The Used Debut New Song ‘Paradise Lost,’ Announce New Album
There's some buzz building about The Used's new album, which the band has now revealed will be called Heartwork and is on schedule for an April 24 street date.
Back in December, Fever 333's Jason Aalon Butler revealed that he was guesting on a track for the forthcoming disc. The song, titled "Blow Me," centered around gun violence, and singer Bert McCracken said at the time, "Whether metaphorically signifying the power of words in general, or magnifying concern for the situation of societal gun violence, we urge the fans of our music to find individual and personal meaning in all of our songs."
Butler then offered some more detail on how he came to be part of the track and added insight on the sound of the forthcoming release. "If I'm being honest, I've been a fan of this band since the first single they put on an Atticus Clothing comp CD back in 2002. I heard 'Box Full of Sharp Objects' and thought,'This is it. This is the next step in heavier music with melodic sensibility,'" shares Butler on discovering The Used. "I loved it. I studied it. Then I met the man that produced it, John Feldmann. Loved him. Studied him. Then, a couple months ago I was asked by the band and John to sing on a track from the new album. They played me some songs and, no bullshit, I got that feeling I felt when I first heard 'Box Full' on that comp 17 years ago. For any and all The Used fans, they're back again ... in a BIG fucking way."
McCracken later stated in a separate interview, "A lot of this stuff sounds like the first record," he explained. "I think that this music is having a bit of a resurgence because it had such a feeling to it, and people just want to feel things and feel like they belong."
Well, thanks to the reveal of the album art and track listing (seen at the bottom of the page), we can now also add Blink-182's Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker (on separate tracks) and Beartooth's Caleb Shomo to the list of guests on the record.
The first single, "Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton" is out now. Read the lyrics below and watch the music video further down the page.
Though nothing has been confirmed as of yet, singer Bert McCracken also recently hinted that the band might be touring with My Chemical Romance later this year.
The Used, "Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton" Lyrics
To whom it may concern, and all the tragic we’ve been through
No matter where I go I keep on running into you
Blink of an eye, feels like forever
Same as it ever was, same as whatever
Before the yellow fades to blueI’m shaken
Can’t bring myself to cut ties
I know you better than anyone
Blessed with this curse my whole life, won’t let me shake the shadow
Paradise lost in your eyes
I know you better than anyone
Blessed with this curse my whole life, won’t let me shake— I’m shakenFound the key but couldn’t open the cell
This selfishness was part of saving myself
From you now I hold the disease
Planted the poisonous seed
Tried not to eat from the tree
Will I survive?
It’s so hard to tell
The Used, "Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton" Music Video
The Used, Heartwork Album Art + Track Listing
01 – “Paradise Lost, A Poem by John Milton”
02 – “Blow Me” (feat, Jason Aalon Butler of Fever 333)
03 – “Big, Wanna Be”
04 – “Bloody Nose”
05 – “Wow, I Hate This Song”
06 – “My Cocoon”
07 – “Cathedral Bell”
08 – “1984 (Infinite Jest)”
09 – “Gravity’s Rainbow”
10 – “Clean Cut Heals”
11 – “Heartwork”
12 – “The Lighthouse” (featuring Mark Hoppus of Blink-182)
13 – “Obvious Blasé (featuring Travis Barker of Blink-182)
14 – “The Lottery” (featuring Caleb Shomo of Beartooth)
15 – “Darkness Bleeds, FOTF”
16 – “To Feel Something"
The 50 Best Rock Albums of the 2010s