Spiral Shadow
| Spiral Shadow | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 25, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | July 2010 | |||
| Studio | The Jam Room Columbia, South Carolina | |||
| Genre | Sludge metal | |||
| Length | 40:02 | |||
| Label | Season of Mist | |||
| Producer | Phillip Cope | |||
| Kylesa chronology | ||||
| ||||
Spiral Shadow is the fifth full-length album by American sludge metal band Kylesa, released by Season of Mist on October 25, 2010 in Europe and October 26, 2010 in the United States.[1]
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [3] |
| The Austin Chronicle |   [4] |
| Kerrang! | [5] |
| Metal Injection | 8.5/10[6] |
| MetalSucks | [7] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[9] |
| Rock Sound | 9/10[10] |
| Spin | 7/10[11] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5[12] |
The album received positive reviews upon its release, and currently holds a metascore of 85 on Metacritic based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2] It is also the highest rated metal album of the year according to the same site.[13] Many critics praised the band's fusion of different genres, including sludge metal and psychedelic rock.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exclaim![14] | Canada | Top 10 Metal Albums of the Year | 2010 | 4 |
| Metacritic[13] | International | The 40 Best-Reviewed Albums of 2010 | 2010 | 14 |
| Pitchfork Media[15] | US | Top 50 Albums of 2010 | 2010 | 44 |
| Stereogum[16] | US | Top 50 Albums of 2010 | 2010 | 7 |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tired Climb" | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Cheating Synergy" | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Drop Out" | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Crowded Road" | 3:29 |
| 5. | "Don't Look Back" | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Distance Closing In" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "To Forget" | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Forsaken" | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Spiral Shadow" | 5:12 |
| 10. | "Back and Forth" | 2:33 |
| 11. | "Dust" | 3:44 |
Personnel
- Phillip Cope – guitar, vocals
- Laura Pleasants – guitar, vocals
- Carl McGinley – drums, percussion
- Tyler Newberry – drums, percussion
- Corey Barhorst – bass, keyboards
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Newcomer Chart[17] | 14 |
| Billboard Heatseekers Albums | 11 |
References
- ^ http://metalbuzz.net/main/2010/08/24/kylesa-unveil-cover-art-and-tracklisting-for-spiral-shadow/
- ^ a b "Spiral Shadow Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ Freeman, Phil (August 20, 2010). "Spiral Shadow - Kylesa". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Hernandez, Raoul (November 5, 2010). "Kylesa". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ This is still towering, hazy, stoner metal--it's just shaped with more craft than once before and is therefore far more interesting. [16 Oct 2010, p.50]
- ^ Brown, Kit (November 4, 2010). "CD Review: KYLESA- Spiral Shadow". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ O'Hagar, Sammy (October 26, 2010). "KYLESA'S FORESEEABLY EXCELLENT SPIRAL SHADOW". MetalSucks. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ Begrand, Adrien (November 3, 2010). "Kylesa: Spiral Shadow". PopMatters. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ Harvell, Jess (November 2, 2010). "Kylesa: Spiral Shadow | Album Reviews". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ Kerswell, Ronnie (October 21, 2010). "Kylesa - Spiral Shadow | Reviews | Rock Sound". Rock Sound. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ "Kylesa, 'Spiral Shadow' (Season of Mist) | SPIN.com". Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Kylesa - Spiral Shadow (album review)". Sputnikmusic. October 24, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ a b Dietz, Jason (January 11, 2011). "The Best Albums of 2010". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
- ^ "Year in Review: Metal". Exclaim!.
- ^ "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork Media. December 16, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ "Haunting The Chapel's Top 50 Albums Of 2010". Stereogum. December 21, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ "Mit Haftbefehl in die Newcomer-Charts". Media Control Charts. Retrieved October 27, 2011.