Misguided

Misguided
Studio album by Argyle Park
Released March 21, 1995
Recorded Circle Studio, New York City
Genre Industrial rock, industrial metal, worldbeat, punk rock, techno
Length 65:40
Label R.E.X. Records
Producer Celldweller
Argyle Park chronology

Misguided
(1995)
Suspension of Disbelief
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Cross Rhythms [1]
Matt Morrow [2]
The Phantom Tollbooth [3]
Sputnikmusic 3.5/5[4]

Misguided is Argyle Park's first and only album under that name. The album was released on March 21, 1995 by R.E.X. Records into the Christian rock market, and sits alongside other early 90s work by Circle of Dust and Mortal as being instrumental in introducing industrial music to the Christian music scene. The album was nominated for Best Metal/Hard Rock Album at the 27th Annual GMA Dove Awards in 1996.[5]

Misguided is a diverse album that combines elements such as techno, metal guitar, ragtime piano, horns, samples, and dark vocals. Members cited influences such as Portishead and jazz being responsible for the experimentation on the album.[6] It also features a wide variety of guest appearances by other alternative Christian bands and mainstream industrial bands of the mid 90s. The lyrics generally center around themes of betrayal, bitterness, and emotional pain, with band members and associates at various times hinting that the album was acting as catharsis for a child abuse situation at the church they all attended while growing up.[6][7][8] The resultant thematic darkness of the album caused its reception to be mixed, with many Christian listeners protesting the lack of positive content, even going so far as to call it "anti-Christian".[6] R.E.X. themselves attempted to censor the band before the album's release, deeming the outro verse of the song "Doomsayer" as being too controversial and cutting it from the song. The band, however, inserted the cut snippet onto the end of the album master tape before R.E.X. noticed and the outro now appears as a hidden track at the very end of the CD. The controversy and backlash caused the band members to shut Argyle Park down two years after conception.[9]

Tommy Victor of Prong wrote the main riff for the song "Doomsayer", and later used this same riff in the Prong song "Controller".[8] Originally released on R.E.X. Records, the album was re-issued as a limited run in 2005 by Retroactive Records with bonus tracks, additional booklet information, and enhanced ROM material on the disc.[3]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Guest artist(s) Length
1. "Refuge"  Argyle Park, BukaJ. G. Thirlwell 1:13
2. "Headscrew"  Argyle Park, Dred, Deathwish, King Salomon, BukaChristy Sweet, Celldweller, King Salomon, Klank 4:57
3. "Agony"  Argyle Park, CelldwellerGyro, Dirk Lemmenes, Jeff Bellew, Ted Cookerly, Alabama King Fish 5:15
4. "Futile"  Argyle ParkKeith Corp 1:41
5. "Scarred for Life"  Dred, Celldweller  4:18
6. "A Burden's Folly"  Buka, Deathwish, Dred, Celldweller  2:29
7. "Circle"  DeathwishChristy Sweet 3:04
8. "Leave Me Alone"  Argyle Park, Dred, Lauren BoquetteLauren Boquette, Marco Forcone, Alabama King Fish 5:31
9. "Violent"  Deathwish, DredEvol Eye Jeni, Celldweller 4:29
10. "Diesel"  Argyle Park  1:02
11. "Gutterboy (I Am I Am)"  Dred, BukaJeff Bellew, Dirk Lemmenes, King Salomon 4:00
12. "Og"  Og  1:19
13. "Misanthrope"  Buka, Dred  4:37
14. "Skin Shed"  Deathwish, Dred, Celldweller, Tommy VictorTommy Victor, Celldweller 2:19
15. "Skin Shed"  Deathwish, Dred, Celldweller, Tommy VictorTommy Victor, Celldweller 2:28
16. "Skin Shed"  Deathwish, Dred, Celldweller, Tommy VictorTommy Victor, Celldweller 2:47
17. "Doomsayer"  Argyle Park, Tommy Victor, King SalomonKing Salomon, Tommy Victor 4:23
18. "Uffern"  Deathwish  4:51
19. "[Silent track]"     0:24
20. "[Silent track]"     0:33
21. "[Silent track]"     0:31
22. "[Silent track]"     0:38
23. "[Silent track]"     0:44
24. "[Silent track]"     0:40
25. "[Silent track]"     0:30
26. "Phone Conversation About 'Skin Shed'"     2:08
27. "[Silent track]"     0:16
28. "[Silent track]"     0:10
29. "Message From Og ("Get It On (Bang A Gong)" Improv)"     1:53
30. "[Silent track]"     0:12
31. "[Silent track]"     0:12
32. "[Silent track]"     0:12
33. "[Silent track]"     0:15
34. "Doomsayer (Original Ending)"     0:59

Vinyl pressing

There were only three pressings of the album on vinyl, each of which were given to members of the band. One of these was eventually purchased by a fan, who confirmed that the vinyl edition of the album contained an extra track, "Babylon". This same song had been included on Klay Scott's 1998 Circle of Dust album Disengage, and presumably would have been one of the songs included on Buka's Backwoods Records compilation.

Release history

Label Date Format Catalog Notes
R.E.X. Records 1994 Compact Disc REX 410172-2
stereo LP Only three copies pressed for the band
R.E.X. Records 1995 Compact Disc Repressed for R.E.X.'s new distribution deal
Retroactive Records 2004 Compact Disc Enhanced disc with text notes and images

Contributors

Most of the contributors to Misguided appeared under aliases or alternate spellings of their commonly known names. Their real identities, if known, are listed here.

Main Members

Guest appearances

References

  1. Wilson, Jon (April 1, 1997). "Argyle Park - Misguided" (Web). Cross Rhythms Magazine (Cross Rhythms) (CR Mag 38). Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  2. Morrow, Matt. "Argyle Park - Misguided". The Whipping Post. Tripod.com. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Marihugh, Josh (7 June 2004). "Misguided review". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  4. Spencer, Trey (May 13, 2011). "Argyle Park - Misguided". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  5. Price, Deborah Evans (February 24, 1996). "Michael W. Smith, DC Talk's McKeehan Top Dove Noms" (Print). Billboard (Nielsen Business Media) 108 (8): 104. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Argyle Park interview". The Garlic Press. 1996. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  7. "Klank interview". HM Magazine. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Circle of Dust interview". hmmagazine.com. 2003. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  9. "AP2 interview". Automata. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  10. "Woodensoul". Facebook. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  11. "SPINonline Conference With Foetus -- Jim Thirlwell". April 26, 1995. Retrieved 2009-04-08. Jim Foetus : The guy from argyle park is one of the producers of MTV Sports which I do the voiceovers for and he asked me to do it at the end of a session and just gave me the script and I said why not?
  12. Album description by allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved November 23, 2010