Madness (Sleeping with Sirens album)

Madness is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sleeping with Sirens. The album was released on March 17, 2015 through Epitaph Records. The album was self-produced by the band and John Feldmann. The album is the band's first release following their departure from Rise Records in 2014. It is their first album record to feature guitarist Nick Martin of D.R.U.G.S. and Underminded who replaced former guitarist Jesse Lawson. Madness was preceded by lead single "Kick Me" as well as a string of digital singles. The album continues the band's progression to a more pop rock–style sound, but retains some post-hardcore influences on tracks.^[2]

Madness
Studio album by Sleeping with Sirens
Released	March 17, 2015[1]
Recorded	June–September 2014
Genre	Pop punk[2] pop metal[3] post-hardcore[2]
Length	40:49
Label	Epitaph
Producer	John Feldmann
Sleeping with Sirens chronology
Feel (2013) Madness (2015) Live and Unplugged (2016)
Singles from Madness
"Kick Me" Released: November 10, 2014 "We Like It Loud" Released: January 1, 2015 "Go Go Go" Released: January 22, 2015 "Better Off Dead" Released: March 12, 2015

Background and recording

Following the release of the band's third studio album, Feel (2013), they toured extensively worldwide in support of the album. In May 2014, the band posted that they were in the studio^[4] in Nashville, Tennessee and recorded 13 tracks with Nick Raskulinecz, however later scrapped them and recorded new material for a fourth album in Los Angeles, California. In June, Quinn posted a clip of a new song online.^[5] The band recorded a total of 15 new tracks with producer John Feldmann. Quinn explains, "We just planned on going to Feldmann to do 2 or 3 songs and after we got in there, I'm like, 'we're gonna re-do this whole thing."^[6] The two bonus tracks, "Parasites" and "2 Chord" were produced by Raskulinecz.

Sound and influence

Madness is a pop rock album with punk and hardcore influences. According to a review by Radio.com, the album has "empowering lyrics and anthem-like sing-along choruses" and is "massive, emotional, and speaks directly to disaffected youth and others who’ve been told they’ll never amount to anything."^[7] Due to the fact that the album's recording sessions took place throughout a time where Sleeping with Sirens were not signed to a record label and had little money, frontman Kellin Quinn said "it's always chaotic and madness and just being caught in the middle of it and figuring out who you are in the midst of all the craziness."^[7]

Release

In late August, the group performed a new track, entitled "Kick Me", live at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. In addition, it was announced that the group had recently shot a music video for the track.^[8] The music video for the song was released on November 10.^[9] In November and December, the group went on a co-headlining US with Pierce the Veil with support from Beartooth and This Wild Life.^[10] On January 1, 2015, "We Like It Loud" was made available for streaming and as a free download.^[11] On January 22, Madness was announced for release in March. In addition, a music video was also released for "Go Go Go".^[12] Between January and March, the group embarked on a second leg of their co-headlining US tour with Pierce the Veil. They were supported by PVRIS and Mallory Knox.^[13] "Better Off Dead" was released on March 12, 2015.^[14]

"Fly" was made available for streaming on March 10, followed by "Gold" on March 12, and "Save Me a Spark" on March 13.^[15][16][17] Madness was released on March 17 through Epitaph Records.^[12] On May 5, a music video was released for "The Strays".^[18] In June, the group went on an acoustic tour, dubbed the We Like It Quiet Tour, with support from The Summer Set and Nick Santino.^[19] On September 9, a music video was released for "Better Off Dead".^[20] In October and November, the group supported All Time Low on their Back to the Future Hearts tour in the US.^[21] In November and December 2016, the group went on headlining US tour with support from State Champs, Tonight Alive and Waterparks.^[22]

Reception

Commercial reception

Madness debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 selling 34,941 copies in its first week.^[23] As of August 2015, the album sold 79,200 copies.^[24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[25]
Alternative Press	[26]
Exclaim!	4/10[27]
Kerrang!
The New York Times	[28]
Ultimate Guitar	5.3/10[29]

The album received generally positive reviews from professional music critics. According to review aggregate Metacritic, the album received a 74 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, citing "generally positive reviews".

Radio.com editor Jay Tilles talked about the album's third single, "The Strays" in his review stating: "Of the album’s 13 songs, sixth track “The Strays” stands out like a sore thumb. With its empowering lyrics and anthem-for-the-underdogs chorus, it’s massive, emotional, and speaks directly to disaffected youth and others who’ve been told they’ll never amount to anything. “Lost and thrown away/you know we’re better than that,” sings Kellin Quinn, the band’s frontman, his voice a deceptively delicate tenor that has become one of the band’s defining sounds."^[7]

Branan Ranjanathan for Exclaim! was more negative, feeling the album lacked cohesiveness, writing: "With their latest album, Sleeping With Sirens have tried to appeal to every group that has ever taken an interest in their particular sound, creating a disorienting, cluttered set of songs that lacks any definitive direction. Over the years the band's sound has shifted from straightforward post-hardcore to something more accessible to a pop audience, but Madness is a muddled attempt at fusing both sounds within a single album."^[30]

The album was included at number 25 on Rock Sound's top 50 releases of 2015 list.^[31] Madness was nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards.^[32]

Track listing

All song titles and durations were taken from iTunes Store.^[33]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Kick Me"	2:31
2.	"Go Go Go"	2:47
3.	"Gold"	3:32
4.	"Save Me a Spark"	3:39
5.	"Fly"	3:35
6.	"The Strays"	2:58
7.	"Left Alone"	3:20
8.	"Better Off Dead"	3:08
9.	"We Like It Loud"	2:17
10.	"Heroine"	3:35
11.	"November"	3:29
12.	"Madness"	2:42
13.	"Don't Say Anything"	3:16
Total length:		40:49

Deluxe version bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Parasites"	2:55
15.	"2 Chord"	4:49
Total length:		48:33

Personnel

Sleeping With Sirens

• Kellin Quinn – lead vocals, keyboards
• Jack Fowler – lead guitar, programming
• Nick Martin – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Justin Hills – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Gabe Barham – drums, percussion

Production

• John Feldmann – production (tracks 1-13)
• Zakk Cervini & John Feldmann - mixing (tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12)
• Tom Lord-Alge - mixing (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7 & 13)
• Nick Raskulinecz - production (tracks 14-15)
• Ted Jensen - mastering

Chart performance

Peak positions Chart (2015) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] 13 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 122 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[36] 23 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[37] 83 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[38] 159 Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 33 UK Albums (OCC)[40] 26 US Billboard 200[41] 13

Year-end charts Chart (2015) Position U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Albums[42] 18 U.S. Billboard Independent Albums[43] 26 U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[44] 62

References

Citations

1. Madness Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Sanity. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
2. Sleeping With Sirens Madness Archived 2015-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Musicfeeds. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
3. Stein, Claire (March 20, 2015). "Sleeping with Sirens Is Bringing Emo-Punk Back with Their New Album". InStyle. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
4. Sharp, Tyler (May 29, 2014). "Sleeping With Sirens recording new music". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
5. Crane, Matt (June 12, 2014). "Hear a clip of a new Sleeping With Sirens song". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
6. #SkinnyJeanProblems, re-recording, tour hangouts and more with Sleeping With Sirens. YouTube. 11 December 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
7. "Sleeping With Sirens 'Madness' Album Review « Radio.com". radio.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
8. Crane, Matt (August 25, 2014). "Watch Sleeping With Sirens perform a new song, "Kick Me"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
9. Crane, Matt (November 10, 2014). "Sleeping With Sirens release new song, "Kick Me"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
10. Sharp, Tyler (July 21, 2014). "Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens announce US co-headlining tour with Beartooth, This Wild Life". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
11. Sharp, Tyler (January 1, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens stream new song, "We Like It Loud"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
12. Sharp, Tyler (January 22, 2015). "Listen to Sleeping With Sirens' latest single from their new album, 'Madness'". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
13. Sharp, Tyler (November 10, 2014). "PVRIS, Mallory Knox added to Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce The Veil tour". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
14. "Better Off Dead - Single by Sleeping with Sirens". Spotify. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
15. "Stream Sleeping With Sirens' latest single, "Fly"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. March 10, 2015. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
16. Crane, Matt (March 12, 2015). "Stream Sleeping With Sirens' latest single, "Gold"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on March 14, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
17. Crane, Matt (March 12, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens stream new song, "Save Me A Spark"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
18. Crane, Matt (May 5, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens release "The Strays" video". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
19. Sharp, Tyler (April 10, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens announce acoustic tour with the Summer Set, Nick Santino". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
20. Sharp, Tyler (September 9, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens unleash "Better Off Dead" music video". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
21. Chatterjee, Kika (July 7, 2015). "All Time Low announce fall tour with Sleeping With Sirens". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
22. Sharp, Tyler (August 15, 2016). "Sleeping With Sirens announce tour with State Champs, Tonight Alive, Waterparks". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
23. "Sleeping With Sirens' Madness debuts at No. 13 on Billboard Top 200 chart". Alternative Press. March 27, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
24. "Metal by Numbers appendix: 2015's biggest selling metal so far". Metal Insider. 12 August 2015. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
25. James Christopher Monger (March 17, 2015). "Madness - Sleeping with Sirens". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
26. Jason Pettigrew (March 17, 2015). "Sleeping With Sirens show how that they are poised for greater things with 'Madness' (review)". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
27. Ranjanathan, Branan (March 17, 2015). "Sleeping with Sirens - Madness". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
28. Jon Caramanica (March 16, 2015). "Sleeping with Sirens - Madness". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
29. UG Team (March 27, 2015). "Madness review by Sleeping With Sirens". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
30. "Sleeping With Sirens". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
31. Bird, ed. 2016, p. 25
32. Whitt, Cassie (March 18, 2016). "Here are the nominees for the 2016 AP Music Awards!". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
33. "iTunes - Music - Madness (Deluxe Edition) by Sleeping With Sirens". iTunes. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
34. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 23, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
35. "Ultratop.be – Sleeping With Sirens – Madness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
36. "Sleeping With Sirens Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
37. "Dutchcharts.nl – Sleeping With Sirens – Madness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
38. "Sleeping With Sirensのアルバム作品". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-04-26.
39. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
40. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
41. "Sleeping with Sirens Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
42. "Hard Rock Albums : Dec 31, 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
43. "Digital Albums : Dec 31, 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
44. "Top Rock Albums : Dec 31, 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.

Sources

• Bird, Ryan, ed. (January 2016). "Top 50 Releases of the Year". Rock Sound (208). London: Freeway Press Inc. ISSN 1465-0185.

External links

• Madness at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)