Noise Floor (Spock's Beard album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Noise Floor
| type = studio
| artist = Spock's Beard
| cover = Spock's Beard Noise Floor.jpg
| alt =
| released = May 25, 2018{{cite web|title=Spock's Beard: : Announce 13th studio album 'Noise Floor'|url=http://www.insideoutmusic.com/newsdetailed.aspx?IdNews=22221&IdCompany=8|website=InsideOut Music|accessdate=13 May 2018|date=1 March 2018}}
| recorded = May 2017 – February 2018
| studio = *The Mouse House, Altadena, California
| genre = Progressive rock
| length = 51:56 (Main album)
17:17 (Bonus disc)
| label = InsideOut Music
| producer =
| prev_title = The Oblivion Particle
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
Noise Floor is the thirteenth studio album by American progressive rock band Spock's Beard. It is the band's first full album of original material to feature original drummer Nick D'Virgilio since X in 2010, although this time D'Virgilio is only as a session musician. D'Virgilio had previously recorded a new song with the band for the compilation album The First Twenty Years and a bonus track for the band's previous album The Oblivion Particle, both released in 2015. Noise Floor was released on 25 May 2018.
Background and recording
In October 2016, drummer Jimmy Keegan announced that he had left Spock's Beard in order to pursue other interests and the band's original drummer, Nick D'Virgilio, was drafted in to fulfill concert commitments. In March 2017, the band confirmed that they had begun writing for their next album, with plans to begin recording in May with D'Virgilio as studio drummer.{{cite web|last1=Munro|first1=Scott|title=Spock's Beard bring back Nick D'Virgilio for new album|url=http://teamrock.com/news/2017-03-29/spocks-beard-bring-back-nick-dvirgilio-for-new-album|website=Prog|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=29 March 2018}}{{cite web|last1=Lach|first1=Stef|title=Spock's Beard drummer Jimmy Keegan quits|url=http://teamrock.com/news/2016-10-12/spocks-beard-drummer-jimmy-keegan-quits|website=Prog|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=12 October 2016}}
As with their previous three albums, recording and mixing for the then untitled thirteenth album was conducted at The Mouse House in Altadena, California, with additional drum tracking at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mixing was completed by Rich Mouser in February 2018.{{cite web|title=Ryo Okumoto|url=https://www.facebook.com/RyoOkumotoMusic/videos/2071828412844080/?permPage=1|website=Facebook|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=15 February 2018}}{{cite web|title=Spock's Beard|url=https://www.facebook.com/spocksbeard/posts/10155435511318168|website=Facebook|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=9 July 2018}}{{cite web|title=Spock's Beard To Release 'Noise Floor' Album In May|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/spocks-beard-to-release-noise-floor-album-in-may/|website=Blabbermouth|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=1 March 2018}}
In March 2018, the album title and release date were revealed. It was also announced that the album would be released with a bonus EP of material from the same recording sessions, titled Cutting Room Floor.{{cite web|last1=Munro|first1=Scott|title=Spock's Beard announce new album Noise Floor|url=http://teamrock.com/news/2018-03-01/spocks-beard-announce-new-album-noise-floor|website=Prog|accessdate=25 March 2018|date=1 March 2018}} It was released on 25 May 2018.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Express
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last1=Davies|first1=Paul|title=REVIEW: The week's best Rock and Metal albums from Black Sabbath to Saxon and more|url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/966684/album-review-rock-metal-black-sabbath-saxon|website=Express|accessdate=2 June 2018|date=29 May 2018}}
| rev2 = Keyboard
| rev2score = Positive{{cite web|last1=Beaudoin|first1=Jedd|title=ALBUM REVIEW - Spock's Beard's "Noise Floor"|url=https://www.keyboardmag.com/news/album-review-spocks-beards-noise-floor|website=Keyboard|accessdate=13 May 2018|date=1 May 2018}}
| rev3 = MaximumVolumeMusic
| rev4 = Metal Nation
| rev5 = The Prog Report
| rev5score = Positive{{cite web|title=Spock's Beard - Noise Floor (Album Review)|url=https://progreport.com/spocks-beard-noise-floor-album-review/|website=The Prog Report|accessdate=13 May 2018|date=20 April 2018}}
| rev6 = Rock Hard
| rev6score = 7.5/10{{cite web |last1=Rensen |first1=Michael |title=RockHard: Review review |url=https://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen.html?tx_rxsearch_pi1%5Breview%5D=40677 |website=Rock Hard |accessdate=2 June 2018 |language=German}}
| rev7 = Sonic Perspectives
}}
The album received generally favourable reviews. In his review for Sonic Perspectives, Scott Medina praised Rich Mouser's production and the band members' musicianship, stating that "none of the material here may reach the Top 10 Spock's songs of all time, but they all hover within a good to excellent range". Reviews for Keyboard magazine and The Prog Report both singled out Ryo Okumoto's contribution as particularly noteworthy.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Noise Floor{{cite AV media notes|title=Noise Floor|others=Spock's Beard|year=2018|type=booklet|publisher=InsideOut Music|id=IOMSESCD 506}}
| title1 = To Breathe Another Day
| writer1 = John Boegehold, Ryo Okumoto
| length1 = 5:38
| title2 = What Becomes of Me
| writer2 = Boegehold
| length2 = 6:11
| title3 = Somebody's Home
| writer3 = Ted Leonard, Alan Morse
| length3 = 6:32
| title4 = Have We All Gone Crazy Yet
| writer4 = Leonard, Morse
| length4 = 8:07
| title5 = So This Is Life
| writer5 = Stan Ausmus, Morse
| length5 = 5:36
| title6 = One So Wise
| writer6 = Ausmus
| length6 = 6:58
| title7 = Box of Spiders
| note7 = instrumental
| writer7 = Okumoto
| length7 = 5:29
| title8 = Beginnings
| writer8 = Leonard, Okumoto
| length8 = 7:25
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Cutting Room Floor
| title1 = Days We'll Remember
| writer1 = Boegehold
| length1 = 4:15
| title2 = Bulletproof
| writer2 = Boegehold
| length2 = 4:41
| title3 = Vault
| writer3 = Leonard
| length3 = 4:49
| title4 = Armageddon Nervous
| note4 = instrumental
| writer4 = Boegehold
| length4 = 3:32
}}
Personnel
Spock's Beard
- Ted Leonard – lead vocals
- Alan Morse – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
- Ryo Okumoto – keyboards
- Dave Meros – bass guitar, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Nick D'Virgilio – drums and percussion, backing vocals
- Eric Gorfain – violin
- Leah Katz – viola
- Richard Dodd – cello
- David Robertson – English horn
Production
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2018)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Austria|47|artist=Spock's Beard|album=Noise Floor|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 June 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|110|artist=Spock's Beard|album=Noise Floor|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 2, 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|101|artist=Spock's Beard|album=Noise Floor|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 2, 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|23|id=359158|artist=Spock's Beard|album=Noise Floor|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 2, 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|24|artist=Spock's Beard|album=Noise Floor|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 6, 2018}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Spock's Beard}}
{{Authority control}}