Hell Is What You Make It

Hell Is What You Make It
Studio album by Breathe Carolina
Released	July 12, 2011
Recorded	2010-2011
Genre	Electronicore electropop trance post-hardcore
Length	47:06
Label	Fearless
Producer	Ian Kirkpatrick Matt Squire
Breathe Carolina chronology
Hello Fascination (2009) Hell Is What You Make It (2011) Savages (2014)
Alternative covers
Hell Is What You Make It: Reloaded cover
Singles from Hell Is What You Make It
"Blackout" Released: June 14, 2011 "Hit and Run" Released: May 22, 2012

Hell Is What You Make It is the third studio album by electronic rock duo Breathe Carolina. It was released on July 12, 2011 through Fearless Records. Recording for the album took place in Los Angeles, California between 2010-2011 whilst production was handled by Ian Kirkpatrick. Musically, the album is mainly rooted in dance, pop, trance and post-hardcore genres but also uses elements of electronic music and dubstep.^[1][2][3] The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its "catchiness" and "radio-friendly" songs. It debuted at number 42 on the Billboard 200, as well as the top 10 of the Dance/Electronic, Rock, Alternative and Independent Albums charts. Promotion of the album was primarily through live concerts and television performances, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Habit. Its lead single, "Blackout", has since become a commercial success, peaking within the charts in Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, the United Kingdom and United States, while being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling more than 1 million copies. A deluxe edition titled Hell Is What You Make It: RELOADED is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2012, including two new original tracks, one remix, and a new version of "Last Night (Vegas)".^[4]

Background and recording

On December 22, 2010, Fearless Records posted a video featuring a 30-second preview of the track "Blackout".^[5] Recording took place in Los Angeles, California in early 2011. It was officially announced on April 28, 2011 when the band launched a website to promote the album.^[6] The website contained a video featuring a forty-second preview of the track "Wooly" whilst displaying the album's title and release date in flash animation.^[7] On May 15, 2011, a demo of the track "Sweat It Out" was temporarily posted on YouTube before being shortly taken down. On May 19, the promotional website was updated, containing the album's cover art and track listing.

Release and promotion

The album was released on July 12, 2011 through Fearless Records. The duo participated in the 2011 Scream It Like You Mean It Tour to promote the album.^[8]

Prior to the album's release, "Wooly" and "Sweat It Out" were available for streaming on the duo's official social networking sites.^[9][10]

Singles

The album's lead single, "Blackout", was available for streaming via MTV Buzzworthy on June 13, 2011, and was released for digital download the following day.^[11][12] It has since become the duo's most commercially successful single to date, charting within Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, the United Kingdom and United States, while also being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling more than 500,000 copies.^[13] It has also received generally favorable reviews from music critics, with Alternative Press calling it an "irresistible synth-pop song".^[14] A lyric video was uploaded onto the duo's official YouTube account on June 24.^[15] An accompanying music video was released onto the duo's official Vevo page on YouTube on September 20,^[16] and has since garnered more than 1 million views. The video features shots of the duo partying and getting into trouble, as well as performing the song at a live event.^[17] It was shot during summer 2011 in Los Angeles, California.^[18] The duo also performed the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in their first televised performance ever.^[19] An extended play titled Blackout: The Remixes EP was released on September 27 via iTunes.^[20] "Hit and Run" exclusively premiered via Alternative Press on May 21, 2012, while being available for digital download the following day.^[21] It is featured on the deluxe edition of the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Alternative Press	link

The album has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Tim Sendra of Allmusic gave a positive review, scoring the album 3 and a half stars out of 5, saying, "Hell Is What You Make It finds the duo of Kyle Even and David Schmitt refining their amalgamation of sounds into something both slicker and more powerful than past efforts".^[22] The album's singles, "Blackout", "Last Night (Vegas)", and "Take It Back" were indicated as the AMG Track Picks.^[23] Alternative Press also gave a positive review, scoring the album 3 and a half stars out of 5, saying, "The band—and producer Ian Kirkpatrick—bring a lot of dishes to this sonic buffet—and most of them are to be consumed on the dancefloor". While praising "Blackout", an "irresistible synth-pop song", "Wooly", the opening track "where house-techno sequencers and melodic vocals parry with screamo-metal breakdowns and growling", and "Waiting", "the head-nod initiator" that "would sound sweet bumping at a hipster club at 4 a.m," they criticized the tracks "Last Night (Vegas)", "Take It Back", and "Chemicals", calling them a "smack of blatant careerism".^[14]

Commercial performance

It debuted and peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200, only one number higher than their previous album, Hello Fascination.^[24] It also charted within the Billboard Rock, Alternative, Dance and Independent Album Charts.^[24] As of March 2014, the album has sold 64,000 copies in the United States.^[25]

Track listing

All songs produced by Ian Kirkpatrick except "Chemicals", produced by Matt Squire.

Standard edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rebirth: An Introduction"	David Schmitt Kyle Even Eric Armenta Joshua Aragon Luis Bonet Ian Kirkpatrick	0:59
2.	"Wooly"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	3:53
3.	"Blackout"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick Simon Wilcox	3:28
4.	"Edge of Heaven"	Schmitt Even Kirkpatrick Daniel R. Monahan Augie Schmidt	3:39
5.	"Last Night (Vegas)"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick David L. Quinones	3:34
6.	"Sweat It Out"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	3:50
7.	"Gone So Long"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	4:07
8.	"They Say You Won't Come Back"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	4:15
9.	"Get Off Easy"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick Wilcox	3:45
10.	"Waiting"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick Quinones	4:24
11.	"Take It Back"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	3:29
12.	"Chemicals"	Schmitt Even Matt Squire	3:31
13.	"Lauren's Song"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick	4:10
Total length:			47:06

Reloaded[26]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Hit and Run"	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick Lindy Robbins	3:12
15.	"Reaching for the Floor"		3:30
16.	"Hit and Run" (Wideboys remix)	Schmitt Even Armenta Aragon Bonet Kirkpatrick Robbins	3:31
Total length:			57:14

Charts

Charts	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	42

Personnel

Breathe Carolina

• Kyle Even – unclean vocals, clean vocals
• David Schmitt – clean vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums

Additional musicians

• Eric Armenta – drums, percussion
• Joshua Aragon – keyboards, guitars, background vocals
• Luis Bonet – keyboards

Production^[27]

• Matt Squire – production, engineering, mixing
• Ian Kirkpatrick – programming, production, engineering, mixing
• Carlos De Garza – drum engineering
• Sol Amstutz – artwork
• Shervon Esfahani – A&R
• Chris Foitle – A&R

References

1. http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/breathe-carolina-hell-is-what-you-make-it
2. https://ourzonemag.com/oz/breathe-carolina-%E2%80%93-hell-is-what-you-make-it-album-review
3. http://www.reviewrinserepeat.com/artist/breathe-carolina/album/hell-is-what-you-make-it/review
4. http://www.breathecarolina.net/us/news/hell-what-you-make-it-reloaded
5. "Fearless Records – New Music Coming In 2011". YouTube. December 22, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
6. "Official Website of Breathe Carolina". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
7. "Breathe Carolina – "Hell Is What You Make It" Announcement". YouTube. April 29, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
8. User. "2011 (US TOUR)". Scream It Like You Mean It. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
9. "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, Unlocked Song – "WOOLY"". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
10. "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, NEW SONG UNLOCKED". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
11. "Song Premiere: Breathe Carolina, ‘Blackout’". Buzzworthy.mtv.com. June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
12. "Blackout – Single: Breathe Carolina: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
13. "Introducing Breathe Carolina". Top40.about.com. September 20, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
14. “Waiting” (August 30, 2011). "Alternative Press | Reviews | Breathe Carolina – Hell Is What You Make It". Altpress.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
15. "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina release "Blackout" lyric video". Altpress.com. June 24, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
16. "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina release "Blackout" music video". Altpress.com. September 20, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
17. Matt (September 21, 2011). "Video Debut: Breathe Carolina’s "Blackout" Is High-Energy Fun". 923now.radio.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
18. "Official Website of Breathe Carolina, "Blackout" Music Video Casting Call". Helliswhatyoumakeit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
19. "Alternative Press | News | Breathe Carolina on Jimmy Kimmel Live". Altpress.com. June 15, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
20. "Alternative Press | Features | Exclusive Stream: Breathe Carolina’s "Blackout (Big Chocolate remix)"". Altpress.com. September 22, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
21. http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/premiere_breathe_carolina_hit_and_run/
22. Sendra, Tim (July 12, 2011). "Hell Is What You Make It – Breathe Carolina". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
23. Sendra, Tim (July 12, 2011). "Hell Is What You Make It – Breathe Carolina". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
24. "Breathe Carolina Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
25. http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/sales/sales_ur.cgi
26. http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Is-What-You-Make/dp/B008GC0PY0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1341121765&sr=1-7
27. "Hell Is What You Make It – Breathe Carolina". AllMusic. July 12, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.