Welcome to the Boolin Tunes Staff Spotlight, a special segment on the site in which we dive deep into a classic or simply personally beloved album to shine a light on releases that we feel deserve a second glance.
“And now the wolves that you have cried will eat you alive.”
As I finish up working on my own band’s debut LP, I think of the bands and albums that have shaped my tastes. Immediately I think of what Architects, Silent Planet, Northlane, and The Devil Wears Prada have been releasing for the past few years. Once I strip away that recency bias, I realize those early 2010s post hardcore albums are what REALLY shaped me. Listening back, most of those albums bring a sort of nostalgic warmth, yet I find my new taste in music clashing with this older style. And then there’s Illuminaudio by Chiodos, an album that I still call The Greatest Post Hardcore Album Ever Written. I could write a 15 page article on this album and the weird kinks and quirks you’ve never heard of, but I will try to compress it the best I can.
The only Chiodos album without legendary vocalist Craig Owens, and with Brandon Bolmer (ex-Yesterdays Rising) reigning the torch. Also, the only album with Underminded’s Tanner Wayne playing drums instead of longtime Chiodos drummer Derrick Frost. An album that surely came with mixed reception as some could not hear such an iconic band without its signature voice. With what could seem like insurmountable shoes to fill, Bolmer faced the task with brilliance, and a performance that will live on as legendary forever.
The intro/title track “Illuminaudio” opens with a slow, yet beautiful ambience that creates an eerie atmosphere to open the curtains on such a masterpiece. They used this intro track alongside a video on YouTube to announce the release of this album on October 5th, 2010. I can still recall the insane amount of hype this created for me when I was just 16. Check out the video below:
With the curtains open, they transition beautifully into “Caves” (“Are you ready to take the chance and risk it all?”). With a theme that is quite to the point, Bolmer said, ‘“Caves” carries on the idea of facing fears, making changes in your life to get to a better, more comfortable place.’ A song that we can all relate to at some period in our lives, at least I know I have and still do. See the music video for “Caves” below:
Track 3, “Love is a Cat From Hell” is a MASSIVE track with a feature from the forever iconic Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil. Who better to have on a track then Vic, especially after their June 21st, 2010 release of Selfish Machines? Vic’s feature is less of a traditional feature, and takes more partnered vocalist role with Bolmer, which I think suits the song beautifully. An album that I rank The Second Greatest Post Hardcore Album Ever Made. The title “Love is a Cat From Hell” is a reference to a poem collection by Charles Bukowski titled Love is a Dog From Hell. On the theme of the track Bolmer said, “Lyrically, it’s about a person who upsets you to the core with foolish acts, poor motives and ignorant logic. It’s very sarcastic and it’s the ultimate retaliation song.” There was a trailer released for a purported music video for the track, but the full music video was never released. Check it out below:
Up next is ”Modern Wolf Hair”, a play on words of the groundbreaking video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This bitter track is simply about a boy who cries wolf (“And now the wolves that you have cried will eat you alive”). A metaphor for people who put you through so much pain, only care for themselves, then in the end realize the mistakes of their selfish endeavors. The bridge was created by Christopher “Notes” Olsen, who died falling 8 stories from a fire escape stairwell in May of 2010. Olsen never heard the finished product of the track, only the section he worked on. Olsen is also credited with collaborating with Britney Spears on her unreleased track “Rebellion”, a track about the evil pulling the strings, this led some of Spears’ fanbase creating conspiracies around the tragic event. Nonetheless, Olsen’s work with Chiodos as well as the pop icon Britney Spears will live on forever.
We get a break from the heavy hitting chaos with “Notes in Constellations”. The title is fitting with the soothing instrumentals and mellow melodies, which makes the track feel like a song written to the sky. The song was originally about two lovers parting ways, but Bolmer said, “After Notes passed away, the song almost took on a dual meaning, and became a song that Notes would—or could have—written for his girlfriend after he passed.” I never knew the track had such a deep meaning until I started researching more into this album for my spotlight. And now, 11 years later, I have a newfound love for this track. A music video was released for “Notes in Constellations” on July 5th, 2011 check it below:
With “Scaremonger” we dive right back into the chaotic fun. This track tackles the meaning of excessive control that creates frustration, and then leads to rebellion (“All of my sorrow its not enough, not enough for your hunger”). A scaremonger is someone or something that spreads rumors or terrifying reports, in a sociopolitical climate like ours today, this song has never been more relevant than it is now. On the track, Bolmer says, “One can only take so much before they want to lash out and do what they feel is right. We can only hope that the children of today are taught enough, but not too much, so that they can grow up feeling free and at home in their own bodies.” One of my favorite parts of this track, and the entire album, is the outro section which transitions perfectly into the next track. It features the chorus melody of the next track, but has this electronic element to it that fascinates.
“His Story Repeats Itself”, is a play on words from “history repeats itself.” This track lyrically feels like the sequel to “Scaremonger” because it speaks of the rebellion (“This war will tear apart the sky, letting through the light. We will survive, and we will sing marching onward, we’re singing for our freedom”). With such an incredible track, how can one not feel inspired to rebel for love?
Next up is track 8, “Let Us Burn One”, which was the first track Bolmer wrote with Chiodos. The track is about fighting fire with fire (“I’m not much of a drinker, but you poured me a glass. Filling it up with your lies, how I drank it fast.”) In regards to “Let Us Burn One”, Bolmer says, “I think this was the song that got me interested in the band and gave me the confidence to take the wheel and see what else we could create together. I think this track does a great job of showcasing the music, and the energy is there. It was written by the new lineup and remains pretty close to the structure of the first demo.” Writing music is a very challenging task as it is, but to make something this amazing on your first track is one incredible accomplishment.
On to “Hey Zeus! the Dungeon”, one of my personal favorites on this album, and probably one of my favorite Chiodos songs ever. The track is based on the 2004 film The Phantom of the Opera, living in New York City, I am a huge fan of the Broadway play. The song tells the story from the perspective of the phantom in a desperate, and diabolical pursuit for the love of his life. “This track is all over the place, as is the mind of the phantom. It’s insane, bipolar and dark like the catacombs of an opera house,” Bolmer said. Every aspect of this track fills me with excitement, its spooky, dark, and melodically incredible (“She doesn’t know who I am, for I am a ghost”).
To start the final quarter stretch of the album, we dive into “Stratovolcano Mouth”. This is a song about built up anger finally erupting, like a volcano (”If Mother Earth was your body, and the inner core was your fury, than the lava that flows in the chamber below is your adrenaline.”). On this song, Bolmer said, “This was a challenging song to write to, as I knew that there was a version with Craig [Owens, former Chiodos vocalist] floating around. I chose to never listen to his version as I thought it would affect my writing and melodies. Between the old version and the new version, there was a different second verse and an added bridge that Machine and I absolutely fell in love with. The tension and suspense that builds in the bridge before the final explosion gives me chills every time. Writing this song was cathartic for me. It really relieved a lot of stress getting into that vocal booth and putting all my anger and frustration into words.”
Like Bolmer, that bridge gives me chills too, it’s a phenomenal build to an exploding breakdown, perfectly executed. “Stratovolcano Mouth” was originally worked on with Craig Owens in a demo titled “Thermacare” which was never released. Chiodos took the instrumental portion of it to create “Stratovolcano Mouth”. Owens took his lyrics and vocal melodies from the original demo to create “The Only Thing You Talk About” with his newly formed band “Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows”, and so two phenomenal tracks were born from the “Thermacare” demo. If you’re interested to hear the “Thermacare” demo check out the video below:
I remember hearing “Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together” for the first time back in 2010. It was an incredible experience, consistently hitting replay until I eventually found a website that would loop the song on YouTube for me. I must have listened to it over a hundred times in a row. It’s astonishing to me how cinematic/theatrical this song is with its lyrical imagery and storytelling (“Pray to your God, Hell is on its way home. Hounds running like a rancid fog, and the world that we knew was raining blood”). On the theme of the track, Bolmer says, “The plot is about a group of people who have one purpose—sticking together through hell or high water. Throughout the song, the group go from uninfected to infected due to a spreading epidemic of raging humans that share this disease with whoever they can get their mouths on. In the beginning, the objective is to survive and look out for one another. In the end, the goal is the same but also to infect as many other people as possible with this virus.” The title of this track is in reference to the Venture Bros’ season 3 finale episodes “The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together (Part 1)” and “The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together (Part 2)”.
Last, but definitely not least, the album closes with a ballad called “Closed Eyes Still Look Forward.” A heavenly ending to an album full of high energy, chaos, and brutality. I think the first few times I heard this song I cried quite a bit. Over a decade later, I can still feel the emotion this song is teeming with (“When you know that you finally made it, can you make your way back, make your way back home?”) This song inspired the intro track “Illuminaudio” as well, with lyrics and melodies that coincide with both tracks. A perfect closure to the album, leaving me feeling that we have come full circle. About what this track means, Bolmer said:
“The lyrical idea song is pretty straightforward; it’s honest and straight from my heart. I wanted to write a song that explained the journey I was taking to join this band. I felt very alone at the beginning stages of entering Chiodos; it was just me and five other people I barely knew. I knew it would help me grow as an individual, but I had to step outside my box and do something I’d never done. I’ve always been the type to only do things I’m comfortable with, and traveling across the country to write and record with new people was the exact opposite.
“It was both a tough and exciting moment, as I was leaving my old band just days before I flew to Michigan, but it was a new chapter I was ready to write in my book of life. This song is sort of a promise and commitment to friends, family and loved ones that I will remain a true individual throughout this journey. A lot of people thought I would come back home thinking I was some sort of hotshot badass because I joined a band with a lot of success behind their belt. But I’d like to think I’m the same person, growing in other ways, but keeping the original morals I’ve been raised with.”
Things did not work out in the end with Brandon Bolmer, Tanner Wayne, and original guitarist Jason Hale leaving Chiodos in 2012. Instead of being sad we never got more, creating 1 album together that I consider to be a masterpiece will have to be enough for me, and any other fans who feel the same. After the album, Craig Owens and Derrick Frost both returned to Chiodos and released their album Devil in 2014, which is a great album too. It was announced in 2016 that the band had officially broken up. I can only hope that someday Equal Vision Records will do a pressing or repressing of Illuminaudio, The Greatest Post Hardcore Album Ever Made.
To stream Illuminaudio on Spotify click here.