Take to the Skies

Take to the Skies is the debut studio album by British rock band Enter Shikari. It is the first album to achieve a significant chart success for a new act operating outside the traditional label system after selling 200,000 copies worldwide.

Take to the Skies
Studio album by
Enter Shikari
Released19 March 2007
Recorded2006–07
StudioThe Outhouse, Reading, England
Genre
Length52:43
LabelAmbush Reality
ProducerEnter Shikari
Enter Shikari chronology
Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour
(2004)		 Take to the Skies
(2007)		 The Zone
(2007)
Singles from Take to the Skies
  1. "Sorry You're Not a Winner"/"OK Time for Plan B"
    Released: 29 October 2006
  2. "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour..."
    Released: 18 February 2007
  3. "Jonny Sniper"
    Released: 18 June 2007

Background and recording

Following the demise of Hybryd, Enter Shikari was formed with Rou Reynolds on vocals, Rory Clewlow on guitar, Chris Batten on bass, and Rob Rolfe on drums. In 2003 and 2004, the group self-released three EPs – Nodding Acquaintance (2003), Sorry You're Not a Winner (2004) and Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour (2004) – that they sold at shows and used to help grow their fan base. With a increasing touring schedule, the group began using social networking platform Myspace.[5] In August, the band posted a demo version of "Labyrinth", followed by a demo of "OK, Time for Plan B" in September.[6] In mid-2006, the group established their own record label, Ambush Reality, and digitally released the "Mothership" single.[5] Recording sessions for Take to the Skies took place at The Outhouse in Reading with John Mitchell and Ben Humphreys. The group, Joel De'ath, Ben Shute, Ian Shortshaft and Tim Boardman contributed gang vocals. The group produced the sessions and Martin Giles mastered the recordings at Alchemy Soho in London.[7]

The album contains re-recorded versions of many songs that were featured on demos, singles and EPs released in the years prior to their debut. "Sorry You're Not A Winner" was first on the band's second EP Sorry You're Not A Winner EP in 2003. It was later re-recorded in 2006 along with "OK, Time For Plan B" (which was a previously released demo in 2005) for the band's second single "Sorry You're Not a Winner"/"OK Time for Plan B". "Jonny Sniper" and "Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour..." were both on the band's third EP Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour in 2004; they were completely re-recorded for the album. A demo version of "Mothership" was previously released for the band's first single in 2006. Also "Enter Shikari", "Labyrinth", and "Return to Energiser" were released as demos from 2005-06.

Release

Take to the Skies was released on 19 March 2007. On the album's track listing, tracks 1, 5, 9, 11, 13 and 17 are untitled. However, the untitled tracks have been given names on the digital versions and other retailer descriptions. Track 1 is universally titled "Stand Your Ground; This Is Ancient Land". In most cases tracks 5, 9, 11, 13 and 17 are all titled "Interlude", sometimes being numbered.[8] However, on the iTunes track listing 9 and 17 are both titled Reprise One and Two, respectively.[9] Also, Track 17 is sometimes titled "Closing".

In early June, the group performed at Download Festival.[10] "Jonny Sniper" was released as a single on 18 June.[11] In early August, the group headlined Kerrang!'s Day of Rock event.[12] To promote the Kerrang! Awards, the group played a one-off show in London in late August.[13] After the release of the album in Europe, the band spent a long period of time finding a distributor, which they would need to release the album in North America. Finally they signed to Tiny Evil Records and the album was released on October 30. It has been released as a CD, a CD+DVD edition and vinyl version with an embossed gatefold sleeve.

On July 18, 2013, the band announced a repressing of the vinyl on a new colourway (green and beige), limited to just 500 copies, coming with a signed artwork print, for official release on August 5. The pressing was down to fans paying high prices on auction sites for original copies, and it sold out within a few hours of going on sale.[14]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk[4]
AllMusic[15]
BBC Music[16]
Drowned in Sound[17]
The Guardian[18]
NME(8/10)[19]
Pitchfork(6.7/10.0) [20]
Spin[2]

On March 25, 2007, it reached #4 in the Official UK Album Chart selling 28,000 copies in its first week.[21] The album reached worldwide sales of 200,000 copies[22] and was certified Gold in the UK after selling over 100,000 copies. It is also the first album to achieve a significant chart success for a new act operating outside the traditional label system.[23]

Track listing

All lyrics by Rou Reynolds, all music by Enter Shikari.[7]

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Stand Your Ground; This Is Ancient Land"1:08
2."Enter Shikari"2:52
3."Mothership"4:30
4."Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour..."4:32
5."Interlude 1"1:01
6."Labyrinth"3:51
7."No Sssweat"3:16
8."Today Won’t Go Down in History"3:34
9."Interlude 2"1:28
10."Return to Energiser"4:35
11."Interlude 3"0:18
12."Sorry, You're Not a Winner"3:52
13."Interlude 4"0:35
14."Jonny Sniper"4:01
15."Adieu"5:40
16."OK, Time for Plan B"4:55
17."Closing"2:44
Total length:52:43
US iTunes version[24]
No.TitleLength
1."Stand Your Ground / This Is Ancient Land / Enter Shikari"4:05
2."Mothership"4:30
3."Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour / Interlude One"5:41
4."Labyrinth"3:56
5."No Sssweat"3:18
6."Today Won't Go Down in History"3:37
7."Reprise One"1:31
8."Return to Energizer"4:37
9."Sorry You're Not a Winner" (Remix)4:12
10."Johnny Sniper / Intro"4:34
11."Adieu"5:40
12."OK, Time for Plan B"5:04
13."Reprise Two"2:42
14."Kicking Back on the Surface of Your Cheek" (bonus track)3:46
Total length:56:29
Live at the Astoria DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Labyrinth" 
2."The Feast" 
3."Sorry You're Not a Winner" 

Chart performance and certifications
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart[25] 89
German Albums Chart[25] 93
Japan Albums Chart[26] 31
Irish Albums Chart 26
UK Albums Chart[27] 4
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[7]

References
  1. CultureEditor (3 February 2015). "Enter Shikari Interview". The Ripple. Retrieved 16 July 2015. I found the album to be a departure from the trance/post-hardcore sound established in Take To The Skies...
  2. Aaron Burgess (22 November 2007). "Enter Shikari, 'Take to the Skies' (Ambush Reality) | SPIN". Spin Magazine. Retrieved 25 January 2012. Where similar U.S. synth-core units ... shuck mass appeal through atonality, England’s Enter Shikari have no interest in staying obscure. On their debut album, [they] wed hardcore punk’s most crowd-rallying elements — intense breakdowns and gang vocals — to the melodic buildup of that most populist of dance genres, trance.
  3. Crane, Matt (8 May 2014). "5 Albums That Electrified Metalcore". Alternative Press. Retrieved 16 July 2015. [Enter Shikari] were the first to release a metalcore album [(Take to the Skies)] that could also pass as a respectable techno effort.
  4. Blake Solomon (30 October 2007). "Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies - Album Review". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  5. Ankeny, Jason. "Enter Shikari | Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  6. "Enter Shikari". Enter Shikari. Archived from the original on October 1, 2005. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. Take to the Skies (Booklet). Enter Shikari. Ambush Reality. 2007. CDAMBR001.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Take To The Skies: Enter Shikari: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  9. "iTunes - Music - Take to the Skies by Enter Shikari". Itunes.apple.com. 2007-03-18. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  10. Dan (18 April 2007). "Aiden, Biffy Clyro, Mastodon and Billy Talent For Download 2007!". Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 12 November 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  11. Dan (18 May 2007). "Enter Shikari release new single". Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  12. Dan (18 July 2007). "Enter Shikari headline the Day Of Rock!". Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  13. Dan (17 July 2007). "K! Awards shows line-up". Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  14. "'TAKE TO THE SKIES' 2xLP re-press + shows ▽ Enter Shikari". Entershikari.com. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  15. Sharon Mawer. "Take to the Skies - Enter Shikari | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  16. Sharon Mawer (15 May 2007). "Take to the Skies - Enter Shikari | AllMusic". BBC Music. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  17. Mike Diver (19 March 2007). "Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies /Releases/Releases//Drowned In Sound". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  18. Caroline Sullivan (16 March 2007). "CD: Enter Shikari, Take to the Skies | Music | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  19. Mike Sterry (16 March 2007). "NME Album Reviews - Enter Shikari". NME. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  20. Joshua Love (January 29, 2008). "Enter Shikari: Take to the Skies | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  21. "U.K.'s Enter Shikari Scores Without Label". Billboard. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  22. Reach Out and Touch on Billboard, February 2012
  23. Lars Brandle. "U.K.'s Enter Shikari Scores Without Label". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  24. "iTunes - Music - Take to the Skies by Enter Shikari". Itunes.apple.com. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  25. "Enter Shikari - Take To The Skies". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  26. エンター・シカリえんたーしかり. "エンター・シカリの作品 | ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  27. "Enter Shikari | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  28. "British album certifications – Enter Shikari – Take to the Skies". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Take to the Skies in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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