Defy is the fifth studio album by American rock band Of Mice & Men. It was released on January 19, 2018, through Rise Records. The album was produced by Howard Benson and is the follow-up to the group's fourth album, Cold World (2016). This is the first album to feature Aaron Pauley as the sole lead vocalist following the departure of Austin Carlile, who left the band in late 2016 due to health issues. It sold 9,400 copies in the US in its first week.[6]
| Defy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 19, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Studio | West Valley Studios, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:31 | |||
| Label | Rise | |||
| Producer | Howard Benson | |||
| Of Mice & Men chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Defy | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Exeposé |  [8] |
| Loudwire | (very positive)[9] |
| Metal Hammer | [10] |
| Renowned for Sound | [11] |
| Rock Sound |   [4] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Defy" | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Instincts" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Back to Me" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Sunflower" | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Unbreakable" | 4:09 |
| 6. | "Vertigo" | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Money" (Pink Floyd cover) | 3:55 |
| 8. | "How Will You Live" | 3:41 |
| 9. | "On the Inside" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Warzone" | 3:13 |
| 11. | "Forever YDG'N" | 3:55 |
| 12. | "If We Were Ghosts" | 4:12 |
| Total length: | 45:31 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[12]
Of Mice & Men
- Aaron Pauley – lead vocals, bass
- Alan Ashby – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Manansala – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Valentino Arteaga – drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Unbreakable"
Additional personnel
- Howard Benson – production, recording
- Mike Plotnikoff – co-production, engineering
- Hatsukazu Inagaki – engineering
- Zach Darf, Trevor Dietrich and Nik Karpen – assistant engineering
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Adam Chagnon – additional engineering
- Ted Jensen and Chris Athens – mastering
- Paul DeCarli – editing
- Marc VanGool – guitar technician
- Jon Nicholson – drum technician
- Charles Tsuei – assisting
- Stevie Aiello – composition on "Back to Me" and "How Will You Live"
- Roger Waters – composition on "Money"
- Scott Stephens – composition on "On the Inside"
- Lindsey Byrnes – band photography
- Kevin Moore – art direction, design
- Laurie Belotti – art direction, design assisting
Charts
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] | 29 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] | 44 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] | 98 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[16] | 74 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] | 58 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[18] | 7 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[19] | 47 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 42 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[21] | 51 |
| US Billboard 200[22] | 48 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[23] | 3 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[24] | 7 |
References
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