A Flash Flood of Colour

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A Flash Flood of Colour
Ambush Reality
ProducerDan Weller, Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari chronology
Tribalism
(2010) 		A Flash Flood of Colour
(2012) 		The Mindsweep
(2015)
Alternative cover
First pressing vinyl artwork
Singles from A Flash Flood of Colour
  1. "Sssnakepit"
    Released: 20 September 2011
  2. "Gandhi Mate, Gandhi"
    Released: 2 December 2011
  3. "Arguing with Thermometers"
    Released: 9 January 2012
  4. "Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here"
    Released: 29 June 2012

A Flash Flood of Colour is the third studio album by English

Ambush Reality, the band's record label in the United Kingdom, and Hopeless Records
in North America.

Lyrically, the album deals with

social hierarchy
.

A Flash Flood of Colour received generally positive reviews from music critics and an average Metacritic score of 75 out of 100.[2] It debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart after a band-led campaign to get the album to number one, and appeared on several album-of-the-year lists. To promote the album, Enter Shikari made A Flash Flood of Colour World Tour.

Background and recording

Enter Shikari took a different lyrical direction with the release of their 2009 album Common Dreads, which focused on financial meltdown, economic collapse and widespread discontent.[3] Journalists such as Ian Winwood credited the band's lyrical direction as a reaction to the evolution of politics since their 2007 debut album, Take to the Skies; there is now "ongoing Orwellian overseas conflicts, riots in England's major cities, endless austerity programmes the end date of which stretch years into the distance".[4] The change in lyrics began with Reynolds' belief that music is an effective way of conveying political ideas.[5]

The record was produced by former

SikTh guitarist Dan Weller, who helped with guitar production on Common Dreads, and sound engineer Tim Morris.[6][7] Enter Shikari recorded the album in May and June 2011, primarily at Karma Sound Studios in Bang Saray, Thailand. Its recording began at Weller's Old Street London-based recording studio. When he told the band that a friend owned a recording studio in Thailand, it became a running joke that they would record there instead.[6][7] Eventually, they decided that it would be financially, logistically and artistically advantageous to record at Karma Sound.[8][6][7][9] The studio in Thailand was described by drummer Rob Rolfe as "four walls in a little compound in the middle of the jungle" an hour-and-a-half drive south of Bangkok and a "fantastic studio in paradise".[7] The band recorded the album's music before adding the vocals, since Reynolds knew the album's themes and that it would be "uniting and empowering".[9] The album was mixed in Vancouver by Mike Fraser
.

Within the first 10 days of recording, the album's most-complete songs were its most aggressive—particularly the tentatively-titled "Tyrannosaurus" (later known as "Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide").[6] During its production, the album went through several changes; "Stalemate" was intended as an acoustic introduction, and "System Meltdown" was intended to be a single song.[6] Recording was completed within a month.[8]

Style and themes

A Flash Flood of Colour is noted for its fusion of

grime[19] and metalcore).[19] with metal elements.[11][17][13]

The theme of A Flash Flood of Colour is

The Real News, Democracy Now! and journalist John Pilger have all influenced Reynolds' political views.[19]

Tracks

Sssnakepit
The third track and lead single of the album, "Sssnakepit" "push[es] their guitar-dubstep to gnarlier places than before".[22] Its party lyrics are a break from A Flash Flood of Colour's socio-political themes.[23]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

A Flash Flood of Colour opens with the trance-like, spoken-word introduction to "System...", featuring synthesised

jungle music "fury", thrash metal guitar riffing,[27] an electro interlude and a catchy chorus;[24] Reynolds also noted drum-and-bass and hardcore-punk influences.[23] "Ssssnakepit" focuses on partying more than politics; Reynolds said about the song, "It’s hard to write positive songs with everything going on in the world, but this track is basically one full-on party—it's about cherishing your friendships and living compassionately."[23]

The title of "Arguing with Thermometers" refers to

vocal harmonies and rock drumming[23][24] produces a "radio-friendly hook".[29]

Pack Of Thieves
The album's ninth track, "Pack Of Thieves" conveys positivity and determination.[23]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

With its "furious, anarchist edge",[3] "Gandhi Mate, Gandhi" focuses on the distinction between social and economic stability,[30] summarising capitalism as "a long outdated system ... that does nothing but divide and segregate us".[28] The song has been seen as supporting the Occupy London movement;[17] Reynolds called it a "very frustrated and confused song" reflecting the current Zeitgeist:[30] "People know we have the resources, the creativity, and the ingenuity to do better than what we have at the moment and are struggling to come to terms with the short term love of money over the long-term stability and progression of our species." The song focuses on two characters; Reynolds' vocals supply a revolutionary perspective, and Rory Clewlow's are those of a person in power.[30] "Gandhi mate, Gandhi" has unconventional lyrics for its characters; "Yabba Dabba do one, son" was described by Reynolds as the product of a drunken MC battle,[31] and during the song the other band members pause and urge Reynolds to calm down.[13] Reynolds described "Gandhi mate, Gandhi" as a "lively electro influenced dubstep"[30] and a "rap rock pileup" textured over "wobbly dubstep bass".[13]

"Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" incorporates stadium rock into Enter Shikari's typical style.[22] Reynolds described "Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide" as a critique of certain democracies which are "polite dictatorships", specifically referring to those in the Arab Spring movement.[6] The album closes with "Constellations", a "rallying call about the future of the human race".[24] With a "swirling" string quartet resembling "System..."'s,[24] the anthemic song[27] has a post-rock sound.[17]

Cover and packaging

The title of A Flash Flood of Colour was intended to describe the album's music, and Reynolds noted its colourful blend of musical genres.[5] He said that the band wanted a title with a "big sound" which was positive and forward-thinking, and it derives from the lyrics of "Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here".[32]

The cover art is a reversal of society's hierarchical structure[33] based on social stratification. Although it was introduced to Enter Shikari as a set design for their live shows, they thought it would be a "solid symbol" for the album.[33] Guitarist Rory Clewlow described the cover art: "Our society is often depicted as a pyramid, with the few at the top with all the wealth and the masses at the bottom with no wealth, but supporting the pyramid for the few at the top. Our upside down triangle represents this system being flipped on [its] head."[10]

Release and promotion

Enter Shikari released two non-album singles, "Destabilise" and "Quelle Surprise", before A Flash Flood of Colour's release. Although "Quelle Surprise" (released on 19 May 2011) was intended as the first single from the new album, it was later decided that it (like "Destabilise") would be a stand-alone track. They were included as bonus tracks on selected versions of A Flash Flood of Colour.

The album's first single, "Sssnakepit", was released on 20 September 2011. On 5 December "Gandhi Mate, Gandhi" was released as a preview of the album. On 5 January 2012 Enter Shikari released the studio version of "Arguing with Thermometers" on their YouTube page, and it was played on Lowe's show as his "Hottest Record in the World".[34] On 4 January 2013, the band released an animated music video for "Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide" on their YouTube page.[35]

When it was released, A Flash Flood of Colour was one of two new entries in the United Kingdom's top 20 mainstream album chart (the other was

UK independent album charts[41] and sold over 19,000 copies.[42]

Tour and performances

Guitarist on stage, in front of red lights
Enter Shikari guitarist Rory Clewlow. Due to their growing global popularity, the band took their live production (pictured behind Clewlow) to North America.

As a "first big test" Enter Shikari introduced songs from A Flash Flood of Colour at Soundwave in Australia, and they were pleased by the positive reaction to their new music.[8] When the band was touring at the time of the album's release, they distributed leaflets with interviews answering questions they are not usually asked.[32] On 12 February 2012 they played a subdued, well-attended show at the Bull and Gate, a Kentish Town pub, which was filmed for Scuzz. The show, filmed and edited by Stand Your Ground Media, aired on 31 March at 5 pm.[43] Enter Shikari played three small shows in the UK to celebrate the album's release: 16 January 2012 (its release date) at the Borderline in London, 17 January at the Hippodrome in Kingston and 18 January at the Cockpit in Leeds. The shows were sponsored by HMV, Banquet Records, Jumbo Records and Crash Records; those pre-ordering from these sources received tickets to the shows.[44]

After the album's release, Enter Shikari toured Europe, North America and Australasia with a full production and light show. The band's touring schedule, and their confidence, expanded across the United States and they played with two- or three-band bills to play longer sets.[29][45]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Drowned In Sound
(5/10)[12]
The Fly[26]
Kerrang![28]
NME(8/10)[22]
Rock Sound[3]

A Flash Flood of Colour received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 75 based on 13 reviews (categorised as "generally favorable reviews").[2] Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk praised the album in an eight-out-of-ten review: "The quartet has a much bigger goal than just getting kids to dance to their breakdowns, rather they focus on putting a lot of substance into each track, hoping to inspire this generation to take a stand and make change amongst the broken systems throughout the world".[25]

Ian Winwood gave the album four out of five "Ks" for the British magazine

CraveOnline: "Enter Shikari have found a balance while honing a voice of rebellion – at a time where tearing down boundaries and microanalyzing the current structure is more vital and valuable than ever before in our lives."[27] Iain Moffat of The Fly said of the album that 'Disenchantment should always be this spellbinding.'[26] In NME, Dan Martin gave the album an eight-out-of-ten rating: "All of that surface tension lands Enter Shikari in a pretty powerful position for their third – and, as the title promises fabulously, they respond to the challenge in explosive style to deliver something like their defining statement."[22] Rocksound writer Ryan Bird gave the album a nine-out-of-ten score, praising the band for their emotional cultural and sonic development and noting the importance of their message: "In a world edging ever closer to complete and utter destruction, Enter Shikari remain fearless and uncompromising leaders in a field of one."[3]

Not all reviews were positive. Jon O'Brien of

drum'n'bass and mid-twenties pot bellies."[12]

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Alternative Press
 USA AP's 10 Essential albums of 2012[46] 2013 2
Dead Press UK Top 10 Albums Of The Year[47] 2013 9
Kerrang! UK The Ultimate Rock Review[48] 2013 1
Ourzone Magazine UK Albums of the Year 2012[49] 2013 3
Rock Sound UK Top 50 Albums of the year[50] 2013 15
NME UK NME's 50 Best Albums of 2012[51] 2013 37

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Roughton "Rou" Reynolds; all music is composed by Enter Shikari

No.TitleLength
1."System..."1:57
2."...Meltdown"3:24
3."Sssnakepit"3:26
4."Search Party"4:06
5."Arguing with Thermometers"3:22
6."Stalemate"4:18
7."Gandhi Mate, Gandhi"4:26
8."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here"4:36
9."Pack of Thieves"3:58
10."Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide"3:44
11."Constellations"4:59
Total length:42:29
UK and Ireland iTunes deluxe edition[52][53]
No.TitleLength
12."Quelle Surprise"4:35
13."Destabilise"4:31
14."Quelle Surprise" (Rout VIP Mix)5:19
15."Intro/Destabilise" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)6:17
16."Sssnakepit" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)3:33
17."Quelle Surprise" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)7:23
18."OK, Time For Plan B" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)5:11
US iTunes deluxe edition[54]
No.TitleLength
12."Sssnakepit" (Hamilton Remix)4:52
13."Sssnakepit" (Serial Killaz Remix)5:31
14."Quelle Surprise" (Music Video)4:34
Redux Version[55]
No.TitleLength
12."Quelle Surprise"4:34
13."Destabilise"4:31
14."Intro/Destabilise" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)6:16
15."Sssnakepit" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)3:31
16."Quelle Surprise" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)7:13
17."Ok, Time for Plan B" (Live from The Electric Ballroom Oct 2011)5:10
18."System / Meltdown" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)7:07
19."The Feast" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)4:17
20."Gandhi Mate, Gandhi" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)5:11
21."Quelle Surprise" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)7:03
22."Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)5:48
23."Stalemate" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)4:49
24."Enter Shikari" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)6:14
25."Return to Energiser" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)8:38
26."Sssnakepit" (Live from the Hammersmith Apollo)5:52
27."Destabilise" (Rout Remix)5:28
28."Quelle Surprise" (Rout Remix)5:19
29."Sssnakepit" (Hamilton Remix)4:51
30."Sssnakepit" (Serial Killaz Remix)5:30
31."Sssnakepit" (Rout Remix)4:31
32."Arguing With Thermometers" (Calvertron Remix)4:01
33."Arguing With Thermometers" (Goth-Trad Remix)5:05
34."Arguing With Thermometers" (Taz Buckfaster Remix)4:49
35."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" (Mosquito Remix)4:49
36."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" (Tek-One Remix)3:46
37."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" (Azura Dub)4:03
38."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" (Tyler Mae Remix)6:48
39."Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here" (Alex Light Remix)3:41
40."Pack of Thieves" (Rory C Mix)6:56
41."Pack of Thieves" (Sgt. Rolfy's Bell End Remix)4:57
Limited edition bonus DVD
DVD bonus dell'edizione limitata
No.TitleLength
1."Phenakistiscope" (Documentary) 
2."Bonus Features" (Live & Promo Videos) 

Personnel

Enter Shikari
Additional personnel

Charts and certifications

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ "Enter Shikari". Twitter. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ^
    CBS Interactive
    . Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kelham & Bird 2012, p. 75.
  4. ^ a b c d Ian Winwood (12 January 2012). "BBC – Music – Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour". BBC Music. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b Winwood 2012, p. 51.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Bryant, Tom (16 July 2011). "Enter Shikari, The Making of A Flash Flood of Colour". Tom-bryant.com. Retrieved 12 August 2014. ...incorporating a vast swathe of influences including rap, dubstep, drum 'n' bass, hardcore, metal… you name it.
  7. ^ a b c d e "MUSIC INTERVIEW: ENTER SHIKARI: New Album, New Approach, Same Passion & Aggression from the Pride of St. Albans". Buzzine. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Colwell 2012, p. 1.
  9. ^
    ISSN 1465-0185. [...]it became a running joke that we'd be heading off there until we found tot was pretty much the same price, if not slightly cheaper, to make the album in Thailand
    rather than London.
  10. ^ a b c d Grant V. Ziegler (28 April 2012). "Enter Shikari to hunt down Dallas". News Register Online. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d e Harris 2012, p. 22.
  12. ^
    Drowned In Sound. Archived from the original
    on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  13. ^ a b c d e Ian Gittins (17 January 2012). "Enter Shikari – | Music | Guardian". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d "Enter Shikari-A Flash Flood Of Colour". The Rockhaq Community. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  15. ^
    Team Rock
    . Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  16. ^ James Birtles (9 February 2012). "Album: Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour". The Mancunion. University of Manchester Students' Union. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Jon O'Brien (17 January 2012). "A Flash Flood of Colour – Enter Shikari | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 February 2012. Produced by former Sikth guitarist Dan Weller, the album hardly sits still for one minute, lurching from demonic metal to industrial dubstep ("Arguing with Thermometers") from trippy electronica to blistering air guitar prog ("Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here") and from wobble-heavy drum'n'bass to rabble-rousing punk ("Sssnakepit") in an appropriately blatant disregard for convention.
  18. ^
    Alternative Press. Archived from the original
    on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  19. ^
    Green Left Weekly
    . Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  20. ^ "Enter Shikari is anti politiek" (in Dutch). Up Magazine. 20 January 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  21. ^ Harris 2012, p. 24.
  22. ^
    IPC Media
    ). Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  23. ^
    Alternative Press
    . Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  24. ^
    IPC Media
    ). Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  25. ^ a b c d Drew Beringer (23 January 2012). "Home Reviews Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  26. ^ a b c d Iain Moffat (13 January 2012). "Review: Enter Shikari / New Album Releases / Music News From The Fly". The Fly. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  27. ^
    CraveOnline. Archived from the original
    on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  28. ^ a b c d Winwood 2012, p. 50.
  29. ^
    InterActiveCorp. Archived from the original
    on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  30. ^
    Revolver Magazine. Future US. Archived from the original
    on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  31. ^ Kelham & Bird 2012, p. 33.
  32. ^ a b Knapper 2012, p. 24.
  33. ^ a b Knapper 2012, p. 25.
  34. ^ Zane Lowe (5 January 2012). "Hottest Record - Enter Shikari - Arguing With Thermometers". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  35. ^ "Enter Shikari Release Animated Video For 'Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide'". Rock Sound. (Freeway Press). 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  36. ^ "Enter Shikari top official midweek album chart". BBC Music. BBC. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  37. ^ "Enter Shikari Still on For Number One!". Rock Sound. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  38. ^ Roughton Reynolds (18 January 2012). "A brief-ish message from Rou". Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  39. ^ "Enter Shikari score Number Four album with 'A Flash Flood of Colour'". NME. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  40. ^ a b "2012-01-28 Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  41. ^ a b "2012-01-28 Top 40 Independent Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  42. ^ "Billboard". google.it. 7–21 January 2012.
  43. ^ "Premiere: Enter Shikari, "Gandhi Mate, Gandhi" (Live)". Alternative Press. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  44. ^ "ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW/PARTY WITH HMV". Enter Shikari. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  45. ^ Colwell 2012, p. 2.
  46. Alternative Press
    . Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  47. ^ Zach Redrup (15 December 2012). "TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR: 2012". Dead Press. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  48. ISSN 0262-6624
    .
  49. ^ Richard Barnes (29 December 2012). "Albums of the Year 2012". Ourzone. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  50. ISSN 1465-0185
    .
  51. Buzz Media
    ). Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  52. ^ "iTunes Store". apple.com.
  53. ^ "iTunes Store". apple.com.
  54. ^ "iTunes Store". apple.com.
  55. ^ "iTunes - Music - A Flash Flood of Colour (Redux Version) by Enter Shikari". iTunes.
  56. ^ a b c d "ultratop.be - Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour". Ultratop @ Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  57. ^ "Official German Charts - A Flash Flood of Colour".
  58. ^ "僄儞僞乕丒僔僇儕偺嶌昳". ORICON STYLE.
  59. ^ "Discography Enter Shikari". Irish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  60. ^ "Enter Shikari Artist Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  61. ^
    Billboard.com
    . Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  62. ^ "British album certifications – Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour". British Phonographic Industry.
Bibliography

External links

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