Breaking the World
Breaking the World is the debut, full-length studio album by American rock musician Threatin. It was released worldwide on 25 August 2017 by Superlative Music Recordings and SPV GmbH in Europe and the United Kingdom. Threatin performs all INSTRUMENTS and vocals on the record. The album produced three singles: “Living is Dying”, “Identity”, and “If Need Be”.
Background
Recording and Production
The album was recorded and mixed at Mindframe Studios in Los Angeles, CA and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York, NY by Grammy nominated engineer Greg Calbi. It was recorded between 2015 and 2016. Though, the pre-production process for the album began immediately after Threatin moved to Los Angeles. He kept a lyric journal and a number of notebooks that he would use to write down song ideas. The title track, “Breaking the World”, was the first song written for the album. He used Ibanez electric, acoustic, and bass guitars and Ludwig drums to record the album. Threatin has stated he chose Greg Calbi as the mastering engineer for the recording because of his work on David Bowie’s “Young Americans” and John Lennon’s “Walls and Bridges” album.
Music
The songs on “Breaking the World” have a predominantly hard rock sound. Though, there are many stylistic influences that reach outside the rock genre. The songs “If Need Be” and “All Your Pain” integrate more of a 1960’s singer-songwriter style, while, “A Memory Forgotten” incorporates the piano to demonstrate his classical influences. Many of the songs feature a large shift in dynamics from softer verses to louder more aggressive choruses. Threatin performs all instruments and vocals on the album. Each song was written to highlight a different instrument he plays. “The Place Between” was written to highlight the bass guitar, “Identity” underlines the drums, “Rip Through These Chains” emphasizes the lead guitar, and “Living is Dying” spotlights the vocals. Threatin was quoted as saying,” When I began writing the album I tried to think of each song as a doorway to a musical direction that I could continue to explore in the future. Knowing it was my debut album, I consciously tried to break down any barriers that could restrict my creativity moving forward.”
Lyrics
The lyrical themes on the album focus on self-reflection, personal growth, feelings of isolation, life, death, personal experiences, and his view of the world at large. In reference to the album’s lyrics Threatin has been quoted as saying, “I wrote the lyrics primarily in first-person. They're personal to me, and, I find it allows the listener to relate the lyrics to their own life while they are singing along as well.”
Personnel
Musicians
- Jered Threatin – Vocals & All Instruments (Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Drums, and Percussion)
Technical Staff & Artwork
- Greg Calbi – Mastering
- Glass Castle Photography – Photography
- Travis Smith – Additional Booklet Art
- Jered Threatin – Producer, Mixing, Art Concept / Design
- Aligned Artist Management – Management
- Magnified Media PR - Publicity
External Links
- Threatin Official Site: http://www.threatin.com
- [https://www.discogs.com/Threatin-Breaking-the-World/release/10713401: Breaking the World at Discogs]