Hell Is What You Make It

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Hell Is What You Make It
Studio album by
Breathe Carolina
ReleasedJuly 12, 2011
Recorded2010-2011
Genre
Length47:06
LabelFearless
Producer
Breathe Carolina chronology
Hello Fascination
(2009) 		Hell Is What You Make It
(2011) 		Savages
(2014)
Alternative covers
Hell Is What You Make It: Reloaded cover
Singles from Hell Is What You Make It
  1. "Blackout"
    Released: June 14, 2011
  2. "Hit and Run"
    Released: May 22, 2012

Hell Is What You Make It is the third studio album by electronic rock duo Breathe Carolina. It was released on July 12, 2011 through Fearless Records. Recording for the album took place in Los Angeles, California between 2010-2011 whilst production was handled by Ian Kirkpatrick. Musically, the album is mainly rooted in dance, pop, trance and post-hardcore genres but also uses elements of electronic music and dubstep.[1][2][3] The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its "catchiness" and "radio-friendly" songs. It debuted at number 42 on the Billboard 200, as well as the top 10 of the Dance/Electronic, Rock, Alternative and Independent Albums charts. Promotion of the album was primarily through live concerts and television performances, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Habit. Its lead single, "Blackout", has since become a commercial success, peaking within the charts in Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, the United Kingdom and United States, while being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling more than 1 million copies. A deluxe edition titled Hell Is What You Make It: RELOADED was scheduled to be released on July 10, 2012, including two new original tracks, one remix, and a new version of "Last Night (Vegas)". It is their final release with founding member Kyle Even.[4]

Background and recording[edit]

On December 22, 2010, Fearless Records posted a video featuring a 30-second preview of the track "Blackout".[5] Recording took place in Los Angeles,[6] California in early 2011. It is the first album in which Breathe Carolina recorded as a full band.[7] It was officially announced on April 28, 2011 when the band launched a website to promote the album.[8] The website contained a video featuring a forty-second preview of the track "Wooly" whilst displaying the album's title and release date in flash animation.[9] On May 15, 2011, a demo of the track "Sweat It Out" was temporarily posted on YouTube before being shortly taken down. On May 19, the promotional website was updated, containing the album's cover art and track listing.[6]

Release and promotion[edit]

The album was released on July 12, 2011 through Fearless Records. The duo participated in the 2011 Scream It Like You Mean It Tour to promote the album.[10] The group embarked on a co-headlining tour called the Blackout Forever Tour in 2012 with the Ready Set.[11]

Prior to the album's release, "Wooly" and "Sweat It Out" were available for streaming on the duo's official social networking sites.[12][13]

Singles[edit]

The album's lead single, "Blackout", was available for streaming via MTV Buzzworthy on June 13, 2011, and was released for digital download the following day.[14][15] It has since become the duo's most commercially successful single to date, charting within Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, the United Kingdom and United States, while also being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling more than 500,000 copies.[16] It has also received generally favorable reviews from music critics, with Alternative Press calling it an "irresistible synth-pop song".[17] A lyric video was uploaded onto the duo's official YouTube account on June 24.[18] An accompanying music video was released onto the duo's official Vevo page on YouTube on September 20,[19] and has since garnered more than 1 million views. The video features shots of the duo partying and getting into trouble, as well as performing the song at a live event.[20] It was shot during summer 2011 in Los Angeles, California.[21] The duo also performed the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in their first televised performance ever.[22] An extended play titled Blackout: The Remixes EP was released on September 27 via iTunes.[23] "Hit and Run" exclusively premiered via Alternative Press on May 21, 2012, while being available for digital download the following day.[24] It is featured on the deluxe edition of the album.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]
Alternative Press[17]
Alter the Press![26]
Kill Your Stereo[27]

The album has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Tim Sendra of Allmusic gave a positive review, scoring the album 3 and a half stars out of 5, saying, "Hell Is What You Make It finds the duo of Kyle Even and David Schmitt refining their amalgamation of sounds into something both slicker and more powerful than past efforts".[25] The album's singles, "Blackout", "Last Night (Vegas)", and "Take It Back" were indicated as the AMG Track Picks.[25] Alternative Press also gave a positive review, scoring the album 3 and a half stars out of 5, saying, "The band—and producer Ian Kirkpatrick—bring a lot of dishes to this sonic buffet—and most of them are to be consumed on the dancefloor". While praising "Blackout", an "irresistible synth-pop song", "Wooly", the opening track "where house-techno sequencers and melodic vocals parry with screamo-metal breakdowns and growling", and "Waiting", "the head-nod initiator" that "would sound sweet bumping at a hipster club at 4 a.m," they criticized the tracks "Last Night (Vegas)", "Take It Back", and "Chemicals", calling them a "smack of blatant careerism".[17] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called the album, "one of the year's best pure pop albums." He stated, "Rivulets of teen pop, pop-punk, screamo and club music all feed these songs, which are propulsive and cheerful even when the subject matter is grim."[28]

Commercial performance[edit]

It debuted and peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200, only one number higher than their previous album, Hello Fascination.[29] It also charted within the Billboard Rock, Alternative, Dance and Independent Album Charts.[29] As of March 2014, the album has sold 64,000 copies in the United States.[30]

Track listing[edit]

All songs produced by Ian Kirkpatrick except "Chemicals", produced by Matt Squire.

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rebirth: An Introduction"
0:59
2."Wooly"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
3:53
3."Blackout"
3:28
4."Edge of Heaven"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Daniel R. Monahan
  • Augie Schmidt
3:39
5."Last Night (Vegas)"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
  • David L. Quinones
3:34
6."Sweat It Out"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
3:50
7."Gone So Long"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
4:07
8."They Say You Won't Come Back"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
4:15
9."Get Off Easy"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Wilcox
3:45
10."Waiting"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Quinones
4:24
11."Take It Back"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
3:29
12."Chemicals"
3:31
13."Lauren's Song"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
4:10
Total length:47:06
Reloaded[31]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Hit and Run"
3:12
15."Reaching for the Floor"
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Kirkpatrick
3:30
16."Hit and Run" (Wideboys remix)
  • Schmitt
  • Even
  • Armenta
  • Aragon
  • Bonet
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Robbins
3:31
Total length:57:14

Personnel[edit]

Breathe Carolina
  • Kyle Even – unclean vocals, clean vocals
  • David Schmitt – clean vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums
Additional musicians
  • Eric Armenta – drums, percussion
  • Joshua Aragon – keyboards, guitars, background vocals
  • Luis Bonet – keyboards
Production[32]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[33] 42
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[34] 8
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[35] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[36] 9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[37] 10

References[edit]

  1. ^ Caleb Dennis (July 23, 2011). "Breathe Carolina: Hell is What You Make It". Mind Equals Blown. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "Breathe Carolina – Hell Is What You Make It Album Review". July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Neepam Shah (July 24, 2011). "Breathe Carolina - Hell Is What You Make It". Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Hell is What You Make It: RELOADED | the Official Breathe Carolina Site". Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  5. ^ "Fearless Records – New Music Coming In 2011". YouTube. December 22, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Johan Wippsson (May 20, 2011). "Breathe Carolina Unveils Tracklisting And Album Art For New Album". Melodic. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Darryl Smyers (July 27, 2011). "Breathe Carolina's Kyle Even Talks The Ups and Downs of Blending Dance Music with Metal". Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Website of Breathe Carolina". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  9. ^ "Breathe Carolina – "Hell Is What You Make It" Announcement". YouTube. April 29, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "2011 (US TOUR)". Scream It Like You Mean It. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  11. ^ Grant Trimboli (February 7, 2012). "Breathe Carolina Reveal Blackout Tour". underthegunreview.net. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  12. ^ "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, Unlocked Song – "WOOLY"". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  13. ^ "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, NEW SONG UNLOCKED". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  14. ^ "Song Premiere: Breathe Carolina, 'Blackout'". Buzzworthy.mtv.com. June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  15. ^ "Blackout – Single: Breathe Carolina: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  16. ^ "Introducing Breathe Carolina". Top40.about.com. September 20, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  17. ^ a b c "Breathe Carolina - Hell is What You Make It". Alternative Press. July 4, 2011. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina release "Blackout" lyric video". Altpress.com. June 24, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  19. ^ "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina release "Blackout" music video". Altpress.com. September 20, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  20. ^ Matt (September 21, 2011). "Video Debut: Breathe Carolina's "Blackout" Is High-Energy Fun". 923now.radio.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  21. ^ "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, "Blackout" Music Video Casting Call". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  22. ^ "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina on Jimmy Kimmel Live". Altpress.com. June 15, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  23. ^ "Alternative Press | Features | Exclusive Stream: Breathe Carolina's "Blackout (Big Chocolate remix)"". Altpress.com. September 22, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  24. ^ "Premiere: Breathe Carolina, "Hit and Run"". Alternative Press. May 21, 2012.
  25. ^ a b c "Hell is What You Make It - Breathe Carolina | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  26. ^ Edward Strickson. "Album Review: Breathe Carolina - Hell is What You Make It". Alter the Press!. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  27. ^ "Album Review: Breathe Carolina - Hell is What You Make It". Kill Your Stereo. July 31, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  28. ^ Jon Caramanica (September 2, 2011). "Murky Edges of Darkness and Bouncy Teen Pop". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "Breathe Carolina Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  30. ^ "HITS Daily Double: Upcoming Releases". Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  31. ^ "Hell is What You Make It: Reloaded". Amazon.
  32. ^ "Hell Is What You Make It – Breathe Carolina". AllMusic. July 12, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  33. ^ "Breathe Carolina Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  34. ^ "Breathe Carolina Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  35. ^ "Breathe Carolina Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  36. ^ "Breathe Carolina Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  37. ^ "Breathe Carolina Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
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