Eternal Blue (album)

Eternal Blue is the debut studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Spiritbox. It was released on September 17, 2021, through the band's own Pale Chord Records in partnership with Rise Records. Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer privately formed Spiritbox in 2016 following their departure from Iwrestledabearonce. After revealing the project and releasing an extended play in 2017, the earliest development on what would become Eternal Blue commenced in 2018. The band recorded several other singles in the meantime, which were compiled onto a second extended play in 2019. Their first full-length record was initially slated for an April 2020 release, but development and promotion were initially halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After releasing "Holy Roller" and "Constance" as singles in the latter half of 2020, Spiritbox relocated to Joshua Tree, California in early 2021 and completed the songwriting process for the album, which guitarist Stringer and former Volumes guitarist Dan Braunstein produced. The recording was finished by Braunstein in early March 2021. Eternal Blue contains an array of metal genres and subgenres with electronic elements as part of Spiritbox's dynamic, while singer LaPlante employs both screamed and clean vocals. The project is the only studio album released while bassist Bill Crook was a member of the band, though he did not play any bass parts on the album. He left the band in May 2022.

In advance of Eternal Blue's release, three more songs were released as singles: "Circle With Me", "Secret Garden", and "Hurt You". All five singles from the album recorded entries on the American Billboard charts. The record received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its production, songwriting, and musicianship. Eternal Blue recorded entries in eight countries and debuted at number thirteen on the Billboard 200.

Background
In 2015, engaged couple Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer were members of American metalcore band Iwrestledabearonce. LaPlante had joined in 2012 to replace the band's vocalist, who had departed mid-tour; Stringer eventually followed as the band's new guitarist, playing on their final album Hail Mary (2015). Uncomfortable with being replacements for the band's previous members and desiring to pursue a new personal and creative direction, the two decided to quit the band in late 2015. After the two married, the duo announced their new project, Spiritbox, on October 9, 2017.

As Spiritbox, the couple released a seven-song self-titled debut extended play on October 27, 2017, preceded by the single "The Beauty of Suffering". Former Iwrestledabearonce bandmate Mikey Montgomery played drums on the EP. Bill Crook of the pop-punk band Living with Lions joined as bassist, and Shreddy Krueger drummer Ryan Loerke became the band's first permanent drummer.

The band shared five singles throughout 2018 and early 2019, which were eventually compiled into an EP titled Singles Collection on April 26, 2019, followed by the non-album singles "Rule of Nines" and "Blessed Be" in 2019 and 2020. The singles were all self-recorded with personal equipment, although the mixing and mastering were done in another studio.

Loerke departed from Spiritbox in 2020, and was replaced by Philadelphia-based drummer Zev Rose. The band members met Rose only two days before the group began performing with him on a short-lived tour, which was canceled in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Composition
Spiritbox employed several heavy metal-based musical styles on Eternal Blue. Critics have identified the style on the album as metalcore,  post-metal, djent, progressive metal,  and alternative metal. The record was also labelled "post-metalcore" and a "nu-metal-meets-djent riff-fest". Near the release of the record, LaPlante defined Spiritbox as a metalcore band. The band's use of the digital synthesizer was a prominent aspect of Eternal Blue, displaying aspects ranging from atmospheric to industrial. This approach led Guitar World to describe Spiritbox as "digitally infused metal". In a post-release interview, Spiritbox said they were inspired by the 1980s pop music scene, Nine Inch Nails, and early post-punk bands such as the Cure during the album's production, and minimalist "airy" song structures characteristic of 1980s dark rock served as an important base to the music on Eternal Blue. According to Stringer, however, the band disregarded genres during the making of the album and instead focused on what they enjoyed playing, adding " [...] the whole time, we were just thinking, 'Who cares if this song is similar to a Billie Eilish song and this song is the heaviest song we've ever done outside of "Holy Roller"? It doesn't matter, it all belongs in the same body of work.

LaPlante both screams and sings throughout the record. LaPlante, who wrote most of the album's lyrics, delved into themes of frustration and sadness. She explained to Exclaim! that she usually feels more comfortable writing about "the things that upset me or make me feel self-conscious and insecure in metaphor." Stringer had often played a "dissonant, spastic, crazy, 'how many notes can you fit in a riff?' style of music" in his previous bands, and made a concerted effort with Spiritbox to diversify into styles which yielded stronger full tracks rather than a small portion of a song, whether atmospheric or heavy in nature. In a post-release interview, he stated Spiritbox's music was never played higher than drop F#, and occasionally was recorded in lower tunings. Tunings changed frequently, even within songs; "Holy Roller" changed them four times through the use of a pitch shifter.

Recording and release
The songwriting for Eternal Blue commenced early, and most of the songs were written throughout 2018 and 2019. The song "Holy Roller" was written in January 2020 and they debuted the unfinished track on a European tour in March. The album was initially scheduled for an April 2020 release, but recording was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Spiritbox released "Holy Roller" as a single for in the meantime. In September 2020, they announced that they had signed with Rise Records, as part of the label's partnership with their vanity label Pale Chord Records. The band started pre-production on the album with their producer, former Volumes guitarist Dan Braunstein, via Zoom. Meanwhile, several music videos were released by the band to promote the album, which proved popular among fans and increased anticipation of the album.



In January 2021, Revolver dubbed Spiritbox's upcoming full-length release one of its "60 Most Anticipated Albums of 2021". Eventually, the band reconvened in Joshua Tree, California, to work in "their own bubble", which allowed them to continue writing songs and revise existing material together during the pandemic. The band set a deadline of April 2021 to finish work on the album so it could be released by the end of the year. LaPlante initially did not want any featured guests in the making of the album, citing travel difficulties during the pandemic and a desire to prove herself as a capable vocalist without outside exposure. However, during the project's recording, Architects lead vocalist Sam Carter reached out to the band and offered to feature on a song. He would be featured on the album's third track, "Yellowjacket". Although Crook was an official member of Spiritbox, he did not record any bass parts on the album; they were played by Stringer instead.

The album was produced by Braunstein and Stringer. Braunstein recorded it along with the band at an Airbnb rental house located on a 20-acre desert property in Joshua Tree, in complete isolation. Eternal Blue was recorded over a period of three weeks in February, and the process was finished on March 1. On May 25, the album was announced for release; in the following 24 hours, the band sold 6,500 vinyl pre-orders for the record. Eternal Blue was released on September 17. Crook left Spiritbox in May 2022; he was replaced by former As I Lay Dying bassist Josh Gilbert.

Singles
Spiritbox first found critical and commercial success with "Holy Roller", released on July 3, 2020. The band teamed up with Revolver to premiere the single with an accompanying music video. Described by one critic as their heaviest song and "far darker and more violent" than any of their previous material, the song bears a theme revolving around religious faith. The song debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs and climbed to number 12 six months later. The song's original version spent seven weeks as number one on Sirius XM Liquid Metal's radio chart show Devil's Dozen, and was deemed the best song of 2020 by the station's listeners. The band released a remix of "Holy Roller" in October, which features Ryo Kinoshita of Crystal Lake. The remix spent five weeks as number two on Sirius XM Liquid Metal's Devil's Dozen.

On December 4, 2020, Spiritbox debuted the ballad "Constance", which took an ethereal approach to metal that critic Alex Sievers described as "the polar opposite" of "Holy Roller". The song was dedicated to LaPlante's grandmother, Phyllis; because of the pandemic, LaPlante could not say a last goodbye to her before her death, nor attend her funeral. Its music video was conceived by director Dylan Hryciuk; Hryciuk's grandmother, Constance, was the song's namesake. She was battling the late stages of dementia at the time of the video's release, and the music video was dedicated to her. "Constance" earned the band further acclaim from critics and the metal community for showcasing the band's stylistic versatility.

The third single from Eternal Blue was "Circle With Me", the final song written for the album. It was released on April 30, 2021 with its accompanying music video, directed by Orie McGinness. The lyrics describe LaPlante's emotional journey from feeling anxiety "about messing up" her music to empowering self-confidence. The song displays "breathy vocals" and melodies mixing guitars and electronic instrumentation, contrasting with harsher parts and a breakdown. In mid-May, the single topped the US Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales, reached number five on the US Hot Hard Rock Songs, number 12 on the US Rock Digital Song Sales, number 50 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, and number 71 on the US Digital Song Sales chart.

"Circle With Me" was followed by "Secret Garden" on May 25. According to LaPlante, the song showcases the "fluidity that is inherent in heavy music" and the diverse metal styles of Spiritbox. "Secret Garden" reached number 34 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in mid-August. During the first week of August, "Constance" garnered enough public attention to hold the top position on the US Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales and reach number 19 on the US Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs.

One final single, the nu metal song "Hurt You", was shared in advance of the album on August 20. Written "during a snowstorm" before the pandemic in early 2020, the song explores the feeling of choosing to stay in a doomed romantic relationship riddled with "toxic co-dependency". Hryciuk directed the music video. "Hurt You" charted at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs in the week of September 4, 2021.

Critical reception
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Eternal Blue received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100. Kerrang! reviewer Steve Beebee highlighted "dreamlike soundscapes" on "Secret Garden" and "The Summit" and the heaviness of "Silk in the Strings" and "Holy Roller" to justify the album being "the debut of the year [...] Eternal Blue is dizzying, cleansing and frightening". Owen Morawitz at New Noise Magazine highlighted the album's songwriting and musical versatility, particularly on the title track "Eternal Blue" and "Halcyon", as reason to believe that "Spiritbox's debut is likely to convert even the most intractable of the band's (few) doubters." Steven Loftin of Upset Magazine called the album "simultaneously familiar and fresh." Outburn's Nathan Katsiaficas also gave special praise to "Halcyon", which encompassed all the dynamics displayed on the album. He called the record a "modern metal masterpiece" and that the songwriting and musicianship on it created "an absolute thrill ride from start to finish". Wall of Sound reviewer Paul Brown simply referred to the album as "incredible", and likened listening to it as a musical journey: "[it] connects with the listener on an emotional level and takes them on a journey of self-discovery, empathy and overcoming." Writing for Rock Sins, Simon Crampton summarized his review of the record as "one of the most self assured, emotionally enriching and musically diverse albums of the year", particularly noting that the crux of what made Spiritbox's work so strong was their ability to "mix the heavy & heartfelt".

Although Alex Sievers of Kill Your Stereo said that the record was "[a] somewhat flawed record" which at times overused atmospheric effects, he praised its diversity, comparing the "crushing brutality, lethal pick scrapes and genuinely awesome heaviness" of "Holy Roller" and the clean, "intimate but powerful" nature of "Constance". He also noted that "Secret Garden" had a "nuclear-grade hook" and that it was among the album's strongest material. While Metal Hammer's Dannii Leivers noted that Spiritbox's combination of "beauty and brutality" was not a new concept, she observed that the material on Eternal Blue carried an "emotional heft" that improved the appeal of such work. Leivers concluded that "Eternal Blue is a staggeringly brilliant record that resoundingly delivers on the hype". Robert Garland at Sputnikmusic stated, "As easy as it would be to simply lump on the praise for Spiritbox's debut [...] Spiritbox have more yet to offer, more growth, more great tracks and, if we're lucky...they might even hit all that growth on a sophomore release."

Commercial performance
Eternal Blue entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 13 with 23,000 album-equivalent units earned in the United States in the September 17–23 tracking period, out of which 19,000 were pure album sales. The album ranked third on the Top Album Sales in the week ending October 2, 2021, which was considered a success. The album had chart impact internationally, opening at No. 8 on the Top 50 Albums Chart in Australia, No. 17 in the Top 100 Albums in Germany, and No. 19 on the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in the United Kingdom, although it was placed at No. 8 mid-week on the UK chart on September 20, 2021. Eternal Blue topped both the ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Album and the US Billboard Vinyl Album Sales and reached No. 2 on the UK Official Vinyl Albums Chart. It reached No. 2 on the US Independent Albums chart and No. 12 on the US Tastemaker Albums chart in the week of October 2, 2021. It went on to sell over 175,000 copies worldwide in one year.

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Spiritbox
 * Courtney LaPlante – lead vocals
 * Michael Stringer – guitar, bass, drums, background vocals (tracks 2, 3, 6, 11)
 * Zev Rosenberg – drums

Additional musicians
 * Bill Crook – background vocals (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12)
 * Daniel Braunstein – drums
 * Sam Carter – additional vocals (track 3)

Production
 * Daniel Braunstein – production, engineering, mixing
 * Michael Stringer – co-production
 * Jens Bogren – mastering

Design
 * Kevin Moore – art direction, design at Soft Surrogate