| Universal Pulse | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by 311 | ||||||||||
| Released | July 19, 2011 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2010-2011 at The Hive in North Hollywood, California | |||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock Reggae rock Hard rock |
|||||||||
| Length | 28:46 | |||||||||
| Label | 311 Records ATO Records |
|||||||||
| Producer | Bob Rock | |||||||||
| 311 chronology | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Consequence of Sound | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B–)[3] |
| IGN | [4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| Starpulse | [6] |
| The Tune | (3.8/5)[7] |
Universal Pulse is the tenth studio album by American rock band 311, released on July 19, 2011[8] on 311 Records/ATO Records.
Contents |
Like its predecessor, Uplifter, this album was produced by Bob Rock, who has produced or engineered albums by numerous notable acts, such as Metallica, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, The Cult, Our Lady Peace and The Offspring. Unlike previous albums where their record label requested that the drums be recorded at an alternate location, all tracks, including the drums, were recorded at the Hive Studio. To support the album, 311 invited Sublime with Rome to co-headline the 2011 Unity Tour,[9] with special guests DJ Soulman and DJ Trichrome. The artwork was done by Sonny Kay. With only eight songs and clocking within less than thirty minutes, it's their shortest album yet.
The album's first single "Sunset in July" was released on June 3, 2011.[10] The album's second single "Count Me In" was released on October 4, 2011.[11]
Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine comments "Within the sharp relief of Bob Rock’s immaculate production, this can mean that the fuzz-toned guitars and crunching riffs are strenuously underlined: they are the foundation of this unusually rock-oriented 311 album yet in this crystal-clear atmosphere they drill, not pummel." and concludes that "Universal Pulse can be wearying even at its half-hour length."[12]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Time Bomb" | Hexum/Martinez/Wills | Hexum/Mahoney | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Wild Nights" | Hexum/Martinez | Sexton/Hexum | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Sunset in July" | Hexum/Martinez/Wills | Hexum/Sexton | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Trouble" | Hexum | Hexum | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Count Me In" | Hexum/Martinez | Hexum | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Rock On" | Hexum/Martinez | Sexton | 3:27 |
| 7. | "Weightless" | Hexum/Martinez | Hexum | 3:19 |
| 8. | "And a Ways to Go" | Martinez/Hexum | Hexum/Wills | 4:18 |
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Albums | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Digital Albums | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Independent Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Tastemaker Albums | 1 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||