The Prize Recruit

The Prize Recruit is the debut full-length album from Australian nu metal band Superheist. It was recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne by Superheist and producer Kalju Tonuma and released on 15 April 2001. It peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001, Tonuma was nominated for Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year for the album.

The Prize Recruit
Studio album by Superheist
Released	15 April 2001 (2001-04-15)
Recorded	2001
Studio	Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne
Genre	Nu metal
Length	47:09
Label	Pivotal/Shock
Producer	Kalju Tonuma
Superheist chronology
8 Miles High (2000) The Prize Recruit (2001) Identical Remote Controlled Reactions (2002)
Singles from The Prize Recruit
"Crank the System" Released: 2000 "Bullet" Released: 2001 "Step Back/Slide" Released: 2001

Background

In April 2001 Superheist's first full-length studio album, The Prize Recruit, was released by Shock Records, it peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart.^[1][2] A reviewer for Rolling Stone described it as "what the new heavy breed should sound like".^[2] Theprp.com website's wookubus felt the band "continue to evolve and each facet of their aural expression has been stepped up a notch, from the more encompassing use of programming to the stronger vocal variation and sleeker song structures" with the album generally "a very lush and colorful ride that the listener can literally slip right through, with little to no snags. Sure there are a few moments where things become a little too overtly radio friendly or sound a bit commercially focused, but with the bulk of the material included representing an eclectic blend of energetic modern metal crunch, such things are easy enough to overlook".^[3]

The Prize Recruit was produced by Kalju Tonuma (Boom Crash Opera, The Mavis's, Hunters & Collectors)^[4] and at the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 he was nominated for Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year for the album.^[5] In March of the following year, a Shock Records representative claimed that the label had spent $250–300,000 on the album and despite sales approaching 35,000 units they were still short of covering their expenses.^[6] The second single from the album, "Bullet", had appeared in March 2001, which peaked at No. 45.^[7][1] The album's third single, "Step Back/Slide" (July), had less chart success although it reached the top 100.^[8]

Track listing

AUS CD PIVOTAL0001

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Fight Back"	3:15
2.	"Bullet"	4:10
3.	"Burnt Out Souls"	3:27
4.	"Slide"	4:47
5.	"Deliverance"	4:10
6.	"Uncanny Decadence"	2:48
7.	"Old Again [Eurotrash]"	3:45
8.	"The Ghost"	4:27
9.	"Happy Wasted"	3:06
10.	"Unlearn"	2:53
11.	"Down South"	2:57
12.	"Crank the System"	3:44
13.	"[Hidden Silent Track]"	0:04
14.	"Step Back"	3:35
Total length:		47:09

All music is composed by Superheist

Industry promo featuring the album with a slightly different edit and track listing:

1. "The Fight Back" – 3:49
2. "Bullet" – 4:10
3. "Burnt Out Souls" – 3:27
4. "Slide" – 4:47
5. "Deliverance" – 4:10
6. "Uncanny Decadence" – 2:48
7. "Old Again (Eurotrash)" – 3:44
8. "The Ghost" – 4:27
9. "Happy Wasted" – 3:06
10. "Unlearn" – 2:53
11. "Down South" – 2:57
12. "Crank the System" – 3:47
13. "Step Back" – 3:34

Personnel

Superheist

• Rod McLeod – lead vocals
• dw Norton  – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Sean Pentecost – drums
• Fetah Sabawi – keyboards
• Drew Dedman – bass guitar

Production work

• Kalju Tonuma – producer, engineer
• Jimi Maroudas, Nick Cervonaro, Richard Stolz – assistant engineer
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Rick Will – mixing

Charts

Chart performance for The Prize Recruit

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[1]	12

References

1. "Australiancharts.com – Superheist – The Prize Recruit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
2. "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 23 April 2001. pp. 2, 4–5, 7, 10–12, 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
3. wookubus. "Heavier Than Your Mom". The PRP (Pimp Rock Palace). Retrieved 6 September 2014.
4. Holmgren, Magnus. "Superheist". passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
5. "Winners By Year – 27th ARIA Awards 2013 – Search Results 'Superheist'". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 6 September 2014.
6. Ellingsen, Peter; Donovan, Patrick (18 March 2002). "Playing to a Fading Beat". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
7. Australian Music Online, Pivotal associated singles:

   • "Crank the System" :– "Releases :: 'Crank the System'". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
   • "Bullet" :– "Releases :: 'Bullet'". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
   • "7 Years" :– "Releases :: '7 Years'". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
8. "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 16 July 2001. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2014.

External links

• The Prize Recruit at AllMusic
• The Prize Recruit at Discogs