Last Night on Earth will drop this fall via Better Noise Music
Finger Eleven is experiencing a vibrant, full-circle moment. The multi-platinum Juno Award-winning group criss-crossed America last summer with long-time former labelmates Creed, revisiting the summer of ‘99.
That infectious, invigorating energy helped the Canadian group enthusiastically complete their first new studio album in a decade, Last Night on Earth, primed for a November 7th release via Better Noise Music, their first with the label. To celebrate, they’ve released the album’s second single and video, the thunderous “Blue Sky Mystery” featuring Richard Patrick from Filter.
Vocalist Scott Anderson notes that the chorus had a heavy Black Sabbath vibe, and the band maintained that throughout the song’s evolution, even as the verses underwent a larger transformation. Changes came in at the eleventh hour of mixing, but they got the song they wanted. He wrote lyrics for “Blue Sky Mystery” about burrowing into the rabbit hole of a deep obsession. “The more it’s in front of you, the less you understand it, the more you’re obsessed with it,” he says. “You can’t get your mind around it, or away from it.”
“‘Blue Sky Mystery’ was originally called ‘10 Ton Saber,’” as guitarist James Black recalls. “I just pictured some guy in Star Wars with an enormous, bazooka-sized lightsaber.”
“Working with Scott, James, Rick, Sean and Steve could not have gone smoother. They are good guys and total pros,” says Filter singer Richard Patrick. “Coincidentally, Filter is also celebrating its 30th Anniversary and we’ve never had the opportunity to work with Finger Eleven before, save for an appearance at a festival together somewhere. Recording ‘Blue Sky Mystery’ was a lot of fun.”
Last year, fans got the first taste of the album via the high-octane “Adrenaline” (which reached the Top 20 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart) and a video that’s reached over 176k views on YouTube. The song also reached No. 2 on the Active Rock chart in Canada, where the song held strong in the Top 5 for over four months and is still within the Top 20 one year after release.
The group has always amalgamated their musical influences from the 1960s forward into their rock mix. They acknowledge that Phil Collins and Genesis were a big melodic influence on Last Night on Earth. And the new tunes explore time-honored Finger Eleven concepts with fresh twists. While “Adrenaline” is a rousing, intense anthem about pushing forward against adversity, “Blue Sky Mystery” is another hard-hitting rocker about being beguiled by something just out of reach. Further into the album, “The Mountain” rides musical peaks and valleys in its quest to chase the song, about the creative process expressed in a fantasy setting. Then there is the acoustic number “Last Night On Earth,” which tackles relationship turmoil. It’s the most personal new track for frontman Scott Anderson.
After rocking a busy festival season this summer, Finger Eleven will hit the U.S. with Alien Ant Farm and Brkn Love or a flurry of concerts leading up to the new album’s release. This will be followed by their biggest Canadian tour, with fellow native sons Headstones and Tea Party joining them.
