A Celebration of Endings explained
A Celebration of Endings is the eighth[2] studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro. It was produced by Rich Costey and was released on 14 August 2020. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, making it the band's third consecutive studio album to top the chart.
Background
The band confirmed they were working on new material in an NME interview in July 2019,[3] having released their soundtrack album Balance, Not Symmetry a few months earlier. Another NME interview in October 2019 confirmed the release of the album, with the working title Opus 8, for the 'first half of next year'.[4]
The first single, "Instant History", was released on 20 February 2020, and first played on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show.
The album was initially planned for release of 15 May 2020, but was pushed back to 14 August due to difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Critical reception
The album received critical acclaim upon release. On review aggregate website Metacritic, the album has an average score of 84 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim," based on 16 reviews. Kerrang! gave the album a perfect score, stating that "Biffy Clyro have delivered an album of restless invention, substance and style that arrives like a spray of water on the arid expanse of this saddest of summers." The Independent also gave the album a positive review, writing that the album "soothes, shakes and surprises at every turn".
Personnel
Biffy Clyro
Additional personnel
- Zac Rae – additional keyboards
- Steve Mac – additional Keyboards
- Rob Mathes – string arrangements and conducting
- Jenny Nendick – conducting
- Jackie Shave – concertmaster (1st violin)
- Magnus Johnston – violin
- Perry Montague-Mason – violin
- Patrick Kiernan – violin
- Pete Hanson – violin
- Natalia Bonner – violin
- Cathy Thompson – violin
- Debbie Widdup – violin
- Jonathan Evans-Jones – violin
- Chris Tombling – violin
- Bruce White – viola
- Peter Lale – viola
- Rachel Roberts – viola
- Caroline Dearley – cello
- Ian Burdge – cello
- Jonathan Williams – cello
- Caroline Dearley – cello
Production
- Rich Costey – production, mixing
- Steve Mac – production
- James Rushent – additional production
- Chris Laws – additional programming and engineering
- Joe La Porta – mastering
- Jonathan Allen – string recording
- Paul Pritchard – string recording assistant
- Neil Dawes – string recording assistant
- KT Pipal – engineering
- Mario Borgatta – engineering
- Wesley M. Seidman – engineering
- Cecil Barlett – engineering
- Dann Pursey – engineering
- Koby Merman – additional mix engineering and digital editing
- Dalton Ricks – additional mix engineering
- Ross Newbauer – additional mix engineering
Artwork and design
- Thomas Robson – cover artwork
- Simon Neil – additional artwork, art direction
- Richard Welland – art direction
- Ash Reynolds – photography
Charts
Notes and References
- Web site: Biffy Clyro – "A Celebration of Endings". 2020-09-04. Everything Is Noise. 2020-10-21.
- The band referred to the album using the working title Opus 8. This numbering does not include the soundtrack album Balance, Not Symmetry from 2019. See also: Biffy Clyro discography
- Web site: Biffy Clyro give us an update on their "rocking opus" of a new album. 2019-07-23. NME. 2020-03-14.
- Web site: Biffy Clyro confirm their next album will arrive in "first half" of next year. 2019-10-11. NME. 2020-03-14.
- Web site: Biffy Clyro delay 'A Celebration of Endings' album due to the coronavirus . NME . 1 April 2020 . 27 March 2020.
- Web site: Top Albums (Week 34, 2020). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. French. 24 August 2020.
- Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 34 (dal 14.08.2020 al 20.08.2020). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Italian. 21 August 2020.
- Web site: Top 100 Albumes – Semana 34: del 14.8.2020 al 20.8.2020. Productores de Música de España. Spanish. 26 August 2020.
