Forever Becoming | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 2013 | |||
Studio | Electrical Audio Studios | |||
Genre | Post-metal | |||
Length | 50:12 | |||
Label | Southern Lord ( LORD182) | |||
Producer | Chris Common | |||
Pelican chronology | ||||
|
Forever Becoming is the fifth studio album by American post-metal band Pelican. The album was released on October 15, 2013 through Southern Lord Records. Forever Becoming marks Pelican's first release to not include founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. [1]
Prior to the album's release, Pelican released an online stream of "Immutable Dusk" in July, 2013. [2] " Deny the Absolute" was released as a stand-alone single in August, 2013, [3] and later as a music video in December, 2014. [4] An online stream of "The Cliff" was released in September, 2013, [5] and was followed by The Cliff as a separate EP in 2015. [6]
Forever Becoming is the first Pelican album since its inception in 2001 to not feature founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. [1] He withdrew from touring with Pelican in 2010, told his fellow band members that his "heart wasn't fully in it" following the recording of the 2012 EP Ataraxia/Taraxis, and publicly announced his departure two months after the release of the EP in June 2012. [7] Schroeder-Lebec left to spend more time with his family. Pelican originally planned to carry on as a three-piece band, [7] but then-touring guitarist Dallas Thomas of The Swan King became a full-time member and ended up contributing to the writing process of Forever Becoming. On working with Thomas, guitarist Trevor de Brauw said, "[Bassist Bryan Herweg] and I are more freewheeling. We don't have every detail worked out, whereas [Dallas Thomas] is very meticulous and really likes to have things thought out. Having that balance means we're not going to veer too far in either direction." [8]
On the sound of Forever Becoming, de Brauw described it as being "a lot darker, depressive, and angry," which he attributed to the "nervous headspace" caused by continuing on without Schroeder-Lebec. [8] The increased aggression of the album drew positive reactions from critics. [9] While songs on some of Pelican's more recent albums experimented with a traditional or pop structures, the songs on Forever Becoming were designed to feature a narrative or journey, with songs intentionally ending very differently from where they began. [8]
Forever Becoming was produced by Chris Common, formerly of These Arms Are Snakes, who also previously produced Pelican's 2009 studio album, What We All Come to Need. [2]
In February 2019, Pelican and Southern Lord announced a deluxe vinyl reissue of Forever Becoming. In a statement from Southern Lord, the label stated that the band was satisfied with the original recordings, but the post-production mixing and mastering was done in a makeshift studio that was set up in "less-than-ideal circumstances" that was said to have "varnished the incredible tones generated during tracking". [10] The original producer Chris Common returned to remix and remaster the album at his own studio. Southern Lord said he brought "a new level of low-end depth, atmospheric clarity, and tight, punchy heaviness to the album." All streaming sites updated their version of Forever Becoming to the 2019 Remix version. [10] In addition refreshed audio, the 2019 reissue also features the formerly Japan-only bonus track "Bardo" and the version of "The Cliff" from The Cliff EP with Allen Epley providing vocals (in addition to the original version).
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [12] |
Alternative Press | [13] |
The A.V. Club | A− [14] |
Consequence of Sound | C+ [15] |
Pitchfork | [9] |
PopMatters | [16] |
Forever Becoming was met with positive reception. The album received an average score of 74/100 from 10 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11] Gregory Heaney of AllMusic wrote, "it seems the change in membership has reinvigorated them, providing their songs with a sense of stability that shines through on an album that easily ranks as some of the band's most exciting work in recent years." [12] Writing for The A.V. Club, Jason Heller praised Forever Becoming, saying that "by stepping back and taking stock, Pelican has reconnected with what made it a pioneer in the first place: force, vision, and soul." [14] Pitchfork writer Colin St. John said lauded the album's heightened aggression, saying the unusual heaviness proves that the band still has life left. [9] However, not all critics were impressed by the efforts of this new version of Pelican; in a more middling review, PopMatters writer Brice Ezell (who had praised the band's previous EP) [17] criticized Forever Becoming for regressing in quality and style. [16]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Terminal" | 3:27 |
2. | " Deny the Absolute" | 5:35 |
3. | "The Tundra" | 5:13 |
4. | "Immutable Dusk" | 7:01 |
5. | "Threnody" | 8:07 |
6. | " The Cliff" | 4:06 |
7. | "Vestiges" | 7:15 |
8. | "Perpetual Dawn" | 9:28 |
Total length: | 50:12 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bardo" | 3:38 |
2. | "Deny the Absolute" (7" Version) | 5:35 |
3. | "The Truce" (7" Version) | 3:16 |
Total length: | 12:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Terminal" | 3:26 |
2. | " Deny the Absolute" | 5:34 |
3. | "The Tundra" | 5:14 |
4. | "Immutable Dusk" | 7:02 |
5. | "Threnody" | 8:09 |
6. | " The Cliff" | 4:05 |
7. | "Vestiges" | 7:17 |
8. | "Bardo" | 2:58 |
9. | "Perpetual Dawn" | 9:38 |
10. | "The Cliff" (feat. Allen Epley) | 4:07 |
Total length: | 57:30 |
Forever Becoming personnel according to liner notes. [19]
Pelican
|
Additional musicians
|
Production and recording
|
Art and design
|
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Hard Rock Albums ( Billboard) [20] | 21 |
US Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard) [21] | 7 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums ( Billboard) [22] | 22 |
{{
cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link)
Forever Becoming | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 2013 | |||
Studio | Electrical Audio Studios | |||
Genre | Post-metal | |||
Length | 50:12 | |||
Label | Southern Lord ( LORD182) | |||
Producer | Chris Common | |||
Pelican chronology | ||||
|
Forever Becoming is the fifth studio album by American post-metal band Pelican. The album was released on October 15, 2013 through Southern Lord Records. Forever Becoming marks Pelican's first release to not include founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. [1]
Prior to the album's release, Pelican released an online stream of "Immutable Dusk" in July, 2013. [2] " Deny the Absolute" was released as a stand-alone single in August, 2013, [3] and later as a music video in December, 2014. [4] An online stream of "The Cliff" was released in September, 2013, [5] and was followed by The Cliff as a separate EP in 2015. [6]
Forever Becoming is the first Pelican album since its inception in 2001 to not feature founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. [1] He withdrew from touring with Pelican in 2010, told his fellow band members that his "heart wasn't fully in it" following the recording of the 2012 EP Ataraxia/Taraxis, and publicly announced his departure two months after the release of the EP in June 2012. [7] Schroeder-Lebec left to spend more time with his family. Pelican originally planned to carry on as a three-piece band, [7] but then-touring guitarist Dallas Thomas of The Swan King became a full-time member and ended up contributing to the writing process of Forever Becoming. On working with Thomas, guitarist Trevor de Brauw said, "[Bassist Bryan Herweg] and I are more freewheeling. We don't have every detail worked out, whereas [Dallas Thomas] is very meticulous and really likes to have things thought out. Having that balance means we're not going to veer too far in either direction." [8]
On the sound of Forever Becoming, de Brauw described it as being "a lot darker, depressive, and angry," which he attributed to the "nervous headspace" caused by continuing on without Schroeder-Lebec. [8] The increased aggression of the album drew positive reactions from critics. [9] While songs on some of Pelican's more recent albums experimented with a traditional or pop structures, the songs on Forever Becoming were designed to feature a narrative or journey, with songs intentionally ending very differently from where they began. [8]
Forever Becoming was produced by Chris Common, formerly of These Arms Are Snakes, who also previously produced Pelican's 2009 studio album, What We All Come to Need. [2]
In February 2019, Pelican and Southern Lord announced a deluxe vinyl reissue of Forever Becoming. In a statement from Southern Lord, the label stated that the band was satisfied with the original recordings, but the post-production mixing and mastering was done in a makeshift studio that was set up in "less-than-ideal circumstances" that was said to have "varnished the incredible tones generated during tracking". [10] The original producer Chris Common returned to remix and remaster the album at his own studio. Southern Lord said he brought "a new level of low-end depth, atmospheric clarity, and tight, punchy heaviness to the album." All streaming sites updated their version of Forever Becoming to the 2019 Remix version. [10] In addition refreshed audio, the 2019 reissue also features the formerly Japan-only bonus track "Bardo" and the version of "The Cliff" from The Cliff EP with Allen Epley providing vocals (in addition to the original version).
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [12] |
Alternative Press | [13] |
The A.V. Club | A− [14] |
Consequence of Sound | C+ [15] |
Pitchfork | [9] |
PopMatters | [16] |
Forever Becoming was met with positive reception. The album received an average score of 74/100 from 10 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11] Gregory Heaney of AllMusic wrote, "it seems the change in membership has reinvigorated them, providing their songs with a sense of stability that shines through on an album that easily ranks as some of the band's most exciting work in recent years." [12] Writing for The A.V. Club, Jason Heller praised Forever Becoming, saying that "by stepping back and taking stock, Pelican has reconnected with what made it a pioneer in the first place: force, vision, and soul." [14] Pitchfork writer Colin St. John said lauded the album's heightened aggression, saying the unusual heaviness proves that the band still has life left. [9] However, not all critics were impressed by the efforts of this new version of Pelican; in a more middling review, PopMatters writer Brice Ezell (who had praised the band's previous EP) [17] criticized Forever Becoming for regressing in quality and style. [16]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Terminal" | 3:27 |
2. | " Deny the Absolute" | 5:35 |
3. | "The Tundra" | 5:13 |
4. | "Immutable Dusk" | 7:01 |
5. | "Threnody" | 8:07 |
6. | " The Cliff" | 4:06 |
7. | "Vestiges" | 7:15 |
8. | "Perpetual Dawn" | 9:28 |
Total length: | 50:12 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bardo" | 3:38 |
2. | "Deny the Absolute" (7" Version) | 5:35 |
3. | "The Truce" (7" Version) | 3:16 |
Total length: | 12:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Terminal" | 3:26 |
2. | " Deny the Absolute" | 5:34 |
3. | "The Tundra" | 5:14 |
4. | "Immutable Dusk" | 7:02 |
5. | "Threnody" | 8:09 |
6. | " The Cliff" | 4:05 |
7. | "Vestiges" | 7:17 |
8. | "Bardo" | 2:58 |
9. | "Perpetual Dawn" | 9:38 |
10. | "The Cliff" (feat. Allen Epley) | 4:07 |
Total length: | 57:30 |
Forever Becoming personnel according to liner notes. [19]
Pelican
|
Additional musicians
|
Production and recording
|
Art and design
|
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Hard Rock Albums ( Billboard) [20] | 21 |
US Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard) [21] | 7 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums ( Billboard) [22] | 22 |
{{
cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link)