''Secret Weapon'' is the eighth studio album by American

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band

MxPx MxPx () is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington, formed in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera (bass guitar, lead vocals), Yuri Ruley (drums, percussion), Tom Wisniewski (lead guitar, backi ...

, released on July 16, 2007 and is considered a "back to roots" album for the group. ''Secret Weapon'' is available in three different versions: * The standard version with 16 tracks * A double 12-inch vinyl version with special artwork * A special edition with a "Making of..." DVD, new artwork, and three extra tracks

Background

On November 7, 2006, it was announced the group had re-signed with Tooth & Nail Records. In February 2007, the band revealed they were aiming to release an album through the label by mid-2007.

Release

On May 2, 2007, ''Secret Weapon'' was announced for release. In the same announcement, the album's track listing was revealed, and the title track was made available for streaming. In May and June, the band headlined the Tooth & Nail Tour with support from

the Classic Crime The Classic Crime is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2004. The band's current lineup consists of Matt MacDonald (vocals, guitar), Alan Clark (bass), Robert "Cheeze" Negrin (guitar), and Paul "Skip" Erickson (drums, ...

the Fold The Fold is an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. The Fold formed in 2002, and promptly began work on their album '' This Too Shall Pass'' for Tooth & Nail Records. They have released four full-length studio albums ...

, Sullivan, Run Kid Run,

Hawk Nelson Hawk Nelson was a Canadian Christian pop-punk band from Peterborough, Ontario. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums. Bassist/backing vocalist Daniel Biro was the band's only founding member to remain throughout their entire ...

and

Project 86 Project 86 is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The band has released twelve albums, which have collectively sold nearly 500,000 units worldwide, two EPs, two DVDs, and one live album. In 1998, BEC Recordings ...

. The album received much online publicity before its release, much due to MxPx's return to

Tooth and Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle where it is today. History Brandon Ebel and Michael Knott conceived the label as a joint venture, before Knott back ...

. On July 5, 2007, a music video was released for "Secret Weapon". ''Secret Weapon'' was made available for streaming on July 10, before being released a week later through Tooth & Nail Records. The group performed a week's worth of shows on the 2007 edition of

Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...

between late July and early August. "You're on Fire" was released to radio on August 21. A music video was released for "Shut It Down" on November 19, 2007. In January 2008, the band toured Japan and Indonesia, prior to a stint in Australia. They were originally scheduled to support

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...

in March and April 2008, however, they had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, the band toured across the US with

Chiodos Chiodos (, ) is an American post-hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the f ...

in April 2008 and appeared at the Bamboozle Left festival. Following this, the band toured with the Colour Fred, until May 2008. On September 5, a music video was released for "Contention". In September and October 2008, the band went on a co-headlining US tour with

Lagwagon Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, California, just outside Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. They formed in 1989, went on hiatus in 2000, and reunited several times over the years. Their name comes from the ba ...

; they were supported by

Only Crime Only Crime is an American melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such ...

and TAT.

Reception

The album debuted at No. 76 on the ''Billboard'' 200; it also went to No. 1 on the ''Billboards Christian chart. In 2008, the album was nominated for a

Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards ceremonies presented annually and have been held in Nashville, Tennessee exce ...

for Rock Album of the Year at the

39th GMA Dove Awards The 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 23, 2008, recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2007. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. Nominations were announced on February 14, ...

.Nominations Announced for 39th GMA Dove Awards
on CBN.com (February 14, 2008)

Track listing

All songs written by Mike Herrera.

Vinyl and special edition tracks

In addition to the 16 tracks included on all versions of the album, the special editions come with 3 additional tracks:

Personnel

Mike Herrera MxPx () is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington, formed in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera (bass guitar, lead vocals), Yuri Ruley (drums, percussion), Tom Wisniewski (lead guitar, backi ...

– lead vocals, bass * Tom Wisniewski – guitars, backing vocals * Yuri Ruley – drums

References

{{Authority control MxPx albums 2007 albums Albums produced by Aaron Sprinkle Tooth & Nail Records albums