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''Radiosurgery'' is the seventh studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vo ...
. It was first released on October 3, 2011, in Europe, before its US release on October 4 through
independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and em ...
. It is the band's final studio album to feature founding guitarist Steve Klein. To follow up predecessor ''
Not Without a Fight ''Not Without a Fight'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home ...
'' (2009), the band began writing new material during their stint on the 2010 Honda Civic Tour. After self-producing a set of
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming ...
and contacting long-term record producer
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
, the band went on to record the album in Avron's home recording studio over a period of three months in 2011. The quintet set out to write an album that paid
homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to classic punk rock records that first inspired them to form a band during the 1990s. Listening extensively to the likes of early
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
and
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
, New Found Glory strove to create a sound that could "bridge the gap" between old and new generations of the genre. The album title is a reference to the actual medical procedure
radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually ...
, with the lyrics directly influenced by a troubled divorce suffered within the band. ''Radiosurgery'' was written as a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. So ...
about the different emotions an individual goes through after a separation, including feelings of
regret Regret is the emotion of wishing one had made a different decision in the past, because the consequences of the decision were unfavorable. Regret is related to perceived opportunity. Its intensity varies over time after the decision, in regard ...
, sadness, and
insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...
. The band looked up several
brain surgeries Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...
, settling on ''Radiosurgery'', using the idea that instead of using the procedure to remove a
tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
from the brain, it could remove
memories Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
. The first official single from the album was title track "
Radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually ...
", released on August 2, 2011 Upon its release, ''Radiosurgery'' was a moderate commercial success, debuting at number twenty six on the ''Billboard'' 200, number four on the
Top Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
chart, and
number one Number One most commonly refers to: * 1 (number) Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song * ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song * ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC * ''n.1' ...
on the
Hard Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart. The album was also well received by
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who noted its throwback sound and infectious songwriting, seeing it receive various accolades from within the rock music community.


Background

In March 2009, the band released their sixth studio album ''
Not Without a Fight ''Not Without a Fight'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home ...
'' after signing with
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and em ...
. The band then underwent extensive touring to promote the album, including a headlining slot at the 2010 Slam Dunk Festival alongside
Alkaline Trio Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals). Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob D ...
and
Capdown Capdown is an English punk rock band from Milton Keynes. Originally known as Soap, their songs have political themes as alluded to by their name, which is short for Capitalist Downfall. Mixing ska, punk, hardcore, dub, drum and bass, and r ...
. Later, following a bout of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
, Chad Gilbert underwent surgery to remove suspicious cells found in his
thyroid The thyroid, or thyroid gland, is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans it is in the neck and consists of two connected lobes. The lower two thirds of the lobes are connected by a thin band of tissue called the thyroid isthmus. The t ...
before releasing some solo work on his website under the pseudonym of ''What's Eating Gilbert?''. Gilbert later posted on his Twitter account that the surgery had been a success, before the band started a new tour to promote the tenth anniversary
re-release In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Rec ...
of their self-titled second album. The anniversary tour saw the band play the album in its entirety, although despite Gilbert's recovery,
Anthony Raneri Anthony Raneri (born August 9, 1982) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, who is the founder and lead vocalist of the American alternative rock band, Bayside. Early life Raneri grew up in Glen Oaks Village, Queens, New York for wh ...
of Bayside replaced him for the first three legs of the tour as a precautionary measure. It was during the band's stretch on the 2010 Honda Civic Tour that they began writing new material. Frontman
Jordan Pundik Jordan Izaak Pundik (born October 12, 1979) is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member and the frontman of Floridian rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics. He was also the guitarist i ...
told
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
-based publication '' MagX'' in September that a new album would "probably be recorded in January", and upon being asked what the new material would sound like, he added "We always let it happen. We're a real band. We obviously have a vision of how we want it to "sound" but the songs are always what feels right and true to who we are." Shortly afterward in a November interview with ''Reverb''
music magazine A music magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music culture. Such magazines typically include music news, interviews, photo shoots, essays, record reviews, concert reviews and occasionally have a covermount with recorded music. Notable ...
, the band's chief lyricist Klein reported that new
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming ...
were in the works and that his early indications were that the songs would make for a "really catchy summer record." Klein went on to explain the band's procedure when writing new songs, noting that in the early stages Gilbert will write new
guitar riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
s, before sending them to Klein, who in turn begins work on
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...
and
harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...
alongside Pundik. The band will then collectively begin writing their own instrumental parts, with Klein summarizing, "Ever since we started the band we've always had the same kind of writing routine where we write the music first, do some lyrics and then begin to record demos." Pundik added that unlike earlier in their career, the band can now simultaneously work on new material together over the internet. "The overall process hasn't really changed, but now it's kind of like we can do it through
Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, ...
, or
iChat iChat (previously iChat AV) is a discontinued instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. for use on its Mac OS X operating system. It supported instant text messaging over XMPP/Jingle or OSCAR ( AIM) protocol, audio and vid ...
or something. It's kind of cool because we can be at home and work on songs. Before, when we would write songs we would write on the road touring in the van; I remember Cyrus playing drums on the steering wheel and Chad with an acoustic guitar in the passenger seat, you know? So it's definitely a lot easier." In the new year, the band released a
teaser trailer A teaser (or more specifically teaser trailer) is a mini- trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release move or television show advertisement. Short in length, te ...
, containing footage of them in the studio recording demos.


Recording and production

Having not worked directly with
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
for six years, the band had wanted to recruit him once again to produce a new album. Avron was responsible for producing the band's three most commercially successful records; ''
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vo ...
'' (2000), ''
Sticks and Stones "Sticks and Stones" is an English-language children's rhyme. The rhyme is used as a defense against name-calling and verbal bullying, intended to increase resiliency, avoid physical retaliation, and/or to remain calm and indifferent. The full rh ...
'' (2002), and ''
Catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
'' (2004). The band wrote and self-produced three demos, before sending them to Avron by email for his evaluation. However, Avron was not overly impressed, stating the songs were "okay, but I don't really think they're that great." The band responded by completing a new set of six tracks, but no avail, as the producer was still not convinced. This left the band frustrated, as they believed the new material to among the best songs they had written. Gilbert was persistent though, and after recording another eight demos that went back-and-forth with the producer, the band announced in November that Avron had agreed to produce the album and recording would commence in the new year. Gilbert has said that this process with Avron helped push the band to compose better songs; "There's only one song that we're recording for the album from the original demos we sent him. It was cool having him push us, because we sort of had a vision on this record, and he really wanted to get that out of us. It's a step forward for our band, definitely
n terms of N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
songwriting." Gilbert has called Avron the "unofficial sixth member" of the band, because of his open honesty and willingness to push the band. The band entered Avron's home studio, named The Casita, in April to begin tracking. Aside from writing and recording two new songs in May, the remaining batch of songs had been with the band a long time, making recording "rather easy". The producer is known for his particular recording techniques and prefers laying down the
rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhythm s ...
of guitar and drums first, as opposed to the usual method of drums and bass guitar. Avron has noted, "Over the years I've had issues with recording bass first, especially when someone is hitting the strings really hard. For me it's difficult to tell whether the bass is in tune, because the fundamental is so low. When laying the rhythm guitars down first, it's much easier to tell whether the bass is out of tune or not. It also means that the bass has a place to fit." Indeed, Pundik reflected on the recording process by stating, "It was pretty smooth, we kind of go in there and do the drums first, which takes a couple of days. Then you do the guitars before I lay down vocals. It's kind of like this factory. It's not like before when we were trying to figure out what guitar sound we wanted, now we've established how we want to sound and what we want to do." The band revealed that Avron suggested "simplifying" some of the songs whilst recording. According to Klein, certain songs had "crazy guitars", but Avron pushed the band to "make the melodies and vocals stand out, to enforce the lyrical themes." Gilbert had the idea to use his backing vocals more prominently on the record, hoping to add some extra dynamics to a songs
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
. He noted that
Rancid Rancid may refer to: * Rancidification, the oxidation of fats, fatty acids, and edible oils * Rancid (band), an American punk band, and their eponymous releases: ** ''Rancid'' (EP), the above group's self-titled debut EP released in 1992 ** ''Ra ...
's
Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup Transplants. ...
and
Lars Frederiksen Lars Erik Frederiksen (born Lars Erik Dapello, August 30, 1971) is an American musician and record producer best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, as well as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards an ...
were an influence on this decision. Towards the end of recording, the band invited
Bethany Cosentino Best Coast is an American rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The band consists of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Cosentino, a former child actress, began wr ...
of
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Best Coast Best Coast is an American rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The band consists of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Cosentino, a former child actress, began w ...
to provide backing vocals on a track later confirmed to be titled "Caught in the Act". Cosentino is a fan of the band, and became friends through Twitter. Gilbert explained that the song is the "slowest" on the record, despite each being "upbeat", and somehow "called for a female backing vocal". Cosentino later commented after hearing the final version of the track that she was "stoked" for people to hear it and called it a "classic pop punk gem". Recording was completed at the beginning of June, with the band later confirming on June 18 that mixing and mastering had also been finalized. Avron mixed the album, while
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' '' Come Away with Me''. Biograp ...
mastered it at Sterling Sound.


Composition

Punk rock acts, like the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
were major influences during the writing of ''Radiosurgery''. Prior to writing the album, the band spent time revisiting music from their youth that first inspired them to be in a band. Gilbert described how he spent six months "only listening to the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
, old
Lookout! Records Lookout Records (stylized as Lookout! Records) was an independent record label, initially based in Laytonville, California and later in Berkeley, California, Berkeley, focusing on punk rock. Established in 1987, the label is best known for having ...
stuff,
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
's ''
Dookie ''Dookie'' is the third studio album and the major label debut by American rock band Green Day, released on February 1, 1994, by Reprise Records. The band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo, it was recorded in late 1993 at Fantasy ...
'',
Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a ...
,
Rancid Rancid may refer to: * Rancidification, the oxidation of fats, fatty acids, and edible oils * Rancid (band), an American punk band, and their eponymous releases: ** ''Rancid'' (EP), the above group's self-titled debut EP released in 1992 ** ''Ra ...
's ''
Let's Go Let's Go may refer to: Film * ''Let's Go'' (1918 film), a 1918 comedy short starring Harold Lloyd * ''Let's Go'' (1923 film), a silent film written by Keene Thompson * ''Let's Go!'' (film), a 2011 Hong Kong action film Music Albums * ''Let's ...
'' and that's pretty much it." Gilbert had a direct musical vision for the album, similar to how he describes that ''
Coming Home Coming Home or Comin' Home may refer to: Film * ''Coming Home'' (1962 film), a South Korean film starring Choi Moo-ryong * ''Coming Home'' (1978 film), an American film directed by Hal Ashby * ''Coming Home'' (2011 film), a film featuring Ankur Bh ...
'' (2006) had, as opposed to ''
Not Without a Fight ''Not Without a Fight'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home ...
'' (2009), where the attitude was simply "let's record a New Found Glory album." The band strove to "apply the throwback vibe to their always-evolving style," by incorporating the elements from those classic albums; "it was simple, it was fun, it was heartfelt, but it also kind of had an attitude," with the hallmarks of their own career. Gilbert described how he wanted to "bridge the gap between generations", hoping for reactions such as "Dude that's totally Ramones, but it's not the Ramones, it's New Found Glory. Or like, Dude, that totally reminds me of when I heard ''Dookie'' for the first time, but it's totally not, it's New Found Glory." As such, the band were meticulous in the writing process, discarding anything that was not in line with the album's vision or songs that felt "safe". Gilbert described that because they wanted a "fun, punk, upbeat record," any songs he would write that appeared "a slower, mellower, mid-pace thing," would be scrapped. Pundik told ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' magazine that, " ith ''Radiosurgery''we simplified the songs. There's no riffing or jamming going on. It's just straight up and in-your-face." Lyrically, the album is about the mental state of dealing with different stages of a failed relationship. Similarly to ''Not Without a Fight'', which dealt with the divorces suffered by Gilbert and Pundik, ''Radiosurgery'' was inspired by one band member almost "losing their mind." due to a "severe" separation. It was later revealed that it was in fact bassist
Ian Grushka Ian Ryan Grushka (born September 4, 1977) is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member and the bassist of Florida rock band New Found Glory. He was also the bassist in the band's now defunct side-project, the International Su ...
's divorce in October 2010 that inspired the record. Grushka's nine-year marriage, including two children, reached a bitter conclusion with Grushka reflecting, "It's crazy how quickly love can turn to hate. Basically, this last year, I've lost my mind completely. It takes time, it's been hard." The bassist turned to Klein for support, often writing notes and calling his bandmate over the phone to discuss his feelings. The album's lyrics are directly about the different emotions Grushka went through after the divorce, including sadness,
regret Regret is the emotion of wishing one had made a different decision in the past, because the consequences of the decision were unfavorable. Regret is related to perceived opportunity. Its intensity varies over time after the decision, in regard ...
, and feeling on the verge of
insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...
. In an interview with ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine, the guitarist pointed out, "If you're in a long-term relationship and it came to an end, you go through stages of regret, then you're sad, angry. Then you kind of lose your mind and want to go out with your friends, have a good time ndget into trouble. Then you just want to forget this person. Our idea is that after going through all these stages, you can't get the past out of your head, so you could surgically remove it from your mind." The single "Radiosurgery" was one of the final songs written for the album and was chosen as the title track in order "to encompass the whole record, like the complete thought. Its concept is much like the film ''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pie ...
'', according to Klein. The song also contains the lyric "it makes my brain hurt", a direct homage to the
Screeching Weasel Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
song "
My Brain Hurts ''My Brain Hurts'' is the third studio album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Screeching Weasel. The album was originally released on CD, vinyl and cassette in September 1991 through Lookout Records. It was the group's first album on Lookout as ...
", while portraying a person suffering from
auditory hallucination An auditory hallucination, or paracusia, is a form of hallucination that involves perceiving sounds without auditory stimulus. While experiencing an auditory hallucination, the affected person would hear a sound or sounds which did not come from ...
. Meanwhile, "Anthem for the Unwanted" is a song about "the point in a relationship where you pretty much are getting kicked out. It's pretty much the beginning of the end." While "I'm Not the One" is specifically themed around a
one night stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
, which Gilbert describes as "going out and doing something that you know you shouldn't be doing – and still going through with it. Because, that's life. People make mistakes." Early reactions to the single noted similarities to the earlier work of
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...
. In a track-by-track guide of the album, the band's drummer
Cyrus Bolooki New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing voca ...
explained that "Drill it in My Brain" is a "pretty
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed ...
ic song with a nice steady
beat Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...
," while "Summer Thing, Don't Mean a Thing" contains "absurd amounts of percussion going on in the background of the verses", and "Map of Your Body" features a
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
that has almost a "punk rock
prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...
vibe." Upon hearing an
advance copy An advance reading copy, advance review copy, advance reader's edition, advance copy, or a reader's edition (ARC or ARE) is a free copy of a new book given by a publisher to booksellers, librarians, journalists, celebrities, or others, or as a con ...
of the full album,
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fe ...
CEO Jason Tate was of the opinion that the album was similar in style to the band's self-titled second album, while Thomas Nassiff expressed that "throughout the album, Gilbert and Klein combine for even more crunching, downward-aiming, dominating guitar riffs than ever."
Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is an American music journalist and author. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The A.V. Club and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio where she has won f ...
of ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' suggested that musically, the album often recalls classic punk rock. "The jagged riffs of "Summer Fling, Don't Mean a Thing" echoes
Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American Rock music, rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, ...
's late 70s golden years. "Ready, Aim, Fire!" wouldn't be out of place on a
Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (1 ...
disc, while the speedy "Memories and Battle Scars" conjures the aggression of the
Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a ...
." Tom Williams, writer for UK magazine ''
Big Cheese A big cheese is a boss or other senior person, particularly in an organization. Big Cheese or The Big Cheese may also refer to: Arts and Entertainment Music * Big Cheese (band), an English straight edge hardcore punk band * "Big Cheese", a s ...
'', stated how he felt the album sounded like "millennium era NFG with nods to ulterior influences." ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' journalist David McLaughlin thought the album contained a "familiar but mint-fresh sound." He explained how "eighth track "Caught in the Act" sways and grooves like a long-lost
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backin ...
gem. Elsewhere, having gone back to their musical roots and digging out their favorite Green Day, Ramones, and Descendents records – a clear spirit of nostalgia has reignited their spark." ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' correspondent Scott McLennan described "Drill it in My Brain" as "a tangled mess of relationship rights and wrongs, all made palatable with a cool pop swagger and murky keyboard riff." While album closer "Map of Your Body" draws "a nice punk-rock-to-doo-wop connection." Andy Ritchie of ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' noted that "the album's focus is "very much on back-to-basics pop punk. This is how the Ramones pioneered it, and how Green Day perfected it during their early days."


Title and packaging

On May 12, 2011, the band announced to fans via a live
video chat Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Enc ...
that their new album would be titled ''Radiosurgery'' and they hoped to release it sometime in September. The band's primary composer Gilbert has explained that the album title is a direct reference to the medical procedure
radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually ...
, where a patient is treated by
x rays X-rays (or rarely, ''X-radiation'') are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In many languages, it is referred to as Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered it in 1895 and named it ' ...
or
gamma rays A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically sh ...
to remove a
tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
or growth from the brain. The band feel that the concept is very similar to the film ''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pie ...
'', where a couple erase one another from their
memories Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
. Gilbert revealed that since the band last wrote new material in 2008, one member suffered a "severe" divorce. "It's for them to talk about, not me. Someone pretty much lost their mind nddid a lot of things that were pretty scary for all of us. We've all been through that. I wrote about it on our website, certain things sort of haunt you in your life. That's where the title 'Radiosurgery''comes from, it's like a brain surgery." In the album's
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...
, a mock
definition A definition is a statement of the meaning of a term (a word, phrase, or other set of symbols). Definitions can be classified into two large categories: intensional definitions (which try to give the sense of a term), and extensional definitio ...
is printed that explains that ''Radiosurgery'' is "a medical procedure that allows non-invasive treatment used to target unwanted memories in the brain. ''Radiosurgery'' operates by directing highly focused waves of ionizing sound with high precision. It is a relatively recent technique (1997), which has been shown to be beneficial for the treatment of past regrets and lost love." On August 2, the album's artwork and packaging details were released. It was confirmed that the album would be available in a number of formats, including a standard CD, a deluxe edition
double CD A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ' ...
featuring four exclusive outtakes, including a cover of the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
hit "
Blitzkrieg Bop Blitzkrieg Bop is a song by American punk rock band, Ramones, released in February 1976 as their debut single in the United States. It appeared as the opening track on the band's debut album, ''Ramones'', released two months later. The song, w ...
", a limited pink
vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of   rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
, a special
slipmat A slipmat is a circular piece of slippery cloth or synthetic materials disk jockeys place on the turntable platter instead of the traditional rubber mat. Unlike the rubber mat which is made to hold the record firmly in sync with the rotating pl ...
, as well as various other
merchandise Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more ...
packages. The album booklet and cover art was designed by artist and clothes designer Kyle Crawford. The brain logo was designed to symbolise the theme of the album, with Gilbert explaining "We talked about the brain and ''Radiosurgery''. We talked about wanting an image we could put on a lot of things. We wanted to have that feeling, that look."


Release and promotion

Following the completion of recording in mid-June, the band announced soon after that the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...
would be title track "
Radiosurgery Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually ...
", later released as a digital download on August 2. That same day, the album's track listing,
cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ...
and release details were also issued. It was confirmed that
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and em ...
would release the album on CD,
vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of   rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
, and digital download formats on September 30 in Australia, October 3 in Europe, and October 4 in the United States. American retailer Interpunk.com held a limited supply of albums available with the CD booklet exclusively signed by the band. Earlier, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine reported that the band had confirmed a small run of club shows in the UK leading up to their main stage performances at the
Reading and Leeds festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
in August. In direct promotion of the album release in October, it was announced on August 1 that the band would be headlining a 37-date ''
Rockstar Rock Star or Rockstar may refer to: Films * ''Rock Star'' (2001 film), an American film starring Mark Wahlberg * ''Rockstar'' (2011 film), an Indian Hindi-language film by Imtiaz Ali * ''Rockstar'' (2015 film), an Indian Malayalam-language fi ...
''-sponsored "
Pop Punks Not Dead Tour The Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour was a concert tour headlined by American rock band New Found Glory. The initial US leg was sponsored by ''Rockstar'' energy drink, with the band supported by Set Your Goals, The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, and Th ...
" in North America ahead of Set Your Goals,
The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Supe ...
,
Man Overboard "Man overboard!" is an exclamation given aboard a vessel to indicate that a member of the crew or a passenger has fallen off of the ship into the water and is in need of immediate rescue. Whoever sees the person's fall is to shout, "Man overboa ...
, and This Time Next Year. The tour commenced on October 6 in
Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz ( Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a pop ...
and ran through to November 20 in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
.
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fe ...
ran an exclusive competition on their website, with five pairs of free tickets available for the tour including a meet-and-greet with the band back stage. Anticipation for the album was increased when ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' magazine issued their annual "20 Must-Hear Fall Releases" list, which included New Found Glory's ''Radiosurgery'', while ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' magazine called ''Radiosurgery'', "the most eagerly anticipated pop-punk album of the summer." ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...
'' noted that alongside another batch of strong releases within the genre, ''Radiosurgery'' is helping pop punk regain its relevance and popularity. The following week, the band announced via Twitter that they would be shooting a music video for the title track. The video was shot at the
Linda Vista Hospital Linda Vista Community Hospital is a former hospital located at 610-30 South St. Louis Street in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. The hospital was originally constructed for employees of the Santa Fe Rail ...
in Los Angeles with
Meiert Avis Meiert Avis is an Irish music video and commercial director. Avis has directed videos for artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Alanis Morissette, Flyleaf, Jennifer Lopez, New Found Glory and Josh Gro ...
on August 11 and premiered on September 14. Aside from other promotional work in the UK leading up to their appearances at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
, Gilbert and Pundik performed an exclusive
acoustic Acoustic may refer to: Music Albums * ''Acoustic'' (Above & Beyond album), 2014 * ''Acoustic'' (Deine Lakaien album), 2007 * ''Acoustic'' (Everything but the Girl album), 1992 * ''Acoustic'' (John Lennon album), 2004 * ''Acoustic'' (Love Amo ...
version of "Radiosurgery" for music webzine ''Alter The Press''. ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' magazine announced on August 31 that the band had released a short
making-of In cinema, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a type of documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK (electronic press kit) v ...
video with footage of them in the studio recording the album. In the fortnight prior to the album's release, the band ran three exclusive " World Premieres" with the LA based KROQ Radio. Album tracks "Anthem for the Unwanted", "I'm Not the One", and "Dumped" were streamed daily on 20, 21, and September 22 respectively. On September 27 it was announced that another album track, "Summer Fling, Don't Mean a Thing" would be available for
free download Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of digital media content such as audio, video, e-books, video games, and other ...
on iTunes. That same day, it was revealed that ''Radiosurgery'' was being
streamed Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
online in its entirety via ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
''. Fans had to complete a game similar to ''
Operation Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
'' in order to unlock each track. On October 4, the group appeared on ''
The Daily Habit ''The Daily Habit'' is a sports telecast airing on Fuel TV hosted by Pat Parnell. The show features personalities in the world of extreme sports, including surfboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding, as well as other personalities from entertai ...
'' performing the album's title-track. "Anthem for the Unwanted" was released to alternative radio stations on November 22. On December 1, a music video was released for "Anthem for the Unwanted". The group went a short tour in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
with support from
Four Year Strong Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released seven studio ...
during January 2012. The band played in
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
on January 10, later playing
Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area c ...
and
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
, before closing in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...
on January 15. Shortly afterwards, the band co-headlined the 2012 ''Kerrang!'' Tour during February in the UK alongside
Sum 41 Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason "Cone" McC ...
. Following an appearance at Musink festival, the band toured Australia with
Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, key ...
and This Time Next Year in April. On May 23, the group revealed they were filming a music video for "Summer Fling, Don't Mean a Thing". On June 14, the video was released.


Critical reception

''Radiosurgery'' garnered positive reviews upon its release. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, the album received an average score of 70, based on 9 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews." Critics' praise was often centered on the album's
nostalgic Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", a Homeric wo ...
sound and its catchy hooks, while
Bethany Cosentino Best Coast is an American rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The band consists of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Cosentino, a former child actress, began wr ...
's
guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...
on track "Caught in the Act" was also widely applauded. Indeed, Annie Zaleski of ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' called ''Radiosurgery'' "focused and precise" while awarding four stars out of five in her review. She noted that the album is rich on "summary riffs and brisk tempos", before summarising, "by refusing to settle for "good enough" – and by creating a homage to youthful, timeless pop punk – New Found Glory sound revitalised and relevant."
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fe ...
staff writer Thomas Nassiff described the album as containing "beautiful pop-punk jammers" while awarding a score of 8 out of 10. Though pointing out that the album offers nothing new to the band's catalog, he reflected "New Found Glory has too many good records to call this one their best, but that doesn't really matter in the end. Comparing ''Radiosurgery'' to ''Sticks and Stones'', ''New Found Glory'' or even ''Catalyst'' or ''Not Without a Fight'' is simply irrelevant. It's better to concentrate on what's in front of us: a hard-hitting, purely enjoyable album from South Florida's proudest sons." David McLaughlin of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' magazine expressed that "''Radiosurgery'' is pretty much everything anyone could want from a New Found Glory record." Awarding an "excellent" four K! rating, he noted the album's "nostalgic 90s sound" by adding, "Age-old tales about lovestruck boys and girls told in three minutes via three chords, killer choruses and golden melodies. The Ramones knew a thing or two about that. So do New Found Glory. These tried and tested musical staples still make for some really special moments." Tom Williams of ''
Big Cheese A big cheese is a boss or other senior person, particularly in an organization. Big Cheese or The Big Cheese may also refer to: Arts and Entertainment Music * Big Cheese (band), an English straight edge hardcore punk band * "Big Cheese", a s ...
'' magazine awarded the album five stars out of five in his review. He praised the band's "mashup of bleeding heart lyrics, catchy melodies and punk rock energy" before asserting, "Infectious as always, professionally delivered and with a sound purpose built for partying, the album is a hit plain and simple." Gregory Heaney of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
awarded the album a favorable three and a half stars out of five in his review. He noted how "pop-punk is becoming a lost art, a rarefied ability to sugarcoat heartache rather than embellish it, and that's exactly what New Found Glory do on this album. Without falling back on breakdowns, half-time choruses, or screaming, the band delivers 11 tracks of upbeat rock ruminations on unrequited love and heartbreak." ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' writer Scott McLennan called the band "relentless" in his favorable review. He went on to explain that, "New Found Glory flaunts the chemistry brewed over the 14 years that these five Floridians have been together. Guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein maneuver speedy melodies around singer Jordan Pundik's tales of love and loss, while drummer Cyrus Bolooki and bassist Ian Grushka propel the band. New Found Glory is at its best when sounding highly caffeinated, even if breakneck tempos belie a song's blue mood." Vanessa Spates of daily newspaper ''
The Lantern ''The Lantern'' is an independent daily newspaper in Columbus, Ohio, by students at Ohio State University. It is one of the largest campus newspapers in the United States, reaching a circulation of 15,000. Copies of the paper are free and avail ...
'' awarded ''Radiosurgery'' an "A" grade in her review. She wrote that "Seven studio albums is an impressive feat for a punk rock band in a post-rock era. They keep a youthful quality in the manic guitars and the fury of drums. The entire album is infectious and invokes a lot of heartbreak anthems that everyone can relate to." Roz Smith, writing for New Jersey
tabloid Tabloid may refer to: * Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism * Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size ** Chinese tabloid * Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size * Sopwith Tabloid The Sopwith Tabloid and ...
''
The Aquarian Weekly ''The Aquarian Weekly'' is a regional alternative weekly newspaper based in New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1969, its focus is rock music and related events in the New Jersey/New York City/ Eastern Pennsylvania region. From 1986 to 1992, i ...
'', felt the album was undeniably "catchy", emphasizing its "choruses, upbeat guitar riffs, bass grooves and slamming drums." Nicole Villeneuve of Canadian magazine ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' also offered a positive review and wrote how the album was full of "lively hooks and crisp songs in a taut pop-punk package." Chad Grischow of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
scored the album at 8.5 out of 10 and called it a "vibrant, infinitely listenable treat." He went on to explain that, "Channeling the brand of freewheeling, fun-loving pop-punk the quintet burst onto the scene playing years ago, the lean, in-your-face set of tracks examining a crumbled relationship hits hard." ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' journalist Terry Bezer explained how there "isn't a wasted minute on ''Radiosurgey''", whilst awarding a near perfect 9 out of 10 score. He noted how the album "will delight pop-punk purists and NFG faithful alike", before praising the songwriting as some of the band's most infectious to-date. Steve M, staff writer for
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
awarded ''Radiosurgery'' a "great" 3.5 out of 5 score. He felt the album contained "all the little quirks of their earlier material," before adding, "it is difficult not to get caught up in ''Radiosurgery'' for what it is: a short and sweet pop-punk album designed to get you out of your chair and moving."
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outl ...
writer Kevin Barber awarded the album three stars out of five in his review. He wrote that, "On ''Radiosurgery'', New Found Glory have found their older, faster, and stronger sound, dishing out anthemic choruses, while still holding on to their "" maturity." Jason Heller of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cr ...
'' was less receptive, awarding the album a "C" grade and bemoaning the bands, "same bouncy/bittersweet dynamic. It's also stuck religiously to its chunky, melodic sound. But where 2009's ''Not Without A Fight'' had a hint of a bite, ''Radiosurgery'' shows all the signs of tooth decay."


Accolades

The album was well regarded by various music publications, seeing it feature in several year-end lists for 2011. Joe DeAndrea, critic for
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fe ...
, placed "Anthem for the Unwanted" at number two within his "Top 15 Songs of the Year" list. Meanwhile, the album was also placed at number nine on the websites' staff compiled "Best Albums of 2011" list. During his review of the album, Chad Grischow of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
offered praise to the band's songwriting and awarded ''Radiosurgery'' the "Editors Choice Award". ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...
'' journalist Kiel Hauck, compiling an article on the best music of 2011, placed ''Radiosurgery'' at number seven in the "Pop-Punk" category. In a year in which he felt the genre was reignited, he described the album as "fast paced and full of energy", before asserting that the album had helped put the band "back on the musical map." UK based magazine ''
Big Cheese A big cheese is a boss or other senior person, particularly in an organization. Big Cheese or The Big Cheese may also refer to: Arts and Entertainment Music * Big Cheese (band), an English straight edge hardcore punk band * "Big Cheese", a s ...
'' placed the album at number fifteen on their "50 Finest of 2011" feature. Jim Sharples noted how the album was "the sound of summer in CD form" and praised its hooks and
melodies A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinati ...
. In the "K! Critics' Top 101 Albums of the Year", ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' writer Nick Ruskell ranked ''Radiosurgery'' at number nineteen. He wrote that, "packed with
power chord A power chord (also fifth chord) is a colloquial name for a chord in guitar music, especially electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly played on ...
punch and more bounce to the ounce than all the young pretenders combined, it was a defiant statement that the originals were back and better than ever." Andrew Kelham of ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' ranked the album as the 26th best of the year in his article. He praised ''Radiosurgerys "timeless 90's
aesthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...
", which he felt made the record "endlessly enjoyable." Rob Watson-Lang, co-editor for music webzine ''Ourzone'', ranked ''Radiosurgery'' as the tenth best record of the year and described it as some of the best material the band had written in some time.


Commercial performance

Upon its earlier release date of September 30 in Australia, ''Radiosurgery'' debuted on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
at number 50, and at number 44 on the Digital Albums Chart. According to building album sales data compiled by ''Hits Daily Double'', the album was projected to have sold some 10,555 copies during its opening week sales in the United States, allowing it to enter the ''Billboard'' 200 at number thirty five. The album eventually charted at a higher position of twenty six, whilst also topping the
Hard Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart. ''Radiosurgery'' also reached number four on the
Top Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
chart, as well as entering the
Alternative Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
and the
Tastemaker Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
charts at number nine and seven respectively. The Tastemaker chart is not decided by record sales, but compiled by ranking new albums based on "an influential panel of indie stores and small regional chains." Overall, this marked a drop in performance compared to its predecessor ''
Not Without a Fight ''Not Without a Fight'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home ...
'' (2009), which debuted at number twelve on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was also the band's first album since their self-titled second album (2000), that failed to enter to top twenty of the ''Billboard'' chart. The album was however released in a competitive week, with albums by Feist,
Rodney Atkins Rodney Allan Atkins (born March 28, 1969) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the ''Billboard'' country chart in 1997, but did not release an album until 2003's ''H ...
, and
Jack's Mannequin Jack's Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004, hailing from Orange County, California. The band originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the frontman of Something Corporate. The band was signed to Maverick Records an ...
also debuting. It was also revealed that the weekly sales figures of 5.13 million units, was down 8% compared to the sum of the previous week.


Track listing

All songs written and composed by
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vo ...
.


Personnel

The following personnel contributed to ''Radiosurgery'', as adapted from the album
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...
. New Found Glory *
Jordan Pundik Jordan Izaak Pundik (born October 12, 1979) is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member and the frontman of Floridian rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics. He was also the guitarist i ...
– lead vocals,
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...
*
Chad Gilbert Chad Everett Gilbert (born March 9, 1981) is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band New Found Glory, for whom he plays lead guitar, sings backing vocals, and composes music. He was also ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals, composer * Steve Klein – rhythm guitar, lyrics *
Ian Grushka Ian Ryan Grushka (born September 4, 1977) is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member and the bassist of Florida rock band New Found Glory. He was also the bassist in the band's now defunct side-project, the International Su ...
– bass *
Cyrus Bolooki New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing voca ...
– drums, percussion Additional musicians *
Bethany Cosentino Best Coast is an American rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The band consists of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Cosentino, a former child actress, began wr ...
– vocals on "Caught in the Act" Production *
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
– producer,
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
, mixing * Erich Talaba –
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' '' Come Away with Me''. Biograp ...
mastering * Myriam Santos – photography * Kyle Crawford –
art direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in Theatre, theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
,
layout Layout may refer to: * Page layout, the arrangement of visual elements on a page ** Comprehensive layout (comp), a proposed page layout presented by a designer to their client * Layout (computing), the process of calculating the position of ob ...


Chart positions


Release history


References


External links


''Radiosurgery''
at
Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

''Radiosurgery''
at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed) {{Authority control 2011 albums Concept albums New Found Glory albums Epitaph Records albums Albums produced by Neal Avron