The Altar

The Altar is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Banks. It was released on September 30, 2016, by Harvest Records. Banks collaborated with several producers on the album, including Tim Anderson, Sohn, and Al Shux, with whom she worked on her debut studio album, Goddess. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and became her second top 20 in the United States, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard 200. It spawned four singles: "Fuck with Myself", "Gemini Feed", "Mind Games", and "To the Hilt".

For the rock summit in Antarctica, see The Altar (rock). For other uses, see Altar (disambiguation).

The Altar
Studio album by
Banks
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2016 (2016-09-30)
Studio
Genre
Length44:54
LabelHarvest
Producer
Banks chronology
Goddess Remixes
(2015)		 The Altar
(2016)		 III
(2019)
Singles from The Altar
  1. "Fuck with Myself"
    Released: July 12, 2016
  2. "Gemini Feed"
    Released: August 3, 2016
  3. "Mind Games"
    Released: August 19, 2016
  4. "To the Hilt"
    Released: September 16, 2016

Background

On November 4, 2015, Banks released the single "Better", along with its accompanying music video.[3] Banks toured with The Weeknd for a second time, opening for him on his The Madness Fall Tour across North America from November to December 2015.[4] She announced on June 8, 2016, that she had finished work on her second album.[5] On July 29, Banks revealed that the album would be titled The Altar, along with its cover art and release date.[6]

The lead single from the album, "Fuck with Myself", was released on July 12, 2016.[7] Banks premiered the track on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show, where she said it was the last song she wrote for the album. "There's so many meanings to it", she said of the song. "It could be like, 'I fuck with myself', like, 'I mess with myself more than anybody else.' It could be, 'I fuck with myself', kind of like, 'I'm feeling myself.' It means a lot of different things that I think a lot of people can relate to."[8] The album's second single, "Gemini Feed", premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on August 2, 2016,[9] and was released digitally the following day.[10] "Mind Games" was released as the third single from the album on August 19, 2016,[11] followed by "To the Hilt" on September 16, 2016.[12] A music video for the song "Trainwreck" premiered on January 18, 2017.[13]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Clash7/10[16]
DIY[17]
Drowned in Sound8/10[18]
The Guardian[19]
Pitchfork5.1/10[20]
PopMatters[21]
Q[22]
Rolling Stone[23]
Sputnikmusic4.9/5[24]

The Altar received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on 17 reviews.[14] Jamie Milton of DIY magazine wrote that "when going for the jugular, BANKS combines unbending confidence, warts 'n all detail and gigantic choruses in the same move", adding that "The Altar is very close to being a razor-sharp pop blueprint."[17] George Garner of Q magazine called the album "[s]tunning", stating that "Banks has excelled at transforming accrued romantic scarring into mesmeric songcraft" and "The Altar marks a radical intensification of her talents".[22] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic opined that "Banks has strengthened her voice—resolutely and with increased production value—in the two years since her debut Goddess."[15] Shahzaib Hussain of Clash viewed The Altar as "more textured and artful than Goddess, BANKS growing into her role as a writer, upholding the sensual melancholia that characterised her debut."[16]

Sputnikmusic commented that "[t]he confidence on this album is inspired, observable, and the clear result of Banks' growth as a songwriter."[24] Kellan Miller of Drowned in Sound noted that Banks is "even more unfiltered and tenacious on The Altar than she was on Goddess" and that she is "perfectly comfortable in her own skin and artistic abilities, and it shows immensely on The Altar".[18] Writing for Rolling Stone, Maura Johnston concluded that "Banks' list of grievances can get wearying, but the music's dour detail is alluring too."[23] Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian described the album as "claustrophobic with try-hardness" and felt that "Banks doesn't sound empowered, she sounds stretched".[19] In a mixed review, Andrew Paschal of PopMatters expressed that "[t]he high points of The Altar are nearly perfect, but these are outnumbered by a massive middle section comprisedof unremarkable, uninspired filler."[21] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork found that "The Altar has a lot in common with Goddess, including its fatal flaw: its attempts to position Banks as edgy or dangerous, despite all musical evidence to the contrary."[20]

Commercial performance

The Altar debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 with 14,220 copies sold in pure album sales.[25][26] The album debuted at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 3,229 copies in its first week.[27]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Gemini Feed"
3:25
2."Fuck with Myself"
Al Shux2:55
3."Lovesick"
  • Banks
  • Nate Mercereau
  • Derek Taylor
  • Anderson
  • Sohn[c]
3:20
4."Mind Games"
  • Sohn
  • Anderson
4:49
5."Trainwreck"
3:24
6."This Is Not About Us"
  • Banks
  • Natche
  • C. Taylor
3:03
7."Weaker Girl"
  • Banks
  • Anderson
  • Andrews
  • Trevor Lawrence Jr.
  • Forbes
  • Anderson
  • Forbes[d]
4:16
8."Mother Earth"
  • Banks
  • Andrews
  • Anderson
  • Forbes[d]
3:56
9."Judas"
3:56
10."Haunt"
  • Banks
  • Natche
  • Anderson
DJ Dahi3:42
11."Poltergeist"
Hill3:32
12."To the Hilt"
  • Banks
  • C. Taylor
Sohn4:36
Total length:44:54
Digital edition bonus track[28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."27 Hours"
  • Banks
  • C. Taylor
  • Balshe
  • Schofield
  • Diehl
  • Munoz
  • Al-Majed
  • Anderson
  • Anderson
  • Sohn
  • DannyBoyStyles
  • Ben Billions
3:10
Total length:47:45

Notes

  • On the physical release of the album, "Gemini Feed" contains a piano intro and has a length of 3:25.[15] On the digital version, the song does not include the intro, reducing the track's length to 3:06.[28]
  • ^[a] Despite not being credited as a songwriter of "Mind Games" in the album's liner notes, Jenna Andrews is listed as a songwriter by BMI.[29]
  • ^[b] signifies a vocal producer
  • ^[c] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[d] signifies a co-producer

Sample credits

  • "Poltergeist" contains a sample from "Hold On Jus' a Li'l While Longer" by Sounds of Blackness.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Altar.[30]

Musicians

Technical
  • Sohn – production (tracks 1, 4, 6, 12); recording (track 1); additional production (track 3); engineering, mixing (track 12)
  • Chris Spilfogel – vocal recording, vocal production (track 1); recording (tracks 5, 6, 10)
  • Seth Perez – vocal recording assistance, vocal production assistance (tracks 1, 2, 10); recording (track 3); recording assistance (tracks 4–9)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9)
  • Chris Galland – mix engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9)
  • Jeff Jackson – mix engineering assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9)
  • Robin Florent – mix engineering assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9)
  • Al Shux – production, recording (track 2)
  • Aron Forbes – vocal recording (tracks 2, 10); recording (tracks 4–9, 11); additional production (track 5); co-production (tracks 7, 8)
  • Tim Anderson – production (tracks 3–5, 7, 8); executive production
  • Leggy – mixing (tracks 3, 8)
  • DJ Dahi – production (tracks 5, 10); co-production (track 6)
  • Rich Costey – mixing (tracks 7, 11)
  • Martin Cooke – mix engineering assistance (tracks 7, 11)
  • Nicolas Fourier – mix engineering assistance (tracks 7, 11)
  • Mario Bogatta – mix assistance (tracks 7, 11)
  • DannyBoyStyles – production (track 9)
  • Ben Billions – production (track 9)
  • The Anmls – co-production (track 9)
  • Danny Schofield – recording (track 9)
  • Sean Tallman – mixing (track 10)
  • John Hill – production (track 11)
  • Rob Cohen – recording (track 11)
  • Banks – executive production
  • Pete Lyman – mastering

Artwork
  • Thomas Whiteside – photography
  • Sydney Nichols – design

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[31] 8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[32] 44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[33] 110
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[34] 12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[35] 77
French Albums (SNEP)[36] 118
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[38] 18
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 45
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 38
UK Albums (OCC)[41] 24
US Billboard 200[42] 17
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[43] 9
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[44] 6

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various September 30, 2016
Harvest [45][46][47]
United Kingdom Virgin EMI [28][48][49]

Notes
  1. Tracks 4–8 and 10; vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 10
  2. Track 2
  3. Tracks 3–5 and 7–9
  4. Track 9
  5. Track 11
gollark: Install python or something on your computer (I'm assuming you have a laptop or desktop or something), and an editor like Notepad++, and find a python tutorial.
gollark: * ipv6 and `ping`
gollark: I should figure out if I've been assigned a ton of addresses somehow. It might be fun to do stuff with them.
gollark: Apparently stuff smaller than a /64 isn't routable or something.
gollark: Do you actually own the copyright to your DNA? HMmm.

References
  1. Stevenson, Jane (September 30, 2016). "Banks talks 'The Altar' and getting a boost from the Weeknd". Toronto Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. Brumfitt, Stuart (September 22, 2016). "Banks on The Weeknd and Being "A Weird Little Alien"". i-D. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  3. Roth, Madeline (November 4, 2015). "BANKS Is Back And 'Better' With A Sinister New Song And Video". MTV News. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  4. Martin, Paley (August 21, 2015). "The Weeknd Announces The Madness Fall Tour With Travi$ Scott, Halsey & Banks". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  5. Wass, Mike (June 8, 2016). "BANKS Finishes Recording Her Sophomore LP". Idolator. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  6. Lee, Christina (July 30, 2016). "BANKS Reveals New Album Title & Cover Art". Idolator. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  7. "F**k with Myself – Single by Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  8. Blistein, Jon (July 12, 2016). "Watch Banks' Defiant 'F--k With Myself' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  9. Grant, Sarah (August 2, 2016). "Hear Banks' Hypnotic, Stinging New Single 'Gemini Feed'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  10. "Gemini Feed – Single by Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  11. "Mind Games – Single by Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  12. "To the Hilt – Single by Banks". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  13. "BANKS has a nightmarish new video for 'Trainwreck'". DIY. January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  14. "The Altar by Banks Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  15. Yeung, Neil Z. "The Altar – Banks". AllMusic. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  16. Hussain, Shahzaib (October 12, 2016). "BANKS – The Altar". Clash. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  17. Milton, Jamie (September 30, 2016). "Banks – The Altar". DIY. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  18. Miller, Kellan (September 30, 2016). "Banks – The Altar". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  19. Hutchinson, Kate (September 29, 2016). "Banks: The Altar review – an unconvincing 2016 pop moodboard". The Guardian. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  20. St. Asaph, Katherine (October 12, 2016). "Banks: The Altar". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  21. Paschal, Andrew (October 5, 2016). "Banks: The Altar". PopMatters. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  22. Garner, George (November 2016). "Q Review: New Albums". Q. No. 365. p. 102. ISSN 0955-4955.
  23. Johnston, Maura (September 30, 2016). "Review: Banks Rides Nervy Beats Into Heart of Darkness on 'The Altar'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  24. "Banks – The Altar". Sputnikmusic. September 30, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
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  26. "Building Album Sales Chart". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  27. Jones, Alan (October 7, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: James Arthur holds top spot in singles chart". Music Week. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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  29. "Mind Games (BMI Work #23172795)". BMI. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  30. The Altar (liner notes). Banks. Harvest Records. 2016. 2547762979.CS1 maint: others (link)
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  33. "Ultratop.be – Banks – The Altar" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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  35. "Dutchcharts.nl – Banks – The Altar" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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  41. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
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  43. "Banks Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  44. "Banks Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
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