Reiði

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 it was produced by Adrian Bushby. It was featured on Kerrang! as Album Of The Week.[1]

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)
Singles from IReiði
  1. "Sæla"
    Released: 6 December 2017
  2. "Manic In Me"
    Released: 5 February 2018
  3. "JOY"
    Released: 5 March 2018

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.”[2]

The band recorded Reiði at VADA studios in Warwickshire, England, with producer Adrian Bushby.[3]

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".[4]

Ideally, Reiði is divided in two parts, with a light and ethereal first half, and the second part venturing into darker territories.[5]

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."[2]

The band experiments with different melodies and riffs, making Reiði a sonically ambitious record that embraces pop and shoegaze influences.[6]

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.”[7]

"Float On" was written by Holley in memory of his cousin who drowned in a river.[8]

Release and promotion

On 6 December 2017, Black Foxxes released a first single, "Sæla", and a corresponding video.[9]

On 5 February 2018, they released the single "Manic In Me", along with a music video shot in Iceland.[10][11]

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.[12][13]

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.[14]

On 21 September 2018, they released an acoustic version of "Oh, It Had To Be You".[15]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
All Things Loud10/10[17]
Dead Press![18]
Drowned In Sound10/10[19]
Louder Sound[20]

Reiði has been critically acclaimed and defined as "exceptional and thought provoking",[21] "nothing short of sublime",[22] containing "more shiver-inducing, goosebump-raising thrills than most bands manage in an entire career".[23]

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.[24]

The sound of Reiði has been compared to bands like Alice In Chains, The Xcerts and Manchester Orchestra.[25]


Track listing[26]
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
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References
  1. "Album Of The Week: Black Foxxes' Reiði". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  2. "Black Foxxes: "Those demons will always be there"". Upset. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  3. "Black Foxxes". Raw Power Management. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  4. "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Review)". Depth Magazine. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  5. "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  6. altdialogue (2018-03-12). "Album Review: Reiði by Black Foxxes". Alt Dialogue. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  7. "Black Foxxes share bliss and happiness with 'Sæla' - Born Music". www.bornmusiconline.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  8. Guitars, Thea de Gallier2018-06-04T13:51:51 154Z. "The playlist: Black Foxxes' Mark Holley". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  9. Black Foxxes - Sæla, retrieved 2019-09-04
  10. Black Foxxes - Manic In Me, retrieved 2019-09-04
  11. "Black Foxxes' New Video Will Give You Chills". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  12. Black Foxxes - Joy, retrieved 2019-09-04
  13. "VIDEO: Black Foxxes – Joy | DEAD PRESS! | It's more than "just music" to us". www.deadpress.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  14. Writers, LSF Staff (2018-03-05). "BAND NEWS: Black Foxxes drop new single, album due 16th March, gigs & instores March/April 2018". Local Sound Focus. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  15. "Black Foxxes release VADA studios version of 'Oh, It Had to Be You'". www.punktastic.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  16. "Reiði". Metacritic. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  17. "Review: Black Foxxes Excel On Reiði". All Things Loud. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  18. "ALBUM REVIEW: Black Foxxes – Reiði". Dead Press!. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  19. "Black Foxxes – Reiði". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  20. "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  21. McConville, Mark (2018-03-21). "REVIEW: Black Foxxes Excel on REIðI". All Things Loud. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  22. Birkbeck, Tim (2018-03-12). "Black Foxxes - Reiði (Album Review)". VultureHound Magazine | Entertainment & Wrestling. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  23. "Album Review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". DrownedInSound. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  24. Rock, Dannii Leivers 2018-03-07T19:33:00 650Z Classic. "Black Foxxes - Reiði album review". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  25. "Album review: Black Foxxes - Reiði". Warrington Guardian. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  26. Reiði, retrieved 2019-09-04
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