Take to the Skies

Take to the Skies
Studio album by Enter Shikari
Released March 19, 2007
Recorded The Outhouse
Reading, Berkshire, UK
2006–2007
Genre Electronicore,[1][2] metalcore[3]
Length 52:43
Label Ambush Reality (UK)
PIAS (Europe)
Tiny Evil (United States)
Hostess Entertainment (Japan)
Producer Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari chronology

Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour EP
(2004)		 Take to the Skies
(2007)		 The Zone
(2007)
Alternative Covers
CD with DVD release cover (UK)
US Cover
Singles from Take to the Skies
  1. "Sorry You're Not a Winner/OK Time for Plan B"
    Released: October 29, 2006
  2. "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour"
    Released: February 18, 2007
  3. "Jonny Sniper"
    Released: June 18, 2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AbsolutePunk [1]
Allmusic [4]
BBC Music [5]
Drowned in Sound [6]
The Guardian [7]
NME (8/10)[8]
Pitchfork Media (6.7/10.0) [9]
Spin Magazine [2]

Take to the Skies is the début studio album by British rock band Enter Shikari. On March 25, 2007, it reached #4 in the Official UK Album Chart selling 28,000 copies in its first week.[10] It has been released as a standard CD, a limited CD + DVD edition and a double LP version (2 x 180grm 12" vinyl) with an embossed gate fold sleeve.

The 12" vinyl edition was limited to 1000 copies and also contained the standard CD. The Album reached worldwide sales of 250,000 copies and was certified Gold in the UK, after selling over 100,000 copies. It is also the first album to achieve a significant chart success for a new act operating outside the traditional label system.[11]

On July 18, 2013, the band announced a repressing of the vinyl on a new colourway (green and beige), limited to just 500 copies, coming with a signed artwork print, for official release on August 5. The pressing was down to fans paying high prices on auction sites for original copies, and it sold out within a few hours of going on sale.[12]

Background

The album contains many songs that were featured on demos, singles and EPs released in the years prior to their debut. "Sorry You're Not A Winner" was first on the band's second EP Sorry You're Not A Winner EP in 2003. It was later re-recorded in 2006 along with "OK, Time For Plan B" (which was a previously released demo in 2005) for the band's second single Sorry You're Not a Winner/OK Time for Plan B. "Jonny Sniper" and "Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour..." were both on the band's third EP Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour (EP) in 2004; they were completely re-recorded for the album. A demo version of "Mothership" was previously released for the band's first single in 2006. Also "Enter Shikari", "Labyrinth", and "Return To Energiser" were released as demos from 2005-06. After the release of the album in Europe, the band spent a long period of time finding a distributor, which they would need to release the album in North America. Finally they signed to Tiny Evil Records and the album was released on October 30.

On the album's track listing, tracks 1, 5, 9, 11, 13 and 17 are untitled. However, the untitled tracks have been given names on the digital versions and other retailer descriptions. Track 1 is universally titled "Stand Your Ground; This Is Ancient Land". In most cases tracks 5,9,11,13 and 17 are all titled "Interlude", sometimes being numbered.[13] However, on the iTunes track listing 9 and 17 are both titled Reprise One and Two, respectively.[14] Also, Track 17 is sometimes titled "Closing".

Track listing

All lyrics written by Roughton "Rou" Reynolds, all music composed by Enter Shikari.

Take to the Skies
No. Title Length
1. "Untitled"   1:08
2. "Enter Shikari"   2:52
3. "Mothership"   4:30
4. "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour..."   4:32
5. "Untitled"   1:01
6. "Labyrinth"   3:51
7. "No Sssweat"   3:16
8. "Today Won’t Go Down in History"   3:34
9. "Untitled"   1:28
10. "Return to Energiser"   4:35
11. "Untitled"   0:18
12. "Sorry, You're Not a Winner"   3:52
13. "Untitled"   0:35
14. "Jonny Sniper"   4:01
15. "Adieu"   5:40
16. "OK Time for Plan B"   4:55
17. "Untitled"   2:44
Total length:
 52:43

Chart performance and certifications

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart[16] 89
German Albums Chart[16] 93
Japan Albums Chart[17] 31
Irish Albums Chart 26
UK Albums Chart[18] 4
Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Gold 100,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Band
  • Roughton "Rou" Reynolds - lead vocals, additional guitars, lap steel guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, programming, samples, electronics, lyrics
  • Chris Batten - bass, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Mothership", "No Sssweat", "Jonny Sniper", "Adieu" and "OK, Time for Plan B"
  • Liam "Rory" Clewlow - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Rob Rolfe - drums, percussion
Additional personnel
  • Enter Shikari - gang vocals
  • Joel De'ath - gang vocals
  • Ben Shute - gang vocals
  • Ian Shortshaft - gang vocals
  • Arlen Keyte - gang vocals
  • Timbo Baggins - gang vocals
  • Mark Thomas - gang vocals
  • David Burgess - gang vocals
  • Connor Masarich - gang vocals
Production
  • Enter Shikari - production
  • Gavin Paul Maxwell - technician
  • John Mitchell - recording
  • Ben Humphreys - recording
  • Martin Giles - mastering
  • Peter Hill - photography
  • Keaton Henson - illustration, design
Live At The Astoria DVD personnel
  • Lawrence Hardy - director, editor, camera operator
  • Paul McLoone - producer
  • Manifesto Films - producer
  • Gavin Paul Maxwell - technician
  • Andrew Carey - camera operator
  • Hugo Levien - camera operator
  • Tatsu Ozaki - camera operator
  • Jerome McCann - sound
  • James Kemp - sound mixing
  • Jenifer Wright - picture slideshow photography
  • Stephen Condell - picture slideshow photography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Blake Solomon (30 October 2007). "Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies - Album Review". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aaron Burgess. "Enter Shikari, 'Take to the Skies' (Ambush Reality) | SPIN". Spin Magazine. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/5_albums_that_electrified_metalcore
  4. ↑ Sharon Mawer. "Take to the Skies - Enter Shikari | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Sharon Mawer (15 May 2007). "Take to the Skies - Enter Shikari | AllMusic". BBC Music. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Mike Diver (19 March 2007). "Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies /Releases/Releases//Drowned In Sound". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Caroline Sullivan (16 March 2007). "CD: Enter Shikari, Take to the Skies | Music | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Mike Sterry (16 March 2007). "NME Album Reviews - Enter Shikari". NME. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Joshua Love (January 29, 2008). "Enter Shikari: Take to the Skies | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "U.K.'s Enter Shikari Scores Without Label". Billboard. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  11. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1053180/uks-enter-shikari-scores-without-label
  12. ↑ http://www.entershikari.com/take-to-the-skies-2xlp-re-press-shows/
  13. ↑ "Take To The Skies: Enter Shikari: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  14. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Take to the Skies by Enter Shikari". Itunes.apple.com. 2007-03-18. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  15. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Take to the Skies by Enter Shikari". Itunes.apple.com. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 http://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/d8c7/Enter-Shikari-Take-To-The-Skies
  17. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/418169/products/release/
  18. ↑ "Enter Shikari | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  19. ↑ "British album certifications – Enter Shikari – Take to the Skies". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Take to the Skies in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search