Stage Four

Stage Four is the fourth studio album by American post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. The album was released in the United States and Europe on September 24, 2016 through Epitaph Records.[5] The album's title refers to the fact that it is the band's fourth album as well as singer Jeremy Bolm's mother dying from cancer, which is the central inspiration for most of the album's lyrics.

Stage Four
Studio album by
Touché Amoré
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2016 (2016-09-16)
Genre
Length32:27
LabelEpitaph
ProducerBrad Wood
Touché Amoré chronology
Is Survived By
(2013)		 Stage Four
(2016)		 10 Years / 1000 Shows – Live at the Regent Theater
(2018)
Singles from Stage Four
  1. "Palm Dreams"
    Released: June 20, 2016[1]
  2. "Displacement"
    Released: July 18, 2016[2]
  3. "Skyscraper"
    Released: August 23, 2016[3]
  4. "Rapture"
    Released: September 13, 2016[4]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[6]
Metacritic84/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Alternative Press[9]
The A.V. ClubA−[10]
Consequence of SoundB−[11]
Exclaim!9/10[12]
Kerrang!4/5[13]
Metal Hammer[14]
Pitchfork8.1/10[15]
Revolver[16]
Rock Sound8/10[17]

On its release, Stage Four received favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 13 reviews.[7] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[6]

In a positive review for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger remarked that Stage Four "delivers a near constant barrage of gut punches, both sonic and lyrical, but tempers the fallout with a healthy dose of empathy."[8] At Drowned in Sound, Adam Turner-Heffer wrote, "Stage Four is quite possibly Touché Amoré’s best album yet. They have once again one–upped themselves into crafting a fierce record which would do all their families proud."[18] Adam Feibel also praised the record in a review for Exclaim!: "The album is a passionately written and deeply moving meditation on loss, and Touché Amoré have never been better as a band."[12]

Writing for Metal Hammer, Stephen Hill highlighted Bolm's vocals as a highlight of the album: "His pain and anger are all too real and evident, and his band deserve credit for channelling his words and turning them into a musical canvas.".[14] At Pitchfork, Zoe Camp focused on the band's sound, stating that the album's "vivid imagery, anthemic arrangements, and unsuspecting listenability position it as hardcore's Carrie & Lowell: an autobiographical tragedy that soars in spite of an overwhelming urge to succumb."[15] Reviewing the album for Rock Sound, Gareth Pierce called it "intimate, impressive, and ultimately cathartic",[17] while The A.V. Club's Kevin Warwick deemed it "a monumental record of melodic hardcore".[10]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Flowers and You"3:34
2."New Halloween"3:27
3."Rapture"3:11
4."Displacement"2:11
5."Benediction"3:39
6."Eight Seconds"1:32
7."Palm Dreams"2:26
8."Softer Spoken"1:55
9."Posing Holy"2:47
10."Water Damage"3:52
11."Skyscraper" (featuring Julien Baker)3:53
12."Gather" (bonus track)2:34
Total length:35:01

Personnel

Stage Four personnel adapted from AllMusic.[8]

Touché Amoré

  • Elliot Babin – drums, piano
  • Jeremy Bolm – vocals
  • Tyler Kirby – bass, vocals
  • Nick Steinhardt – guitar
  • Clayton Stevens – guitar

Guest musicians

Production

  • Brad Wood – production, engineering, mixing
  • Emily Lazar – mastering
  • Chris Allgood – assistant engineer

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[19] 168
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] 18
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[21] 16
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] 6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[23] 21
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[24] 9
US Top Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[25]3

References
  1. Gotrich, Lars (June 20, 2016). "Touché Amoré Announces New Album, Shares 'Palm Dreams'" (Web). National Public Radio. NPR. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  2. Rettig, James (July 18, 2016). "Touché Amoré – "Displacement"". Stereogum. SpinMedia Group, LLC. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  3. Brennan, Collin (August 23, 2016). "Touché Amoré share "Skyscraper", a heartbreaking ode to NYC featuring Julien Baker" (Web/Audio). Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  4. Barrett, Samantha (September 13, 2016). "Touché Amoré: "Rapture"". Punknews.org. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  5. "Touché Amoré – Stage Four". Epitaph Records. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  6. "Stage Four by Touché Amoré reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. "Reviews for Stage Four by Touche Amore". Metacritic. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  8. Monger, James Christopher. "Stage Four – Touché Amoré". AllMusic. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  9. "Touché Amoré: Stage Four". Alternative Press. No. 339. October 2016. p. 90.
  10. Warwick, Kevin (September 16, 2016). "Stage Four is a monumental record of melodic hardcore for Touché Amoré". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  11. Coplan, Chris (September 20, 2016). "Touché Amoré – Stage Four". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  12. Feibel, Adam (September 14, 2016). "Touché Amoré: Stage Four". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  13. Shepherd, Tom (September 17, 2016). "Touché Amoré: Stage Four". Kerrang!. p. 52.
  14. Hill, Stephen (September 8, 2016). "Touché Amoré album review – Stage Four". Metal Hammer. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  15. Camp, Zoe (September 16, 2016). "Touché Amoré: Stage Four". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  16. Bayer, Jonah (September 14, 2016). "Touché Amoré, 'Stage Four'". Revolver. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  17. Pierce, Gareth (September 15, 2016). "Touché Amoré – Stage Four". Rock Sound. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  18. Turner-Heffer, Adam (September 20, 2016). "Album Review: Touché Amoré – Stage Four". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  19. "Touche Amore Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  20. "Touche Amore Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  21. "Touche Amore Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  22. "Touche Amore Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  23. "Touche Amore Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  24. "Touche Amore Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  25. "Touche Amore – Chart History". Billboard Top Vinyl Albums for Touche Amore. Retrieved November 22, 2016.



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