Sudden Sky

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Sudden Sky
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 19, 2019 (2019-07-19)
Length34:14
LabelRise
ProducerDrew Fulk
Crown the Empire chronology
Retrograde
(2016)
Sudden Sky
(2019)
07102010
(2020)
Singles from Sudden Sky
  1. "20/20"
    Released: July 13, 2018
  2. "What I Am"
    Released: September 21, 2018
  3. "Sudden Sky"
    Released: April 5, 2019[1]
  4. "MZRY"
    Released: June 19, 2019[2]

Sudden Sky is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Crown the Empire. It was released on July 19, 2019 through Rise Records and was produced by Drew Fulk.[3] It is the band's first album not to feature vocalist Dave Escamilla since their EP Limitless, who departed from the group in January 2017. It is also the last album to feature the band's drummer Brent Taddie before he left the band in January 2022.[4][5]

Background[edit]

On June 27, 2019, Rise Records' YouTube channel released a video titled, "Crown The Empire - The Making of the 'Sudden Sky' Album Cover."[6] The cover was designed through three-dimensional full-body scans of all the band members, which bassist Hayden Tree described as "making [themselves] seem like an art installation in a 3D, futuristic manner." In the aforementioned video, guitarist Brandon Hoover explained that each member's poses were direct depictions of the emotions they felt throughout the course of making the album:

"Andy [Rockhold] (vocalist, center left)'s always been the one to laugh through all the bullshit, but on the inside he's fighting a lot of demons. [Hayden] Tree (bassist, center right) is always moving forward 'cause he's afraid to stand still. [Brent] Taddie (drummer, far right) has always been very passive and reluctant to change. For me (far left), this album felt like free-falling; I had no idea whether we were gonna land on our feet or crash and burn."

— Brandon Hoover

Tree also explained in the video that the album cover's message also ties directly into the album's title:

"The meaning of the album, Sudden Sky, is the whole entire idea of, 'one moment you're here, and the next moment, you're gone.' That also means for people to become more vulnerable, to open themselves up and be who you are, show your bad sides, and that's what we're doing here with our album cover."

— Hayden Tree
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Dead Press!7/10[7]
Distorted Sound6/10[8]
New Noise[9]
Sputnikmusic[10]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."(X)"1:20
2."20/20"4:01
3."What I Am"3:16
4."Blurry (Out of Place)"3:20
5."Red Pills"3:46
6."MZRY"4:04
7."Under the Skin"3:08
8."SEQU3NCE"3:18
9."March of the Ignorant"3:36
10."Sudden Sky"4:20
Total length:34:14
Notes
  • "What I Am" is stylized in all lower case, whereas track 4 has the word "Blurry" stylized in all caps and "Out of Place" in all lower case.

Personnel[edit]

Crown the Empire[11]
  • Andrew Rockhold – lead vocals, keyboards, programming, unclean vocals on "20/20" and "Sudden Sky"
  • Brandon Hoover – guitars
  • Hayden Tree – bass, unclean vocals
  • Brent Taddie – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
  • Drew Fulk – production
  • Justin Deblieck – composition on "20/20" and "Under the Skin"

Charts[edit]

Chart (2019) Peak
position
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[12] 23
US Billboard 200[13] 190
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14] 8
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[15] 15
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] 13
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[17] 37

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Sudden Sky - Single by Crown the Empire on Apple Music". Apple iTunes. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Goeman, Colin (June 19, 2019). "Crown The Empire Get Animated in New Video". Alt Press. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  3. ^ "Crown the Empire to Release "Sudden Sky"". Blabbermouth.net. June 19, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  4. ^ "Crown The Empire Announce Departure Of Drummer Brent Taddie". ThePRP. January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  5. ^ "Crown The Empire part ways with drummer Brent Taddie". Lambgoat. January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Crown The Empire - The Making of the "Sudden Sky" Album Cover, retrieved 2021-07-07
  7. ^ Taylor, Damon (July 30, 2019). "ALBUM REVIEW: Crown The Empire – Sudden Sky". Dead Press!. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Pugh, Kris (July 18, 2019). "Distorted Sound Review". Distorted Sound Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  9. ^ Lay, Nathaniel (August 20, 2019). "Album Review: Crown the Empire – Sudden Sky". New Noise. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Review: Crown the Empire - Sudden Sky". Sputnikmusic. July 19, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Sudden Sky - Crown the Empire". AllMusic.
  12. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  13. ^ "Crown the Empire Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  14. ^ "Crown the Empire Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  15. ^ "Crown the Empire Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  16. ^ "Crown the Empire Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "Crown the Empire Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2019.