Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Ever After (Marianas Trench album)
2011 studio album by Marianas Trench From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Ever After is the third studio album by Canadian rock group Marianas Trench. It was released on November 21, 2011, in Canada and December 21, 2011, in the US.[3] The album was certified Double Platinum by Music Canada in January 2018.[4] Five singles were released from the album, including the Canadian Hot 100 Top 10 hit "Haven't Had Enough" and the Top 20 Canada Hot AC airplay hits "Stutter" and "By Now". The album's first four singles have been certified Double Platinum by Music Canada.[5]
Remove ads
Background
Summarize
Perspective
Composition
In an interview with Alternative Addiction in March 2011, lead singer Josh Ramsay said they had began recording songs for their third album with a planned release date for the fall. He also confirmed that a single had been completed and would be released in the summer.[6] The single was announced to be "Haven't Had Enough", released in July 2011.[7] That same month, the group revealed 4 more song titles from the forthcoming album, "Fallout", "By Now", "So Soon" and "Toy Soldiers".[8] After months of anticipation, Ramsay announced on Twitter that the album will be titled Ever After.[9] The band announced that the album would be released on November 29, 2011,[10] however this date was later pushed up to November 21.[3] The band announced that there would not be any breaks in between the tracks on the record, and would instead have a new track start as soon as the previous track ended, without a pause, making it an hour-long continuous piece of music.[3] Through YouTube, the band previewed recordings of a gospel choir for their song "Stutter", as well as a few recordings from the band.[11] The album cover was revealed on the band's Facebook page on October 17, 2011, and it features a series of toys on a shelf.[12]
Production on the album began in the beginning of 2011.[13] The album was produced by Ramsay and was recorded at his studio, Umbrella Factory, in Richmond, British Columbia.[3] The group decided to produce it on their own as it allowed them complete the album "as quickly as possible" and avoided having to wait to "work around a producer's schedule," which would have slowed their process, according to Ayley.[14] Musically, Ramsay described the sound as "radio style, pop/top 40 style," though noted it would not be much of a departure from their previous sound featured on Masterpiece Theatre, rather that the band "pushed themselves even further."[6] He also said the record was influenced by Queen, the Beach Boys and Michael Jackson.[2] Bassist Mike Ayley noted a progression in the group's sound stating that they have learned more about "writing and recording music from album to album."[15] Drummer Ian Casselman stated that they avoided trying to create "the same album over and over again," and with this record, they decided to incorporate some theatrics into it.[16] He also spoke about the process of having to piece the track list and making sure that each song would flow together in a nice order stating, "When songs are different, it's hard to flow one song into another, so it took quite a while to decide what the order is and what to put in between them."[16]
Storyline
Ever After is a concept album based around a fairytale concept.[3] Ayley described it as a "Tim Burton kind of story."[17] In addition to the fact that there is no pause between the tracks, Ever After also has a storyline told through the album's songs as well as its booklet. The story tells of a fictionalized Josh Ramsay and his adventures in the fantasy kingdom of Toyland.[18]
It tells a story of a man awakening in a land run by Queen Carolina, who uses her factory to build toys that steal hearts. The man goes on a mission to find Porcelain: the missing, heartless, adopted daughter of the former king. She holds a piece of a key that opens a chest that will allow him to return home.[19]
Remove ads
Release
The album became available for full preview on the MuchMusic website a week before the release.[20] The album was released on November 21.[21] Some stores such as Wal-Mart, sold limited edition "Fan-packs" of Ever After that include a Marianas Trench T-shirt. A deluxe edition of the album was re-issued in March 2014.[22]
Singles
The first single from the album, entitled "Haven't Had Enough" was released on July 19, 2011.[23] The music video for the song was released on August 26.[24] "By Now" was released as a free download to people who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of Ever After on iTunes.[25] The second official single, "Fallout" was released to iTunes on November 14.[26] On February 1, 2012, a music video for "Fallout" premiered via MTV.[27] A behind-the-scenes video was also released.[28] The third single "Desperate Measures" was released on July 4, and had its music video premiere the same day.[29][30] The fourth single "Stutter" was released on December 4.[31] Although not playing the character of Princess Porcelain, actress Olivia Ryan-Stern was featured in this video.[32] The music video premiered on the MuchMusic Top 10 on December 17, 2012.[33] The fifth and final single, "By Now" was released for radio airplay on June 10, 2013.[34] The music video for the song was released on August 1.[35]
Promotion
They toured with The Ready Set, Allstar Weekend, and The Downtown Fiction in the 2011 Glamour Kills Tour.[36] In October and November, the group supported Simple Plan on their headlining US tour.[37] They toured in Canada with Simple Plan, All Time Low, and These Kids Wear Crowns in February.[38] In April, the group planned to go on a tour of the US.[39] However, they had to cancel it due to illness.[40]
In May, the group appeared at The Bamboozle festival in the US.[41] Following this, the group appeared on the Journeys Backyard BBQ Tour, which included indoor and outdoor performances at malls in the US.[42] Further US shows took place following the conclusion of the tour. Some of the shows were performed with The Audition.[43] In September, the group performed at the Bazooka Rocks Festival in the Philippines.[44]
In October 2012, the group embarked on the Face the Music tour, with support from Down with Webster, Anami Vice and Jesse Giddings.[45] A continuation of the tour expanded from March to July 2013, under the name, Face the Music: With a Vengeance Tour.[46] In May and June, the group also went on the Noise Tour with Air Dubai.[47]
Remove ads
Critical reception
Summarize
Perspective
Ever After was met with positive reviews from music critics. Joe DeAndrea of AbsolutePunk said the album was "damn near flawless" and that it could be a "top candidate for one of the best pop-rock albums of 2011." He praised the slower tempo tracks such as "Porcelain" and "So Soon" for its instrumentation and called "Desperate Measures" and "Stutter" the album's standout tracks.[48] Timothy Monger of AllMusic stated, "Their pop-punk core remains intact, but is tempered by strong elements of synth and dance-pop [...] it's nice to hear a group play around stylistically within the genre. They know their craft well and can fashion hooks and melodies that last for days." However, he criticized the production describing it as "overtly over the top."[49] Alternative Addiction wrote, "It's not as instantly gratifying as Masterpiece Theatre but it has the capacity for a greater longevity. Two back to back amazing records should have Marianas Trench prepped for a great 2012 in Canada and beyond."[50] Johan Wippsson of Melodic described the album as a "blend of classic symphonic rock like Queen with newer punk pop." He also added, "Smart electronic elements and fantastic arrangements is delivered and gives the album a fresh and modern touch, but in a classic way."[1]
Remove ads
Commercial performance
Ever After debuted at number eight on the Canadian Albums Chart.[51] The album was certified Gold in its first week by Music Canada,[52] before reaching platinum status in November 2012.[4] It was certified triple-platinum by Music Canada in January 2025, denoting sales and streams of 240,000 units.[4] The album also peaked at number 48 on the US Independent Albums chart.[53]
Awards and nominations
Track listing
All tracks are written by Josh Ramsay.
Remove ads
Personnel
Credits for Ever After adapted from AllMusic and album's liner notes.[57][18]
|
|
Tours
Face the Music Tour
Face the Music: With a Vengeance Tour
Remove ads
Charts
Remove ads
Certifications
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads