Screamer is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on October 18, 2019.
Background
Frontman Stephan Jenkins had made many different comments about the prospect of the band recording a sixth studio album prior to the release of Screamer. As far back as 2012, Jenkins stated that the band would not ever make a sixth studio album, stating that after the release of their fifth studio album, 2015's, Dopamine, they would cease recording full albums in favor of touring and recording smaller EP releases. In the coming years, the band would focus on EP releases, including We Are Drugs in 2016, a cancelled EP entitled Summer Gods that was supposed to explore trap music in 2017, and an EP of cover songs, Thanks for Everything, in 2018. Jenkins' stance on recording an album wavered at times in this era, sometimes referring to Summer Gods as an album, and explaining that the recording of Thanks for Everything was to find inspiration for recording a future studio album.
As late as November 2018, Jenkins was still referring to the release as an EP, though by May 2019, Jenkins announced it had grown from an EP to a full 10 song studio album. In July 2019, Jenkins announced that it had expanded into an 11 song album titled Screamer, scheduled for release on October 18, 2019.
Writing and recording
Jenkins notes that the album feature far more outside collaborations than prior Third Eye Blind albums, with the band adopting an "open door policy for various artists to contribute ideas to songs. Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins was described as the album's "musical consigliere" (advisor). The album's title track features Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, "Who Am I" contains a contribution from Ryan Olson of Marijuana Deathsquads, and "Got So High" features a contribution from Poliça. Jenkins stated the album's sound deviated from the sound of prior albums as well, aiming for a rougher, less polished sound, and emphasizing a mantra of "Keep the edge, keep it weird". Thematically, the albums explores the idea of personal revelation and passion in the face of an oncoming dystopia, being inspired by social and political activism of recent years.
Release and promotion
The release was initially planned to be release prior to the band's North American tour with Jimmy Eat World in June 2019, but the album was stuck at only 90% complete at the time, and was held back. While the band was unable to promote the album itself on the tour, they still tease the album's upcoming release at live shows, and debuted new songs live at various shows, including "Screamer", "The Kids Are Coming", and "Ways". The studio recording of "Sceamer" was released on July 25, 2019, the same day as the album's name and release date announcement. The album will be one of ten grouped together in the "Ten Albums, One Cause" breast cancer awareness campaign, which involves it receiving a special pink vinyl release.Screamer is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on October 18, 2019.
Background
Frontman Stephan Jenkins had made many different comments about the prospect of the band recording a sixth studio album prior to the release of Screamer. As far back as 2012, Jenkins stated that the band would not ever make a sixth studio album, stating that after the release of their fifth studio album, 2015's, Dopamine, they would cease recording full albums in favor of touring and recording smaller EP releases. In the coming years, the band would focus on EP releases, including We Are Drugs in 2016, a cancelled EP entitled Summer Gods that was supposed to explore trap music in 2017, and an EP of cover songs, Thanks for Everything, in 2018. Jenkins' stance on recording an album wavered at times in this era, sometimes referring to Summer Gods as an album, and explaining that the recording of Thanks for Everything was to find inspiration for recording a future studio album.
As late as November 2018, Jenkins was still referring to the release as an EP, though by May 2019, Jenkins announced it had grown from an EP to a full 10 song studio album. In July 2019, Jenkins announced that it had expanded into an 11 song album titled Screamer, scheduled for release on October 18, 2019.
Writing and recording
Jenkins notes that the album feature far more outside collaborations than prior Third Eye Blind albums, with the band adopting an "open door policy for various artists to contribute ideas to songs. Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins was described as the album's "musical consigliere" (advisor). The album's title track features Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, "Who Am I" contains a contribution from Ryan Olson of Marijuana Deathsquads, and "Got So High" features a contribution from Poliça. Jenkins stated the album's sound deviated from the sound of prior albums as well, aiming for a rougher, less polished sound, and emphasizing a mantra of "Keep the edge, keep it weird". Thematically, the albums explores the idea of personal revelation and passion in the face of an oncoming dystopia, being inspired by social and political activism of recent years.
Release and promotion
The release was initially planned to be release prior to the band's North American tour with Jimmy Eat World in June 2019, but the album was stuck at only 90% complete at the time, and was held back. While the band was unable to promote the album itself on the tour, they still tease the album's upcoming release at live shows, and debuted new songs live at various shows, including "Screamer", "The Kids Are Coming", and "Ways". The studio recording of "Sceamer" was released on July 25, 2019, the same day as the album's name and release date announcement. The album will be one of ten grouped together in the "Ten Albums, One Cause" breast cancer awareness campaign, which involves it receiving a special pink vinyl release.false2024-02-06 15:03:44Screamer920192019-01-012019-01-0139Alternative RockPop RockPost-GrungeRock1120362329623fe0e7fa2-cb9b-4b08-94a0-18cf7d1acdec92a42e82-b36f-4308-82c1-68bad2e03c89d653471d-2c7b-4cab-8548-4e25b390fc9b/media/data/media4/Music/Third Eye Blind/Screamer (2019)/folder.jpgThird Eye BlindAlbumArtistThird Eye BlindArtistThird Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recording contract with Elektra Records in 1996. The band released their self-titled debut album in 1997, with the band largely consisting of Jenkins (vocals, rhythm guitar), Cadogan (lead guitar), Arion Salazar (bass guitar), and Brad Hargreaves (drums). Shortly after the release of the band's second album in 1999, Blue, with the same line-up, Cadogan was released from the band under controversial circumstances.
The band continued, but with many line-up changes and long gaps between album releases for the next 15 years. The band released Out of the Vein in 2003 and Ursa Major in 2009 with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, but parted ways with him shortly afterwards, leaving only Jenkins and Hargreaves as the remaining core members. The band's lineup stabilized again in the mid-2010s, adding Kryz Reid (lead guitar), Alex Kopp (keyboards), and Alex LeCavalier (bass guitar). The new lineup led to increased output with less time between releases - Dopamine (2015), and a string of EPs, We Are Drugs (2016) and Thanks for Everything (2018). After Kopp was replaced by Colin Creev, sixth and seventh studio albums Screamer (2019) and Our Bande Apart (2021) were released.
The band found commercial success in the late 1990s, with Third Eye Blind and Blue certified platinum six times and single platinum in the United States, respectively. Several songs were commercial successes as well, with "Semi-Charmed Life", "Jumper", and "How's It Going to Be", all reaching the Top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, and "Never Let You Go" reaching the Top 20. Third Eye Blind has sold around 12 million records worldwide.