2020 | |||
| Studio | Hybrid Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:42 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Killer Be Killed chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Reluctant Hero | ||||
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Reluctant Hero is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Killer Be Killed. It was released on November 20, 2020, by Nuclear Blast.[1]
Writing[edit]
The band began writing the album in 2016, before going to Hybrid Studios in California in 2018 to record the music. They then finished recording the vocals in 2019.[2]
Cover artwork[edit]
In an interview, guitarist Max Cavalera discussed the origins of the album cover:
"I'm really happy with how it came out, because I wasn't happy with the first one. I have a lot of these National Geographic magazines at home, and one had a story about haunted places in America. One of them was this cemetery in Cleveland, which has this really cool statue of an angel with a sword. I thought it would look so badass on an album cover — it almost looks like black metal — so I suggested to our label to find someone to go over and take a picture of the statue."[3]
Singles[edit]
On September 4, 2020, Killer Be Killed announced the release of the album, along with the first single "Deconstructing Self-Construction".[1]
The second single "Dream Gone Bad" was released on October 13, 2020.[4]
On November 6, 2020, the third single "Inner Calm from Outer Storms" was released.[5] In a press release, bass guitarist Troy Sanders said the single is "about having the ability to sense a distant or unseen target. It explores a journey of reckless abandon where the destination may, or may not, actually exist."[6] The single also featured on Consequence of Sound's Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Songs of 2020.[7]
The fourth single, "From a Crowded Wound", was released on November 20, 2020, the same day as the album release.[8]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[9] |
| Kerrang! |   [10] |
| Louder Sound | [11] |
| Spectrum Culture | 75%[12] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.2/5[13] |
Reluctant Hero was met with generally favorable reviews from critics. Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 78 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of six reviews.[14]
Max Heilman of Exclaim! said the songs on the release are "elevating poppy ideas with explosive, multilayered musicality and hard-hitting emotion. Reluctant Hero proves metal can be catchy without being stupid."[9]
Accolades[edit]
| Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 30 Metal/Hard Rock Albums of 2020 | 21 | [15] |
| Kerrang! | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 22 | [16] |
| Loudwire | Top 70 Rock/Metal Albums of 2020 | N/A | [17] |
| Revolver | Top 25 Albums of 2020 | 9 | [18] |
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deconstructing Self-Destruction" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Dream Gone Bad" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Left of Center" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Inner Calm from Outer Storms" | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Filthy Vagabond" | 3:48 |
| 6. | "From a Crowded Wound" | 7:11 |
| 7. | "The Great Purge" | 4:13 |
| 8. | "Comfort from Nothing" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Animus" | 1:08 |
| 10. | "Dead Limbs" | 4:48 |
| 11. | "Reluctant Hero" | 6:05 |
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] | 45 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] | 46 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] | 52 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[22] | 35 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] | 69 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[24] | 16 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[25] | 47 |
Credits[edit]
- Greg Puciato – guitars, vocals
- Max Cavalera – guitars, vocals
- Troy Sanders – bass, vocals
- Ben Koller – drums, percussion
- Josh Wilbur – production, mixing, engineering
- Nick Rowe – engineering
- Cameron Rae – assistant engineering
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Monte Conner – A&R
- Gerardo Martinez – A&R
- Gloria Cavalera – management
- Ryan J. Downey – management
- Marcelo Vasco – cover artwork, design
- Hannah Verbeuren – band photography
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Supergroup Killer Be Killed Announce New Album, Reluctant Hero". Kerrang!. September 4, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ ""This Was Just Too Damned Good To Let Go After One Album": Troy Sanders On The Return Of Killer Be Killed". Kerrang!. September 10, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Bennett, J. (November 5, 2020). "Killer Be Killed's Max Cavalera Interview". Revolver. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Carter, Emily (October 13, 2020). "Watch Killer Be Killed's Intense New Video For Dream Gone Bad". Kerrang!. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Ruskell, Nick (November 3, 2020). "Killer Be Killed Are Teasing A New Single". Kerrang!. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Hadusek, Jon (November 7, 2020). "Killer Be Killed Unleash New Song "Inner Calm from Outer Storms"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Songs of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Watch Killed Be Killed's stunning animated video for From A Crowded Wound". Louder Sound. November 20, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ a b Heilman, Max (November 16, 2020). "Killer Be Killed Live Up to Their Supergroup Pedigree with 'Reluctant Hero'". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Thomas, Olly (November 18, 2019). "Kerrang! Review". Kerrang!. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Hill, Stephen (November 16, 2020). "Killer Be Killed's Reluctant Hero: stellar return from modern metal's greatest supergroup". Louder Sound. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Velluci, Justin (November 28, 2020). "Spectrum Culture review". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ K., Simon (December 1, 2020). "Sputnikmusic review". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Album of the Year Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Greatest Albums of 2020". Kerrang!. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Divita, Joe (November 30, 2020). "The 70 Best Rock and Metal Albums of 2020". Loudwire. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Madden, Emma (November 25, 2020). "25 Best Albums of 2020". Revolver. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Killer By Killed – Reluctant Hero". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Killer By Killed – Reluctant Hero" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Killer Be Killed – Reluctant Hero" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 48. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Killer By Killed – Reluctant Hero". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Killer Be Killed Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Killer Be Killed Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
