Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
2010 studio album by Volbeat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beyond Hell/Above Heaven is the fourth studio album by Danish rock band Volbeat. The album was released on 10 September 2010 on EMI in Denmark, on Vertigo in the rest of Europe, and on Republic in the United States.
| Beyond Hell/Above Heaven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 10 September 2010 | |||
| Recorded | Late 2009 – June 2010 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:57 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Jacob Hansen | |||
| Volbeat chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Beyond Hell/Above Heaven | ||||
| ||||
The title refers to the overall theme of the album, continuing the storyline of the band's previous studio album, Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (2008).[1] This was the first Volbeat album to chart on the Billboard 200, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on 22 March 2016.[2]
Background
The album, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven was released on 10 September 2010. Michael Poulsen explained the title of the album stating "...it's a way telling people that we don't belong or believe in neither heaven nor hell. So if we go beyond hell, we will make heaven look like hell, and if we go above heaven, we will make hell look like heaven. Heaven and hell is something we create in our minds and personal self-created demons come out of that."[3] Featured on the album is previously released track, "A Warrior's Call", which was made for Danish boxer Mikkel Kessler.[4] The track Evelyn contains some death grunts provided by Mark "Barney" Greenway (Napalm Death), which was a whole new element on Volbeat's music, making a groove metal style.
Michael Poulsen has also revealed several of the guest musicians on the album stating "I'm very very proud to have these fine gentlemen with me, since they inspired me a lot for a long time."[3]
The cover and artwork was created by Karsten Sand.[citation needed]
Reception
Critical reception
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 3.5 stars stating "Any way you slice it, Volbeat, a skillful repository of so many lineage sounds, are their own thing: a band apart who are sophisticated, accessible, and utterly entertaining as songwriters and performers. Nowhere is this more true than on Beyond Hell/Above Heaven.".[5]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 142 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. On 22 March 2016, the album was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 units.[6][7] The album has sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide.[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Michael Poulsen, except where noted[9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Mirror and the Ripper" | 4:01 | |
| 2. | "Heaven nor Hell" (featuring Henrik Hall of Love Shop) | 5:23 | |
| 3. | "Who They Are" | 3:42 | |
| 4. | "Fallen" | Poulsen, Thomas Bredahl | 5:01 |
| 5. | "A Better Believer" | 3:25 | |
| 6. | "7 Shots" (featuring Mille Petrozza of Kreator and Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond) | 4:45 | |
| 7. | "A New Day" | Poulsen, Bredahl | 4:07 |
| 8. | "16 Dollars" (featuring Jakob Øelund of Taggy Tones) | 2:49 | |
| 9. | "A Warrior's Call" | 4:24 | |
| 10. | "Magic Zone" | 3:52 | |
| 11. | "Evelyn" (featuring Mark "Barney" Greenway of Napalm Death) | Greenway, Poulsen, Jon Larsen | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Being 1" | 2:22 | |
| 13. | "Thanks" | Poulsen, Larsen | 3:43 |
| 14. | "Angelfuck" (Misfits cover, bonus track) | Glenn Danzig | 1:31 |
| 15. | "Still Counting" (bonus track) | Poulsen, Larsen, Kjølholm & Bredahl | 4:22 |
| Total length: | 56:57 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Angelfuck" (Misfits cover) | Danzig | 1:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Rebel Angel" | 3:22 |
| 15. | "Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza" (live) | 4:11 |
| 16. | "A Moment Forever" (live) | 4:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Still Counting" (from the album Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood) | Poulsen, Larsen, Kjølholm & Bredahl | 4:22 |
Personnel
Volbeat
- Michael Poulsen – vocals, guitar
- Thomas Bredahl – guitar
- Anders Kjølholm – bass
- Jon Larsen – drums
Guest musicians
- Mark "Barney" Greenway - vocals on "Evelyn"
- Michael Denner - lead guitar on "7 Shots"
- Mille Petrozza – vocals on "7 Shots"
- Henrik Hall – harmonica on "Heaven Nor Hell"
- Jakob Øelund – slap bass on "16 Dollars"
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[33] | 3× Platinum | 60,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[34] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] | 3× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[36] | Gold | 12,094[36] |
| Germany (BVMI)[37] | 3× Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[38] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
