To My Surprise (album)
| To My Surprise | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Studio album by To My Surprise | |
| Released | October 7, 2003 |
| Recorded | 2003 at Cello Studios in Hollywood, California |
| Genre | Alternative rock, indie pop |
| Length | 41:17 |
| Label | Roadrunner |
| Producer | Shawn Crahan and Brandon Darner |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| babysue | |
| Calgary Sun |  |
| Counterculture | |
| The New York Times | (favorable) |
To My Surprise is the only album by American alternative rock band To My Surprise. Released on October 7, 2003 by Roadrunner Records, it was the only album that the band released before disbanding in 2006. The album was intended to be self-produced by Shawn Crahan and Brandon Darner, but after producer Rick Rubin was sent demos by Crahan, Rubin invited the band to Los Angeles where he assumed the role of executive producer. Following the release of the album, a music video was released for the song "In The Mood" on December 1.
The album was generally well received by critics, who remarked on its diversity and significantly different musical style to that of drummer Crahan's other band Slipknot. They noted that it features music inspired by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Weezer, among others. However the album did not appear on any sales charts.
In June 2002, band members Shawn Crahan, Brandon Darner and Stevan Robinson began working on an album together. Drummer Crahan told MTV that working on this album "made [him] find [his] voice" and that with his other band Slipknot he had been "hurting for a long time for a musical voice". In an interview with Launch, he said that writing the track "The World's Too Small" was his "most magical musical experience" because "[he] was giving more than on just one or two simple ideas." In 2003 Crahan sent producer Rick Rubin two songs that he and Darner had written, primarily to receive an opinion on the songs. However, Rubin invited the band to Cello Studios in Los Angeles to work on an album. It was there that the album featuring 11 tracks was self-produced by Crahan and Darner, with Rubin as executive producer.
On October 7, 2003, To My Surprise was released through Roadrunner Records. An animated music video for the track "In The Mood" was produced by BoingBoing, which was premiered on MTV's Extreme show on December 1. Also, the track "Get It To Go" was featured on the soundtrack for the video game MVP Baseball 2004. To My Surprise did not tour in 2003 to promote the album because Crahan was working with Slipknot on their third album. However, they did perform a limited number shows in North America the following year.
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