Imaginary Enemy

by The Used

Overview

The sixth long-player from the shape-shifting, stalwart, Utah-bred punk rockers opens with a song called "Revolution" that houses the lyric "From now on I pledge allegiance to a world that's so much different/where no one suffers/everyone is free." It's an uplifting image, and one that Bert McCracken and company haven't always evoked, but more than a decade into their career, the Used have carved out their own unique niche in the crowded post-hardcore/screamo punk scene, and have earned the right to reflect on what they've been raging against since their 2002 debut. Working again with longtime producer John Feldman, Imaginary Enemy burns bright and fast, tearing through familiar (as in largely generic), classic anti-establishment punk themes with the subtlety of a mace to the face, but there's a wild, anything-goes spirit (and a genuine yearning for change) that guides much of the material, suggesting that the studio may have housed a sizeable window to accommodate the tossing out of the rule book. For every "Cry," "Generation Throwaway," and "El-Oh-Vee-Ee," all three of which are fist-pumping, largely traditional-sounding 21st century punk rallying cries that effectively utilize the Used instant-chorus generator, there's an "Evolution" or a "Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)," the former a dreamy, radio-ready power ballad and the latter a freak show mash-up of feral, Sunset Strip metal and Big Audio Dynamite-induced dance beats, and it's these aberrations that make Imaginary Enemy such a surprisingly fun ride, even as it's beating you over the head with cliches. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	04/05/2024
Label:	Hopeless Records
UPC:	0790692705016
Rank:	24361

Tracks

1. Revolution
2. Cry
3. El-Ov-Vee-Ee
4. A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work in Progress)
5. Generation Throwaway
6. Make Believe
7. Evolution
8. Imaginary Enemy
9. Kenna Song
10. Force Without Violence
11. Overdose

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Used   Primary Artist
Dan Whitesides   Drums
Bert McCracken   Vocals
Quinn Allman   Guitar
Jeph Howard   Bass

Technical Credits

Zakk Cervini   Programming,Mixing,Engineer
James Clarke   Engineer
The Used   Composer
Bert McCracken   Group Member
Quinn Allman   Group Member
John Feldmann   Producer,Engineer,Composer,Mixing
Dan Whitesides   Group Member
Chris Qualls   Engineer
Brian Manley   Artwork
Kenny Carkeet   Mixing,Engineer,Programming
Ago "Sethh" Teppand   Mixing,Engineer,Programming
Jeph Howard   Group Member
Adam Neilson   Intern
Allie Snow   Intern