Underneath (Code Orange album)

Underneath is the fourth studio album by American hardcore punk band Code Orange, released on March 13, 2020.[3][5]

Underneath
Studio album by
Code Orange
ReleasedMarch 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)
Genre
Length47:33
LabelRoadrunner
Producer
Code Orange chronology
Forever
(2017)		 Underneath
(2020)
Singles from Underneath
  1. "Underneath"
    Released: January 10, 2020[3]
  2. "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole"
    Released: February 7, 2020[4]
  3. "Sulfur Surrounding"
    Released: March 9, 2020

Background and recording

Frontman Jami Morgan said that the album "was a 24-hour-a-day obsession for us for about two years." This led Code Orange to cancel a European tour cycle in 2019, including an appearance at England's Bloodstock Open Air, in order to focus solely on writing and recording.[6] The band reached out to prolific producer and musician Chris Vrenna through the album's producer Nick Raskulinecz, who helped Eric Balderose in the electronics, the arrangement of the many layers of production and the use of white noise.[7][6] Reba Meyers had to readapt her guitar work to imitate electronic instruments, and she also recorded many unusual sounds which they mixed with samples, making a "bank of" them used in different songs.[6][7] Morgan further commented that writing Underneath "was like a factory… everyone [was] working towards this goal."[6]

While making the album, Morgan regularly talked to and sent material of Underneath to his friend Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan and the Black Queen, who gave him feedback on it. The singer was one of the first people to hear the record, and Morgan called him a "mentor."[8]

Promotion

The band released music videos directed by Max Moore for the title song "Underneath" on 10 January 2020[3] and for the song "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" on February 7, 2020.[4] The third single, "Sulfur Surrounding", with a video animated and directed by the band's Eric Balderose, was released on March 9.[9][10]

On December 19, 2019, Code Orange launched whatisreallyunderneath.com, a website that presented visitors with an interactive panoramic photo.[11]

On March 14, 2020, Code Orange performed a live streamed album release concert in an empty venue on Twitch due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The performance was later officially released on YouTube and a limited-edition DVD.[13][14]

On June 7, they performed "Underneath" at NXT TakeOver: In Your House as it was the official theme song.[15]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Album of the Year84/100[16]
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[17]
Metacritic84/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash9/10[19]
Consequence of SoundA[20]
Exclaim!7/10[21]
The Guardian[22]
The Independent[23]
Kerrang![24]
Metal Hammer[25]
MetalSucks[26]
NME[27]
Pitchfork4.5/10[28]

Underneath was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 9 reviews.[18] The record also received an average score of 8.0 from AnyDecentMusic?, normalized rating out of 10.[17]

Clash critic John Gray described the record as "practically a horror movie in audio form," stating that the "sheer, clear-eyed ambition they exhibit in pursuing the impossible is compelling enough to make Underneath an absolute must-hear for anyone who dares to dream differently."[19] Consequence of Sound's Joseph Schafer thought that the record "delivers on every promise in a sleek, incredibly catchy package and does it all in under 50 minutes."[20] Reviewing for Exclaim!, Connor Atkinson noted: "Code Orange usher in a new era with Underneath that will alienate sections of their audience, and bring their us-against-you might to places no Pittsburgh band have gone before."[21] Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian wrote: "In rock, technical brilliance can sometimes impede immediacy, but Code Orange use it to achieve total and thrilling omnipotence. They are a reminder that visionary music never wears a genre tag."[22]

Accolades
Accolades for Underneath
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Rolling Stone Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year N/A
[29]
Stereogum Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
40
[30]
MP3s and NPCs MP3s and NPCs' 10 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
N/A
[31]

Track listing
Underneath track listing
No.TitleLength
1."(deeperthanbefore)"1:14
2."Swallowing the Rabbit Whole"3:48
3."In Fear"3:21
4."You and You Alone"3:06
5."Who I Am"3:46
6."Cold.Metal.Place"3:04
7."Sulfur Surrounding"3:47
8."The Easy Way"4:26
9."Erasure Scan"2:33
10."Last Ones Left"3:09
11."Autumn and Carbine"3:28
12."Back Inside the Glass"2:35
13."A Sliver"4:37
14."Underneath"4:39
Total length:47:33

Personnel

Code Orange
  • Eric Balderose – vocals, keyboards, programming, mixing
  • Reba Meyers – vocals, guitars, engineering
  • Jami Morgan – vocals, drums, producer
  • Joe Goldman – bass
  • Dominic Landolina – vocals, guitars

Additional musicians
  • Nicole Dollanganger – additional vocals on "(deeperthanbefore)", "Swallowing The Rabbit Hole", "Cold.Metal.Place"
  • Chris Vrenna – additional programming

Production

Visual art
  • Setta Studio – visual producer, visual effects, additional enhancement
  • Autumn Morgan – art concept
  • Elizabeth Farrington – assist
  • Mandy Simpson – assist
  • Jason Baker – props and makeup
  • Virgilio Tzaj – layout
  • Tim Saccenti – photographer
  • Joe Gerardi – retouching

Charts
Chart performance for Underneath
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[32] 161
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[33] 80
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[34] 27
Scottish Albums (OCC)[35] 18
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[36] 56
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 90
US Billboard 200[38] 155
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[39] 2
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[40] 6
gollark: I mean, I would just do it as a function `u64 -> u64`. I don't see why you would want it to be its own type.
gollark: Why would it be an enum? Do you mean a tuple struct like `struct Collatz(u64)`?
gollark: What's "recursion"? Some sort of ridiculous academic idea?
gollark: Did some bored person just go "hmm, yes, let us program in all formulae for sums of powers"?!
gollark: No, I mean how did it recognize that.

References
  1. Schafer, Joseph. "Code Orange Deliver on Every Promise with Underneath". Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  2. Heilman, Max. "ALBUM REVIEW: Code Orange epitomizes industrial hardcore with 'Underneath'". Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  3. CODE ORANGE To Release 'Underneath' Album In March. Blabbermouth.net. January 10, 2020.
  4. CODE ORANGE Releases Music Video For New Song 'Swallowing The Rabbit Whole'. Blabbermouth.net. 7 February 2020.
  5. "Code Orange Announce New Album UNDERNEATH, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  6. Hill, Stephen (May 8, 2020). "Code Orange: an audience with the future of metal, hardcore and everything else". Metal Hammer. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  7. Sharma, Amit (March 13, 2020). ""It's the new style of heavy!" – Code Orange break down their landmark new album Underneath". MusicRadar. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  8. Spajic, Petar (March 9, 2020). "Code Orange Drummer/Vocalist Jami Morgan on The MetalSucks Podcast #328". MetalSucks (podcast). Event occurs at 32:22-32:37. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  9. Watch Code Orange's Insane Animated Video for New Song "Sulfur Surrounding". Revolver. March 9, 2020.
  10. Code Orange Share Animated Video for "Sulfur Surrounding". Exclaim!. March 9, 2020.
  11. "let's take a good look at you". Retrieved March 13, 2020 – via Instagram.
  12. Code Orange to Livestream Record Release Show Without Audience. Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 10, 2020
  13. "Last Ones Left: In Fear of the End". Retrieved May 10, 2020 – via YouTube.
  14. "Code Orange on Twitter: "LAST ONES LEFT: In Fear of The End LIMITED EDITION DVDS going fast"". Retrieved May 10, 2020 – via Twitter.
  15. Pasbani, Robert (June 7, 2020). "Confirmed: CODE ORANGE To Perform Tonight at WWE NXT Takeover: In Your House". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  16. "Code Orange - Underneath - Reviews". Album of the Year. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  17. "Underneath by Code Orange reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  18. "Reviews for Underneath by Code Orange". Metacritic. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  19. Gray, Josh. "Code Orange - Underneath". Clash. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  20. Schafer, Joseph. "Code Orange Deliver on Every Promise with Underneath". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  21. Schafer, Joseph. "Code Orange Underneath". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  22. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. "Code Orange: Underneath review – a thrilling new form of molten metal". The Guardian. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  23. O'Connor, Roisin. "Album reviews: Porridge Radio – Every Bad, and Code Orange – Underneath". Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  24. Ruskell, Nick. "Album Review: Code Orange – Underneath". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  25. Hill, Stephen. "Code Orange's Underneath is the greatest metal record in a generation - read our 10/10 review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  26. Rosenberg, Axl. "Album Review: Code Orange Get Industrial on Underneath". Metal Sucks. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  27. Leivers, Dannii. "Code Orange – 'Underneath' review: game-changing, forward-thinking hardcore that will draw blood and raise bruises". NME. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  28. Currin, Grayson Haver (March 17, 2020). "Code Orange: 'Underneath' Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  29. Schwartz, Danny (June 17, 2020). "50 Best Albums of 2020 – So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  30. "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  31. Pryor, Terrance. "The best music releases of 2020 so far". MP3s and NPCs. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  32. "Ultratop.be – Code Orange – Underneath" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  33. "Offiziellecharts.de – Code Orange – Underneath" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  34. "Portuguesecharts.com – Code Orange – Underneath". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  35. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  36. "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 12: del 13.3.2020 al 19.3.2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  38. "Code Orange Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  39. "Code Orange Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  40. "Code Orange Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
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