Torpedo (album)

Torpedo
Studio album by
Feeder
Released18 March 2022 (2022-03-18)
Recorded2020–2021
Genre
Length45:28
LabelBig Teeth
Producer
Feeder chronology
Tallulah
(2019) 		Torpedo
(2022) 		Black/Red
(2024)
Singles from Torpedo
  1. "Torpedo"
    Released: 25 August 2021
  2. "Magpie"
    Released: 24 September 2021
  3. "Wall Of Silence"
    Released: 29 October 2021
  4. "The Healing"
    Released: 28 January 2022
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash6/10[1]
Classic Rock[3]
Gigwise[4]
Kerrang!4/5[5]
Rock 'N' Load9/10[2]

Torpedo is the eleventh studio album by Welsh rock band Feeder, released on 18 March 2022 through Big Teeth Music.

Background and writing

[edit]

In August 2019, Feeder released their tenth studio album, Tallulah. The album was a commercial success - debuting at number 4 on the UK Official Charts Company albums chart, it was the bands first album in almost fifteen years to crack to the top five of the chart.[6][7] Feeling motivated, band members Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose immediately began work on a follow-up album.[8] The two wrote and recorded an album's worth of material across late 2019 and early 2020, with the album being largely completely outside of final audio mixing.[8] However, progress halted with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.[8] Frustrated, Nicholas and Hirose turned to writing further material instead.[9] Early sessions written during the COVID lockdown were slow, with Nicholas suffering with a case of writer's block.[10] Eventually, his pent up frustration with both the state of the world, and his writer's block, lead to an outpouring of content, enough for two album's worth of material.[10] The material was separated into two batches; the material written second - during the COVID lockdown - was put together to make up the Torpedo album, while the earlier, pre-COVID material, was put together for a later 2023 release on a yet-to-be-titled twelfth album.[8]

Themes and composition

[edit]

Thematically, the album was influenced by the band's frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in the album being described by publications as retaining their established melodic rock sound, but having a heavier and darker sound,[4] punctuated with more distorted and fuzzy guitar riffs.[11] Nicholas noted that the title track, "Torpedo", encapsulated the album well—darker verses of emotion and frustration leading into a chorus more centred around coming to a more positive conclusion from it.[9] The album opens up with the six-minute track "The Healing", which Nicholas states he wrote to resemble something out of a rock opera, was meant to be heard as a wake up call for people to come together and work towards a better future.[12] "Magpie" was described as an indie rock song about hope and optimism.[12]

Release and promotion

[edit]

The album's title and release date—Torpedo and 18 March 2022—was announced well in advance of release in August 2021.[13] A UK tour was also announced to begin shortly after the album's release.[14] The album's heavier sound has led the band to plan a heavier set list for the tour as well.[13] The album's title track was released at the time of the album's announcement as the first single.[9][15] Songs "Wall of Silence", "Magpie", and "The Healing" were also released ahead of the album.[12]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Torpedo entered the U.K. album chart at No.5, making it the band's fifth top 5 album and tenth top 10.[16]

Track listing

[edit]
Torpedo track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Healing"6:08
2."Torpedo"3:44
3."When It All Breaks Down"4:15
4."Magpie"3:51
5."Hide and Seek"3:25
6."Decompress"3:39
7."Wall of Silence"3:32
8."Slow Strings"4:54
9."Born to Love You"3:27
10."Submission"4:33
11."Desperate Hour"4:00
Total length:45:28

Personnel

[edit]

Feeder

Additional musicians

  • Karl Brazil – drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
  • Geoff Holroyde – drums (2, 4, 6, 10), percussion (7, 11)
  • Tim Rice – string arrangements, keyboards (1, 5, 8, 10)
  • Brian Sperber – keyboards (10)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Torpedo
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 181
Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 5
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] 1
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[21] 1

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Harrison, Emma (16 March 2022). "Feeder – Torpedo | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Feeder // Torpedo // Album Review". Rock N' Load Magazine. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  3. ^ Moody, Paul (18 March 2022). "Shot through with urgency, Torpedo finds Feeder still at their peak". Classic Rock. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b Mclister, Matthew (18 March 2022). "Album Review: Feeder – Torpedo". Gigwise. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  5. ^ Sutherland, Mark (18 March 2022). "Album review: Feeder – Torpedo". Kerrang!. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  6. ^ Copsey, Rob (20 August 2019). "Feeder premiere Blue Sky Blue music video". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Feeder | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Gourlay, Dom (15 March 2022). "Feeder on "Torpedo"". Under the Radar. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Richards, Will (25 August 2021). "Feeder announce new album 'Torpedo' with roaring title track and UK tour". NME. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  10. ^ a b Ruskell, Nick (25 August 2021). "Feeder announce new album and massive UK tour". Kerrang!. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Album review: Feeder – Torpedo". 18 March 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Stickler, Jon (28 January 2022). "Feeder Continue To Tease 'Torpedo' With New Single The Healing". Stereoboard. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Feeder announce new album Torpedo, share riff-heavy title track". Louder. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  14. ^ Atkinson, Jessie (25 August 2021). "Feeder's next album Torpedo is on the way". Gigwise. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  15. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Feeder Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Charli XCX Collects First U.K. No. 1 with 'Crash'". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Feeder – Torpedo" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
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