Anesthetic (album)
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Anesthetic
| type = studio
| artist = Mark Morton
| cover = File:Anesthetic_Mark_Morton_album_cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2019|03|01}}
| recorded = 2017–2018
| studio = {{plainlist|
- Hybrid Studios (Santa Ana, California, US)
- NRG Studios (North Hollywood, California, US)
- The Magpie Cage (Baltimore, Maryland, US)
- The Mill Studio (Cayman Islands)
}}
| genre = Hard rock{{Cite web |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-on-his-solo-album-it-was-more-work-than-i-initially-anticipated/ |title=Lamb of God's Mark Morton on His Solo Album: 'It Was More Work Than I Initially Anticipated' - Blabbermouth.net |date=14 May 2019 |access-date=2019-05-14 |archive-date=2019-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514135152/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-on-his-solo-album-it-was-more-work-than-i-initially-anticipated/ |url-status=live }}
| length = 42:38
| label = Spinefarm
| producer = {{hlist|Mark Morton|Josh Wilbur|Jake Oni}}
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Ether
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Anesthetic
| type = studio
| single1 = The Truth Is Dead
| single1date = December 14, 2018{{cite web |title=LAMB OF GOD Guitarist's 'Anesthetic' Solo Album To Feature Guest Appearances By LINKIN PARK, PAPA ROACH Members |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-god-guitarists-anesthetic-solo-album-to-feature-guest-appearances-by-linkin-park-papa-roach-members/ |website=Blabbermouth |date=14 December 2018 |access-date=2018-12-14 |archive-date=2019-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402015413/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-god-guitarists-anesthetic-solo-album-to-feature-guest-appearances-by-linkin-park-papa-roach-members/ |url-status=live }}
| single2 = Cross Off
| single2date = January 8, 2019
| single3 = Save Defiance
| single3date = February 22, 2019
}}
}}
Anesthetic is the first solo album by American guitarist Mark Morton, released on March 1, 2019 via Spinefarm.
Background
The album features guest performances by Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, Chuck Billy of Testament, Mark Lanegan, Josh Todd of Buckcherry, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Jake Oni of Oni and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God. According to Morton, he had been writing new material for his solo record for "quite some time".{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-god-guitarists-anesthetic-solo-album-to-feature-guest-appearances-by-linkin-park-papa-roach-members/|title=LAMB OF GOD Guitarist's 'Anesthetic' Solo Album To Feature Guest Appearances By LINKIN PARK, PAPA ROACH Members|date=14 December 2018|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET|access-date=21 January 2019|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402015413/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-god-guitarists-anesthetic-solo-album-to-feature-guest-appearances-by-linkin-park-papa-roach-members/|url-status=live}}
Sound and composition
Mark Morton outlined the difference between his solo album and his work with Lamb of God: {{blockquote| [Anesthetic is] just a little more rock than the music that I guess I'm more traditionally known for with LAMB OF GOD, which is kind of like a thrash metal band, extreme metal. The solo project, it kind of digs into my influences in terms of classic rock and blues rock. It's still hard rock, heavy rock, but it's just not quite as LAMB; it's a little more melodic. I guess a little more conventionally arranged. It just kind of explores my love of hard rock music. The songs themselves are collaborations with a pretty extensive list of artists that I admire as a fan or as a friend or both. I really worked with a large number of people. Most LAMB OF GOD albums are typically done with the band and the producer, so there's six people's input. This album was myself and my producer kind of mainly being the creative directors, then we had all this input from these amazing artists that we brought into the fold. It's very collaborative, diverse and dynamic in that sense. The inspiration, I really had these rock songs that I was writing on my own just in the course of my songwriting, what I do. I had these songs piling up and accumulating that clearly weren't appropriate to submit as LAMB OF GOD material, but were songs that I thought were worth developing. We took that ball and ran with it."{{Cite web |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-on-his-solo-album-it-was-more-work-than-i-initially-anticipated/ |title=Lamb of God's Mark Morton on His Solo Album: 'It Was More Work Than I Initially Anticipated' - Blabbermouth.net |date=14 May 2019 |access-date=2019-05-14 |archive-date=2019-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514135152/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-on-his-solo-album-it-was-more-work-than-i-initially-anticipated/ |url-status=live }}}}
Release
The first single, "The Truth Is Dead", was released on December 13, 2018, premiering on Sirius XM Liquid Metal. The song features Morton's Lamb of God bandmate Randy Blythe and Arch Enemy frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz on vocals.{{cite web |title=HEAR LAMB OF GOD GUITARIST MARK MORTON'S NEW SONG WITH RANDY BLYTHE, ALISSA WHITE-GLUZ |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-lamb-god-guitarist-mark-mortons-new-song-randy-blythe-alissa-white-gluz |website=Revolver |date=14 December 2018 |access-date=2019-01-22 |archive-date=2019-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123010430/https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-lamb-god-guitarist-mark-mortons-new-song-randy-blythe-alissa-white-gluz |url-status=live }}
The second single off the record, "Cross Off", which features Chester Bennington, debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads and 209,000 streams in its first week.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8493791/chester-bennington-returns-billboard-charts-mark-morton-cross-off|title=Chester Bennington Returns to Billboard Charts on Mark Morton's 'Cross Off'|magazine=Billboard|access-date=21 January 2019|archive-date=18 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118003728/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8493791/chester-bennington-returns-billboard-charts-mark-morton-cross-off|url-status=live}} A music video for "Cross Off" was released on March 5, directed by Roboshobo.{{cite web |title=LAMB OF GOD's MARK MORTON Releases Video For 'Cross Off' Song Featuring CHESTER BENNINGTON |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-releases-video-for-cross-off-song-featuring-chester-bennington/ |website=www.blabbermouth.net |date=5 March 2019 |publisher=Blabbermouth |access-date=5 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043129/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lamb-of-gods-mark-morton-releases-video-for-cross-off-song-featuring-chester-bennington/ |url-status=live }} The music video for "Cross Off" features an empty microphone as a tribute to Bennington, who died in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/mark-morton-and-chester-benningtons-cross-off-video-is-eerily-haunted/|title=Mark Morton And Chester Bennington's Cross Off Video Is Eerily Haunted|website=Kerrang!}}
Reception
Wall of Sound gave the album a 7/10 and stated: "On the one hand he has nabbed some great artists to assist him get this album a release, however I think he has missed the mark on half the tracks by playing along with the Lamb of God playbook too often."{{Cite web|url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2019/02/24/mark-morton-anesthetic-album-review/|title=Mark Morton – Anesthetic (Album Review)|last=Plugga73|date=2019-02-24|website=Wall of Sound|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-date=2019-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224174006/https://wallofsoundau.com/2019/02/24/mark-morton-anesthetic-album-review/|url-status=live}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Anesthetic track listing
| title1 = Cross Off
| writer1 = {{hlist|Mark Morton|Josh Wilbur|Bennington|Jake Oni}}
| note1 = featuring Chester Bennington
| length1 = 4:14
| title2 = Sworn Apart
| writer2 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Shaddix}}
| note2 = featuring Jacoby Shaddix
| length2 = 3:57
| title3 = Axis
| writer3 = {{hlist|Morton|Lanegan}}
| note3 = featuring Mark Lanegan
| length3 = 4:13
| title4 = The Never
| writer4 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Oni}}
| note4 = featuring Chuck Billy and Jake Oni
| length4 = 4:06
| title5 = Save Defiance
| writer5 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Kennedy}}
| note5 = featuring Myles Kennedy
| length5 = 4:37
| title6 = Blur
| writer6 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Mike Inez}}
| note6 = featuring Mark Morales
| length6 = 5:21
| title7 = Back from the Dead
| writer7 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Todd}}
| note7 = featuring Josh Todd
| length7 = 4:03
| title8 = Reveal
| writer8 = {{hlist|Morton|Maddox|Yanni Papadopoulis|Jean-Paul Gaster|Chris Brooks}}
| note8 = featuring Naeemah Maddox
| length8 = 4:12
| title9 = Imaginary Days
| writer9 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Morales}}
| length9 = 3:45
| title10 = The Truth Is Dead
| writer10 = {{hlist|Morton|Wilbur|Blythe|White-Gluz}}
| note10 = featuring Randy Blythe and Alissa White-Gluz
| length10 = 4:13
| total_length = 42:38
}}
Personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-4}}
- Mark Morton – guitars {{small|(all tracks)}}, bass {{small|(track 2)}}, vocals {{small|(on "Imaginary Days")}}
Additional vocalists
- Chester Bennington – vocals {{small|(track 1)}}
- Jacoby Shaddix – vocals {{small|(track 2)}}
- Mark Lanegan – vocals {{small|(track 3)}}
- Chuck Billy – vocals {{small|(track 4)}}
- Jake Oni – vocals {{small|(track 4)}}
- Myles Kennedy – vocals {{small|(track 5)}}, backing vocals {{small|(track 2)}}
- Mark Morales – vocals {{small|(track 6)}}, backing vocals {{small|(track 9)}}
- Josh Todd – vocals {{small|(track 7)}}
- Naeemah Maddox – vocals {{small|(track 8)}}
- Randy Blythe – vocals {{small|(track 10)}}
- Alissa White-Gluz – vocals {{small|(track 10)}}
{{col-4}}
Additional instrumentalists
- Paolo Gregoletto – bass {{small|(track 1)}}
- Alex Bent – drums {{small|(tracks 1, 2)}}
- Marc Ford – guitars {{small|(track 3)}}
- Mike Inez – bass {{small|(tracks 3, 5-7, 9)}}
- Steve Gorman – drums {{small|(tracks 3, 6)}}
- David Ellefson – bass {{small|(tracks 4, 10)}}
- Roy Mayorga – drums {{small|(tracks 4, 7, 10)}}
- Ray Luzier – drums {{small|(tracks 5, 9)}}
- Yanni Papadopoulos – bass {{small|(track 8)}}
- Jean-Paul Gaster – drums {{small|(track 8)}}
- Chris Brooks – keyboards {{small|(track 8)}}
{{col-4}}
Production
- Josh Wilbur – producer, engineering, mixing
- Mark Morton – producer {{small|(track 8)}}
- Jake Oni – executive producer
- Jay Robbins – engineering {{small|(additional)}}
- Paul Suarez – engineering {{small|(additional)}}
- Roy Mayorga – engineering {{small|(additional)}}
- Brad Blackwood – mastering
- Daniel Danger – artwork, art direction
{{col-end}}
Charts
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for Anesthetic ! scope="col"| Chart (2019) ! scope="col"| Peak |
scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2019/3/aria-chart-watch-515/|title=ARIA Chart Watch #515|publisher=auspOp|date=March 9, 2019|access-date=March 9, 2019|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328043207/https://www.auspop.com.au/2019/3/aria-chart-watch-515/|url-status=live}}
| 97 |
---|
{{album chart|Switzerland|98|artist=Mark Morton|album=Anesthetic|rowheader=true|access-date=March 13, 2019}} |
scope="row"| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC){{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/rock-and-metal-albums-chart/20190308/112/|title=Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40|publisher=Official Charts Company|date=March 8, 2019|access-date=February 14, 2022}}
| 8 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.markmortonmusic.com/anesthetic Anesthetic] on Mark Morton's official website
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anesthetic}}