The Million Masks of God

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The Million Masks of God
TheMillionMasksofGod2021.jpg
Studio album by
Manchester Orchestra
ReleasedApril 30, 2021 (2021-04-30)
Studio
  • Echo Mountain (Asheville, NC)
  • Favorite Gentlemen (Atlanta, GA)
  • Sound City (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Concord Studios (New York, NY)
Genre
Length45:54
LabelLoma Vista
Producer
Manchester Orchestra chronology
A Black Mile to the Surface
(2017) 		The Million Masks of God
(2021)
Singles from The Million Masks of God
  1. "Bed Head"
    Released: February 18, 2021
  2. "Keel Timing"
    Released: March 26, 2021
  3. "Telepath"
    Released: April 27, 2021

The Million Masks of God is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released through Loma Vista on April 30, 2021. The album was announced on February 18, 2021, alongside the release of the first single "Bed Head".[1]

Background[]

Manchester Orchestra released their fifth studio album, A Black Mile to the Surface, on July 21, 2017 via Loma Vista Recordings and Favorite Gentlemen.[2] That fall, the band embarked on a North American headlining tour, with support from Foxing and Tigers Jaw.[3] In 2018, Manchester Orchestra and The Front Bottoms coheadlined a winter tour, bookended by Manchester Orchestra's annual Thanksgiving show, "The Stuffing", and the Front Bottoms' Christmas performance, "Champagne Jam".[4] The following year, Manchester Orchestra went on tour again, this time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2009 album Mean Everything to Nothing. The band played the album in its entirety, with support from Foxing and Oso Oso.[5]

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic forced most concert performances to cease in 2020. Manchester Orchestra frontman Andy Hull spent the better part of the year releasing demo albums from his side project, Right Away, Great Captain!, as well as collaborating with Foxing and Touché Amoré. In October, Manchester Orchestra performed two socially-distant concerts at South Farms in Morris, Connecticut.[6] On February 12, 2021, Manchester Orchestra performed A Black Mile To The Surface: The Global Concert Film, a black-and-white YouTube livestream performance of Black Mile in its entirety. The performance itself, as well as a Facebook encore screening and a pre-show virtual meet and greet, were made free to the public. Hull said that the concert film "feels like the perfect way to close the Black Mile chapter, and I'm excited to say that this is more than just a concert. It's also the beginning."[7]

Writing and recording[]

Writing for The Million Masks of God began in late 2017, but Hull told Aesthetic Magazine that Manchester Orchestra "really began putting it together in the beginning of 2019".[8]

Recording largely took place between Echo Mountain Recording in North Carolina and Gruska's studio in Los Angeles.[9] The band recorded at Sound City Studios for three days before returning to Gruska's home in Los Angeles, where Hull, McDowell, Gruska, and Marks stayed for two weeks.[10] The acoustic guitars used on The Million Masks of God were made by C. F. Martin & Company. Initially, Hull recorded electric guitars on a Fender Jazzmaster while McDowell used a Fender Coronado, but the guitarists switched instruments shortly into production. McDowell said that he and Hull "got them and immediately got jealous of the other one".[11] By the time of that the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most work in the US in March 2020, Manchester Orchestra had finished recording the album, and was about to begin mixing with Marks. Marks would spend six hours a day mixing for three months.[12]

Composition and themes[]

The Million Masks of God has been described as indie rock and progressive rock,[13][14][15] with comparisons to Mumford & Sons, Band of Horses, Tool, Simon & Garfunkel, Silversun Pickups, My Morning Jacket, and Muse.[16]

The album title derives from "Gold Leaves", an early poem by G. K. Chesterton that details the narrator's shifting relationship with God as he ages.[17]

Release and promotion[]

Manchester Orchestra announced the details of their then-upcoming album, including the title, track listing, and release date, on February 18, 2021. As part of the album announcement, the first single and music video from The Million Masks of God, "Bed Head", were released the same day. In an interview with Sirius XM's Alt Nation, Hull described the song as about "two old friends existing in two separate realities", having a "conversation about the lives they lived, the consequences of life's decisions, and finding purpose in trying to be better".[18]

The second single and music video, "Keel Timing", were released on March 26, 2021. Although it was released later, Hull said that "Keel Timing" "serves as a prequel" to "Bed Head", and is "an isolated internal investigation about personal growth".[19] The final single to be released before The Million Masks of God, "Telepath", debuted on April 27, 2021. The track was accompanied by a single-shot video, directed by Isaac Deitz, and describes "the ebb and flow of life long commitment to another person".[20] The Million Masks of God was released on April 30, 2021, through Loma Vista Recordings.[21]

Reception[]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[22]
Metacritic81/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[13]
ConsequenceB+[14]
DIY4/5 stars[24]
Exclaim!7/10[16]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[25]
NME4/5 stars[15]
Paste7.5/10[26]
Slant Magazine2.5/5 stars[27]
Spectrum Culture3.5/5 stars[28]

The Million Masks of God was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, The Million Masks of God has an average score of 81 based on 12 reviews.[23] The review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[22]

Multiple reviewers compared The Million Masks of God to Manchester Orchestra's previous release, A Black Mile to the Surface. Adam Feibel of Exclaim! said that Million Masks demonstrated how Black Mile was "not an ambitious, outlying experiment, but the new template for Manchester Orchestra records going forward".[16] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Dave Beech agreed that Million Masks felt "much the same" as Black Mile, both in sound and storytelling, and that it "successfully expand[s] further still on the huge ambition and the cinematic scope introduced by its predecessor".[25] In a more negative review, Jordan Walsh of Slant Magazine referred to the album as "less of a natural evolution and more like a retread" of Manchester Orchestra's previous album.[27] Grant Sharples of Paste countered that "it makes sense that this new record derives so much of its sound from its predecessor. This is what Manchester Orchestra sounds like now."[26]

Certain reviewers combined Black Mile and Million Masks to Manchester Orchestra's early work. Jordan Blum of Consequence contrasted the later "gracefully melodic, emotional, and dense" albums with Manchester Orchestra's "relatively rowdy and simplistically produced" debut album, 2006's I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child.[14] Colin Dempsey of Spectrum Culture, meanwhile, declared that Hull was "finally mature enough to appreciate the power of restraint", following the "youthful overspilling" of Mean Everything to Nothing and the "grandiosity" of Simple Math (2011).[28]

Reviewers also drew attention to Hull and McDowell's desire to create a "movie album" with The Million Masks of God.[26] Matt Collar of AllMusic described the album as an "epic dramatic arc", and "a cinematic experience exploring themes of birth, death, and what lies beyond".[13] Sarah Jamieson of DIY echoed the "cinematic" label, praising the "dynamic and vital" sound of The Million Masks of God.[24] Writing for NME, Will Richards highlighted the sonic cohesion of the album, saying that the record "traverses every corner of [Manchester Orchestra]'s sound, from beefy rock songs to string-assisted grandeur and acoustic bliss, further cementing their place as an under appreciated band to treasure".[15]

Commercial performance[]

The Million Masks of God had a moderate commercial showing in North America and Europe. In the US, the album debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200. It also appeared on the US Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Independent Albums charts, coming in at numbers five, three, and four, respectively.[29][30][31] In the United Kingdom, The Million Masks of God reached number 87 on the Official Albums Chart, and number 22 on the Scottish Albums Charts.[32][33] Elsewhere in Europe, the album appeared on the Belgian Ultratop charts at number 173,[34] the German Offizielle Top 100 at number 54,[35] and the Swiss Hitparade at number 46.[36]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Manchester Orchestra.

Standard edition track listing[37]
No.TitleLength
1."Inaudible"4:21
2."Angel of Death"5:47
3."Keel Timing"4:18
4."Bed Head"4:04
5."Annie"4:28
6."Telepath"2:28
7."Let It Storm"4:18
8."Dinosaur"3:27
9."Obstacle"3:43
10."Way Back"3:39
11."The Internet"5:21
Total length:45:54

Personnel[]

Credits taken from The Million Masks of God liner notes.[37]

Charts[]

Chart performance for The Million Masks of God
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 173
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] 54
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 87
US Billboard 200[38] 31
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 4
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[30] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[29] 5

References[]

  1. ^ Daly, Rhian (February 18, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra announce new album 'The Million Masks Of God'". NME. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Ingalls, Chris (August 2, 2017). "Manchester Orchestra: A Black Mile to the Surface". PopMatters. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Sacher, Andrew (July 7, 2017). "Tigers Jaw and Foxing opening Manchester Orchestra tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Tornow, Sam (August 13, 2018). "Manchester Orchestra Announces Co-Headlining Tour With The Front Bottoms". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Sacher, Andrew (September 18, 2019). "Foxing & Oso Oso opening Manchester Orchestra's 'Mean Everything to Nothing' tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Sacher, Andrew (September 23, 2020). "Manchester Orchestra playing socially distanced acoustic show in CT (tix on BV presale)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Manchester Orchestra Announce A Black Mile to The Surface: the Global Concert Film". American Songwriter. February 7, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  8. ^ Nakamoto, Jessica (April 30, 2021). "Interview: Manchester Orchestra Talks 'The Million Masks of God', & Celebrating Life". Aesthetic Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Cohen, Ian (April 29, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra's Grand Metamorphosis". Stereogum. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  10. ^ Heath, Larry (April 28, 2021). "Interview: Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull on recording at Sound City with 'genius' Ethan Guska, film composition and growing up in Toronto". The AU Review. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Baines, Huw (May 13, 2021). "'This record was therapy for all of us': Manchester Orchestra on the raw emotion at the heart of their new album". Guitar.com. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  12. ^ Sacher, Andrew (April 26, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra interview: Andy Hull talks creative rebirth and 'The Million Masks of God'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c Collar, Matt. "Million Masks of God - Manchester Orchestra". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c Blum, Jordan (April 27, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra Retain Their Majestic Magic on The Million Masks of God: Review". Consequence. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c Richards, Will (April 26, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra – 'The Million Masks Of God' review: indie's grand architects settle into their stride". NME. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c Feibel, Adam (April 27, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra's 'The Million Masks of God' Plays Out Like a Life Lived from Beginning to End". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  17. ^ Pearlman, Mischa (May 6, 2021). "Light in the dark: Inside Manchester Orchestra's The Million Masks of God". Kerrang!. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Minsker, Evan (February 18, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra Announce New Album, Share New Song 'Bed Head': Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  19. ^ Carter, Emily (March 26, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra have released a new single and video, Keel Timing". Kerrang!. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  20. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (April 27, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra release 'Telepath' as third and final single from new album". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Sacher, Andrew (April 30, 2021). "Notable Releases of the Week (4/30)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Million Masks Of God by Manchester Orchestra Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b "Critic Reviews for The Million Masks of God". Metacritic. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Jamieson, Sarah (April 29, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God". DIY. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Beech, Dave (April 26, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra return with their most cinematic and heartfelt record to date". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c Sharples, Grant (April 28, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra Prove They've Found Their Footing on The Million Masks of God". Paste. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b Walsh, Jordan (April 26, 2021). "Review: Manchester Orchestra's The Million Masks of God Feels Like a Sluggish Retread". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Dempsey, Colin (May 2, 2021). "Manchester Orchestra: The Million Masks of God". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b "Manchester Orchestra Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b "Manchester Orchestra Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b "Manchester Orchestra Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ultratop.be – Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks of God" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks of God" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  36. ^ Jump up to: a b "Swisscharts.com – Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks of God". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b The Million Masks of God (booklet). Manchester Orchestra. Loma Vista Recordings. 2021. LVR01793.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ^ "Manchester Orchestra Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.


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