''Headstrong'' is the eponymous debut release and sole album of the band of the same name. It was released on

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

in 2002 and proved to be the group's only album before disbanding the following year. The band chose

Dan Brodbeck Dan Brodbeck is a Canadian record producer, recording engineer/mixer and recording engineering professor based in London, Ontario. Production and engineering career Throughout the 1990s Brodbeck owned dB Recording Studios in London, Ontario. Duri ...

, the same man behind their demo, to produce the album in their hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. ''Headstrong'' features one

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in "Adriana", which reached #15 on the

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...

and had a

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

. Its style features elements of

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

intertwined with

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

and has been compared to bands like

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...

, 311, and

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

. Prior to the release of ''Headstrong'', the band toured through

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

from November to December 2001. Following its release, they performed with

Tommy Lee Thomas Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass; October 3, 1962) is an American musician who co-founded and plays drums for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He also founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical projects. Early ...

before being curiously pulled from touring in July 2002. The following month they were dropped by RCA Records.HEADSTRONG Dropped By RCA RECORDS
RoadRunnerRecords.com (August 12, 2002). Curiously, despite that all of the members and producers were Canadian by origin, ''Headstrong'' was priced at $24.99 in local Canadian markets, making it difficult for the band to earn fans in their debut in their own territory. The band cites these types of decisions in their reasons to exit the music business.

Reception

''Headstrong'' received mixed reviews. Brian O'Neill of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

described it as "a decidedly

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rap-rock Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...

mélange that sounds like it's been heard before, but only because it has." However, Robin Steeley of Music Reviewer gave the album 6/10, noting that it "features dynamic production and skilled instrumentation."

CANOE A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

's Mike Ross also showed a mixed but overall positive reaction:

Track listing

# "All of the Above" – 4:01 # "Backlash" – 3:37 # "Inside Joke" – 3:16 # "Swing Harder (Temper Temper)" – 4:10 # "Built" – 0:38 # "Adriana" – 3:31 # "Do What You Feel Like" – 2:53 # "I Am for Real" – 4:20 # "Get In" – 3:15 # "Hoodies & Hood" – 4:01 # "State" – 3:41 # "Open Season" – 3:51

Personnel

* Matt Kinna - vocals * Jon Cohen - bass guitar * Joel Krass - guitar * Brian Matthews - drums *

- producer * Jack Joseph Puig - mixing

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Headstrong 2002 debut albums RCA Records albums Headstrong (band) albums