Magnified is the second album by the United States alternative rock band Failure.
Production
Drummer Robert Gauss departed during the recording of the album; the remaining drum parts were played by John Dargahi and Greg Edwards.
Magnified differs from Failure's debut album Comfort by using a great deal of bass guitar distortion. The use of a bassline as the main structure of the song as well as distortion can be heard best on "Frogs" and "Small Crimes."
Critical reception
In a retrospective article published to coincide with the album's 25th anniversary,
Decibel wrote that "druggy chord changes slither unpredictably, oftentimes led by a four-string bassquake alongside primal drumming, both delivered with forceful conviction."
called the album "a major improvement over, but not a thorough success," writing that "Failure paints senseless coats of alternative guitar ... over tuneful material that might actually be enticing if not for the underbrush."
wrote that "the songwriting on
Magnified is more pop-oriented than on the band's first disc,
Comfort, which had more of an improvisational feel."
The
Albuquerque Journal wrote that "Failure checks into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame as the only band to have less variation between songs than Boston."
Track listing
Personnel
-
Ken Andrews – vocals, guitar, bass
-
Greg Edwards – bass, guitar, drums
-
John Dargahi – drums on 1, 2, 6 & 7
Credits
Recorded by Paul Lani.
Mixed by David Bianco and Ken Andrews.
Frog: Bruce Schwartz
