Kings & Queens is the ninth studio album by Christian rock band Audio Adrenaline, the only Audio Adrenaline album with Kevin Max as the lead singer and the last album with bassist and founding member Will McGinniss. The album was released on March 12, 2013, and was the first album after their comeback and with the Fair Trade Services label.[1][2] Kings & Queens garnered critical acclaim from music critics, and has seen chart successes.
| Kings & Queens | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 12, 2013[1] | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | CCM, Christian rock | |||
| Length | 36:57 | |||
| Label | Fair Trade Services[2] | |||
| Producer | Dwayne Larring,[3] Seth Mosley[3] | |||
| Audio Adrenaline chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Kings & Queens | ||||
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Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| CCM Magazine | [5] |
| Christian Music Review |  [6] |
| Christian Music Zine | [7] |
| CM Addict | [8] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [9] |
| Indie Vision Music | [10] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [11] [12] |
| Louder Than the Music | [13] |
| New Release Tuesday | [14] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [15] |
| Worship Leader | [16] |
Audio Adrenaline's Kings & Queens garnered critical acclaim from the 13 music critics that reviewed and rated the album. The work got two five-star perfect reviews from CM Addict and New Release Tuesday. The album has received four four-and-a-half-stars-out-of-five by Christian Music Review, Christian Music Zine and Jesus Freak Hideout's John DiBiase, Louder Than the Music, Worship Leader. The effort got three four-stars-out-of-five from Allmusic, CCM Magazine, Indie Vision Music and The Phantom Tollbooth. The project got one lone three-and-a-half-stars-out-out-five review by Roger Gelwicks of Jesus Freak Hideout.
CM Addict's Andrew Funderburk called it "possibly the greatest comeback project in Christian music today" that "doesn’t slow its pace until the project ends", and has the message of "empowerment for us to rise to the position that Jesus Christ has made for us and to live in that position of our identity in Him."[8] Sarah Fine of New Release Tuesday vowed that the album was "On point in every aspect, there isn't a single weak song, each one holding immense potential to become a hit. While it varies in style and sound, the consistent theme of redemption throughout ties it together, making it an album you'll want to listen to again and again. Older fans will be surprised to hear how much of the original sound has crossed over into this new formation, yet old and new listeners alike will enjoy the exciting melodic prospects being presented here."[14]
Daniel Edgeman of Christian Music Review found that "All of the songs have a great message. I am very impressed at the depth of the lyrics. After listening to this album I breathed a big breath of relief, Audio Adrenaline is back."[6] Christian Music Zine's Emily Kjonaas foretold that "Kings & Queens turned out to be a fresh album that will keep both old and new fans alike."[7] Jono Davies of Louder Than the Music found that "As a collection of songs, Audio Adrenaline have really surpassed themselves here. The lyrics and melodies sound fresh, which makes the album stand out compared to many other albums around at the moment. There is a mix of rock tracks and modern synth tracks, making Kings & Queens an album well worth checking out."[13] DiBiase of Jesus Freak Hideout found that "Kings and Queens is Audio Adrenaline with a new voice for a new time. It's looking to be one of the best pop rock records in recent memory, but diehard fans who can't imagine any other vocalist besides Stuart", but DiBiase criticized that "The only thing that may be missing from Kings and Queens would be some of the more raw rock leanings the band has displayed through most of their albums."[12] Lastly, DiBiase proclaimed that "Kings and Queens takes more of a Don't Censor Me approach with a more polished pop sound. So, band name aside, for the CCM realm, this just may be a match made in heaven."[12] At Worship Leader, Greg Wallace found that "as a band with a strong pedigree delivers on their potential."[16]
Allmusic's David Jeffries found that when he "add[ed] it all up and this is a comeback worth coming back to and another highlight in the band's discography."[4] Grace S. Aspinwall of CCM Magazine wrote that "In the recent tradition of music heavy-weight comebacks, Audio A retains its trademark pop, upbeat style, but with the addition of Kevin Max on lead vocals, is unlike anything we've heard before. A solid album from start to finish, it is most decidedly a new sound. The techno-based rock ambiance provides a solid foundation that is then layered with heartfelt lyrics, tight musicianship and Kevin's distinct voice, which only faintly resonates with the tight vibrato that hallmarked the dcTalk years."[5] Indie Vision Music's Jonathan Andre called it "one of the greatest comebacks in Christian music history!"[10] Bert Saraco of The Phantom Tollbooth affirmed that the album "will not disappoint" because the band "are sounding more energetic and confident than ever", and in doing so "manages to be commercial without being trite."[15] At Cross Rhythms, Tony Cummings felt that this album was "an excellent launch pad."[9] Gelwicks noted that "Kings & Queens grabbed the role of the most historic album to drop in 2013, and thankfully, it largely delivers. Audio Adrenaline's currently lineup still have a lot of work to do to build a unique identity as a new band, and though Kings & Queens is a solid first attempt to reach that goal, they can afford to take larger artistic risks in the near future."[11]
Commercial performance edit
On March 30, 2013, the album was the No. 70 most sold album on the Billboard 200 chart,[17] and the No. 4 most sold Christian Albums chart.[18]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "He Moves You Move" | Mark Stuart, Jason Walker | 3:03 |
| 2. | "Kings & Queens" | Chuck Butler, Juan Otero, Joel Parisien | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Believer" | Kevin Max, Stuart, Walker | 3:28 |
| 4. | "King of the Comebacks" | Max, Seth Mosley, Stuart | 3:03 |
| 5. | "Change My Name" | Max, Mosley, Stuart | 3:52 |
| 6. | "20:17 (Raise the Banner)" | Dominic Balli, Stuart, Walker | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Fire Never Sleeps" | Nick Herbert, Martin Smith | 4:33 |
| 8. | "Seeker" | Max, Mosley, Stuart | 3:20 |
| 9. | "I Climb the Mountain" | Ricky Jackson, Anthony Skinner | 4:28 |
| 10. | "The Answer" | Max, Mosley | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 36:57 | ||
Personnel edit
Audio Adrenaline
- Kevin Max — lead vocals
- Will McGinniss — bass guitar, background vocals
- Jared Byers — drums
- Jason Walker — keyboards, background vocals
- Dave Ghazarian — lead guitars
Additional musicians
- Blanca Callahan – additional vocals on "20:17 (Raise the Banner)"
- Casey Brown – drums
- Stu G – guitar
- Ricky Jackson – bass guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals
- Steven Kadar – drums
- Dwayne Larring – guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
- Tim Lauer – keyboards, programming, percussion
- Tony Lucio – bass guitar
- DJ Maj – DJ
- Seth Mosley – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals
- Ben Phillips – drums
- Arie Tidwell – drums
Production
- Seth Mosley – producer (1–6, 8, 10), engineer, mixing (1, 4, 5, 8, 10)
- Dwayne Larring – producer (7, 9)
- X O'Connor – engineer
- Buckley Miller – engineer
- Neal Avron – mixing (2)
- Chris Stephens – mixing (3, 6)
- Rich Renken – mixing at Rev4 Audio, Burbank (7, 9)
- Wes Campbell – executive producer
- Mark Stuart – executive producer
- Dave Wagner – executive producer
- Jeremy Cowart – pthography
- Jason Barrett – art direction, design
Charts edit
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[20] | 70 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[21] | 4 |
References edit
- ^ a b c New Release Tuesday (March 12, 2013). "Kings & Queens by Audio Adrenaline". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ a b c Andre, Joshua (January 23, 2013). "Audio Adrenline – Kings And Queens' Track Listing Revealed!". Christian Music Zine. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
- ^ a b "Kings and Queens - Audio Adrenaline : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David (March 12, 2013). "Kings & Queens - Audio Adrenaline : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Aspinwall, Grace S. (March 1, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline: Kings and Queens (Fair Trade Services)". CCM Magazine. p. 50. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Edgeman, Daniel (March 11, 2013). ""Kings and Queens"-Audio Adrenaline". Christian Music Review. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ a b Kjonaas, Emily (March 11, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline – Kings & Queens (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Funderburk, Andrew (March 25, 2013). "Review of Kings & Queens by Audio Adrenaline". CM Addict. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ a b Cummings, Tony (October 16, 2013). "Review: Kings & Queens - Audio Adrenaline". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Andre, Jonathan (March 5, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline – Kings And Queens | Reviews". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Gelwicks, Roger (March 10, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline, "Kings & Queens" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b c DiBiase, John (March 10, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline, "Kings & Queens" Review: Second Staff Opinion". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Davies, Jono (March 22, 2013). "Reviews - Audio Adrenaline - Kings & Queens". Louder Than the Music. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^ a b Fine, Sarah (March 11, 2013). "King of the Comebacks". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Saraco, Bert (March 26, 2013). "Audio Adrenaline - Kings and Queens". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ a b Wallace, Greg (April 17, 2013). "Kings & Queens". Worship Leader. p. 50. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
- ^ "Audio Adrenaline - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ "Audio Adrenaline - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ "Kings and Queens - Audio Adrenaline". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
- ^ "Audio Adrenaline Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "Audio Adrenaline Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2013.