The Complicated Futility of Ignorance
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox album
| name = The Complicated Futility of Ignorance
| type = Studio
| artist = Fudge Tunnel
| cover = The_Complicated_Futility_of_Ignorance.jpg
| alt =
| released = September 1994
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = *Sludge metal
| length = 52:01
| label = Earache
| producer = Alex Newport
| prev_title = Creep Diets
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
The Complicated Futility of Ignorance is the third and final studio album by English rock band Fudge Tunnel, released in September 1994 by Earache Records.{{cite web|title=Wayback Archive: EARACHE MOSH119|url=http://www.earache.com/catalog/mosh119.html|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527132030/http://www.earache.com/catalog/mosh119.html|archivedate=2012-05-27}} The album is notable for being the band's heaviest.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/complicated-futility-of-ignorance-mw0000124834|title=Complicated Futility of Ignorance - Fudge Tunnel | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}
Overview
The Complicated Futility of Ignorance is noted for being the heaviest and most extreme album of the band. While being a mostly sludge album, it is also leaning towards groove metal and in particular, the song "Six Eight" is played in a doom metal style.
Reception
{{Album reviews
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev2 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev2score = 7/10{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |year=2007 |location=Burlington, Ontario, Canada |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=162}}
| rev3 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |publisher=MUZE Inc. |year=1998 |isbn=0-333-74134-X |editor-last=Larkin |editor-first=Colin |editor-link=Colin Larkin |volume=3 |page=2045}}
| rev4 = The Great Metal Discography
| rev4Score = 7/10{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/greatmetaldiscog0000stro/page/116 |title=The Great Metal Discography |publisher=Canongate |year=1998 |isbn=0862417279 |pages=116-117 |chapter=Fudge Tunnel |author-link=Martin C. Strong |via=Internet Archive}}
|rev5 = Kerrang!
|rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Goldstein |first=Gordon |date=September 17, 1994 |title=Rekordz |magazine=Kerrang! |publisher=EMAP |issue=512|page=46}}
| rev6 = Rock Hard
| rev6score = 7.5/10{{Cite web |date=17 November 1994 |title=The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance |url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/fudge-tunnel-the-complicated-futility-of-ignorance |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=Rock Hard |language=de-DE |type=Vol. 91}}
| rev7 = Select
| rev7score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Wilkinson |first=Roy |date=November 1994 |title=Soundbites |magazine=Select |publisher=EMAP |page=103}}
}}
AllMusic's Vincent Jeffries gave the album four stars out of five, and noted the release as being "the best of this group's many fine offerings". Trouser Press wrote that "as a refined dose of pure musical aggression that grabs, holds and savages ... it’s the band’s most effective".{{cite web |title=Fudge Tunnel |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/fudge-tunnel/ |website=Trouser Press |accessdate=6 August 2020}}
The album won a 1995 NAIRD Indie Award, in the Hard Music category.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AsEAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Complicated+Futility+of+Ignorance+fudge+tunnel+1994&pg=PA14|title=Rounder Tops NAIRD Awards; Arhoolie Founder Honored|work=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=May 27, 1995|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| all_lyrics = Fudge Tunnel
| all_music = Fudge Tunnel
| total_length = 52:01
| title1 = Random Acts Of Cruelty
| music1 =
| length1 = 4:41
| title2 = The Joy Of Irony
| music2 =
| length2 = 5:33
| title3 = Backed Down
| music3 =
| length3 = 4:06
| title4 = Cover Up
| music4 =
| length4 = 4:51
| title5 = Six Eight
| music5 =
| length5 = 7:12
| note5 =
| title6 = Long Day
| music6 =
| length6 = 3:21
| title7 = Excuse
| music7 =
| length7 = 4:35
| title8 = Find Your Fortune
| music8 =
| length8 = 5:00
| title9 = Suffering Makes Great Stories
| music9 =
| length9 = 3:31
| title10 = Circle Of Friends, Circle Of Trends
| music10 =
| length10 = 4:33
| note10 =
| title11 = Rudge with A G
| music11 =
| length11 = 4:38
| title12 = Pope Calvin III
| music12 =
| length12 = 10:32
}}
- Track 12 is unlisted (but mentioned in the booklet) and includes five minutes of silence before the song starts.
Personnel
=Fudge Tunnel=
- Alex Newport – vocals, guitars{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
- David Ryley – bass guitar
- Adrian Parkin – drums, percussion
=Additional personnel=
- Dave Buchanan – engineering
- John Cornfield – engineering
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Fudge Tunnel}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Complicated Futility of Ignorance}}