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Reiði

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2018 studio album by Black Foxxes
Reiði
Studio album by Black Foxxes
Released16 March 2018
LabelSpinefarm Records/Search And Destroy Records
ProducerAdrian Bushby
Black Foxxes chronology
I'm Not Well
(2016) 		Reiði
(2018) 		Black Foxxes
(2020)
Singles from IReiði
  1. "Sæla"
    Released: 6 December 2017
  2. "Manic In Me"
    Released: 5 February 2018
  3. "JOY"
    Released: 5 March 2018

Reiði (Icelandic for "anger") is the second full-length studio album by English indie rock band Black Foxxes. It was released on 16 March 2018 through Spinefarm Records/Search And Destroy Records and was produced by Adrian Bushby. It was featured on Kerrang! as an Album Of The Week and was placed at #7 on Drowned in Sound's end-of-the-year 15 Favorite Albums of 2018 list.

Background and recording

Most of the record was inspired by one of Mark Holley's trips to Iceland. The lead singer explained: "My mental health was so bad the first time I went to Iceland, but I was starting to see progress every time I went. It was a big step for me to go to a place that is barren, with no-one there and insane weather conditions, and do it all by myself. It felt like there was a mutual relationship between me and that place because I overcame a lot out there. I wrote plenty of music when I went to Iceland the second time, and our new record reflects that."

The band recorded Reiði at VADA studios in Warwickshire, England, with producer Adrian Bushby.

Musical style and lyrics

The album revolves around the opposing concepts of light and dark: "reiði" is the Icelandic word for "rage", and it's pronounced "ray-dee"; instead, "sæla" means "happiness".

Ideally, Reiði is divided in two parts, with a light and ethereal first half, and the second part venturing into darker territories.

The lyrics shift from Holley's constant fight with anxiety and health issues, as he reveals: "The thirst for adventure is an overall theme of the album, but more than that, it’s an obvious journey from start to finish about myself. I sing a lot about rage on this album, and the final words sung on the record are ‘now I understand rage’. That’s what’s pulling it all together – you’re going through this journey of working things out with the writer."

The band experiments with different melodies and riffs, making Reiði a sonically ambitious record that embraces pop and shoegaze influences.

Talking about "Sæla", Holley revealed: "It is about a desire to leave a place that was starting to feel stagnant, I think it’s Foxxes at our poppiest but it’s still got all the undertones of darkness stacked amongst it. I remember watching the film ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ before we headed out to Europe for a show and fell in love with that phrase (and the film) and jotted some lyrics down on the trip that were inspired by it." "Float On" was written by Holley in memory of his cousin who drowned in a river.

Release and promotion

On 6 December 2017, Black Foxxes released a first single, "Sæla", and a corresponding video.

On 5 February 2018, they released the single "Manic In Me", along with a music video shot in Iceland.

On 5 March 2018, they revealed a third single, "JOY", and a video directed by Josh Street and Sam Brown; Holley's dog Tarka appears in it.

From 16 March to 22 March, the band did a promotional run in various HMV stores across the UK to perform a short acoustic set, meet fans and sign copies of the new record.

On 21 September 2018, they released an acoustic version of "Oh, It Had To Be You".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100
Review scores
SourceRating
All Things Loud10/10
Dead Press!
Drowned In Sound10/10
Louder Sound

Reiði has been critically acclaimed and defined as "exceptional and thought provoking", "nothing short of sublime", containing "more shiver-inducing, goosebump-raising thrills than most bands manage in an entire career".

In particular, critics appreciated how Black Foxxes distanced themselves from the raw and dark atmospheres of I'm Not Well, leaving the door open for light and a sense of hope, evoking tenderness and beginning to heal.

The sound of Reiði has been compared to bands like Alice In Chains, The Xcerts and Manchester Orchestra.

Drowned in Sound included the album in their 15 Favorite Albums of 2018 list, placing it at number 7.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Breathe"04:25
2."Manic In Me"02:58
3."Sæla"02:50
4."The Big Wild"04:24
5."Oh, It Had To Be You"05:03
6."JOY"04:44
7."Am I Losing It"03:45
8."Flowers"04:24
9."Take Me Home"04:25
10."Float On"05:49
Total length:42:00

Personnel

  • Mark Holley - vocals, guitar
  • Tristan Jane - bass guitar
  • Anthony (Ant) Thornton - drums

References

  1. Hickie, James (16 March 2018). "Album Of The Week: Black Foxxes' Reiði". Kerrang!. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  2. ^ Sound, Drowned in (8 December 2018). "Drowned in Sound's 15 Favourite Albums of 2018". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Black Foxxes: "Those demons will always be there"". Upset. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. "Black Foxxes". Raw Power Management. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  5. "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Review)". Depth Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  6. "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Backseat Mafia. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  7. altdialogue (12 March 2018). "Album Review: Reiði by Black Foxxes". Alt Dialogue. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  8. "Black Foxxes share bliss and happiness with 'Sæla' - Born Music". www.bornmusiconline.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  9. Guitars, Thea de Gallier2018-06-04T13:51:51 154Z (4 June 2018). "The playlist: Black Foxxes' Mark Holley". MusicRadar. Retrieved 4 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Black Foxxes - Sæla, retrieved 4 September 2019
  11. Black Foxxes - Manic In Me, retrieved 4 September 2019
  12. "Black Foxxes' New Video Will Give You Chills". Kerrang!. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  13. Black Foxxes - Joy, retrieved 4 September 2019
  14. "VIDEO: Black Foxxes – Joy | DEAD PRESS! | It's more than "just music" to us". www.deadpress.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  15. Writers, LSF Staff (5 March 2018). "BAND NEWS: Black Foxxes drop new single, album due 16th March, gigs & instores March/April 2018". Local Sound Focus. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  16. "Black Foxxes release VADA studios version of 'Oh, It Had to Be You'". www.punktastic.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. "Reiði". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  18. "Review: Black Foxxes Excel On Reiði". All Things Loud. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  19. "ALBUM REVIEW: Black Foxxes – Reiði". Dead Press!. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  20. "Black Foxxes – Reiði". Drowned In Sound. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  21. "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  22. McConville, Mark (21 March 2018). "REVIEW: Black Foxxes Excel on REIðI". All Things Loud. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  23. Birkbeck, Tim (12 March 2018). "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Album Review)". VultureHound Magazine | Entertainment & Wrestling. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  24. "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  25. Rock, Dannii Leivers 2018-03-07T19:33:00 650Z Classic. "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 5 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. "Album review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Warrington Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  27. Reiði, retrieved 4 September 2019
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