Velociraptor!

Velociraptor! is the fourth studio album by English rock[1] band Kasabian, released on 16 September 2011. The album has been described as expanding upon the neo-psychedelic feel of their previous album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum with a stronger emphasis on experimental song structures and instrumentation. It was released to critical acclaim and became their third UK number-one album.

Velociraptor!
Studio album by
Kasabian
Released16 September 2011 (2011-09-16)
RecordedNovember 2010 – March 2011 in Leicester, England
Genre
Length50:38
LabelRCA
Producer
Kasabian chronology
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
(2009)		 Velociraptor!
(2011)		 48:13
(2014)
Singles from Velociraptor!
  1. "Days Are Forgotten"
    Released: 12 August 2011
  2. "Re-Wired"
    Released: 21 October 2011
  3. "Goodbye Kiss"
    Released: 20 February 2012
  4. "Man of Simple Pleasures"
    Released: 7 May 2012

Release and promotion

"Switchblade Smiles" was made available as a free download to anybody who pre-ordered the album from the band's official website store from 7 June 2011. The track is also available as a free download on the band's fanpage on Facebook.

The album cover is an edited picture of all four band members covered in feathers (as Velociraptors were traditionally feathery) and screaming, edited from the "Switchblade Smiles" music video.[2] Music videos for "Days Are Forgotten", "Re-Wired", "Goodbye Kiss", "Man of Simple Pleasures" and "Neon Noon" were also produced and released through the band's Vevo page on YouTube.

Composition

The album has been noted for its blend of styles, combining Middle Eastern influences, rock and electronica,[3] with Slant Magazine claiming the album is a "departure from the loutish club-rock with which Kasabian first made their name."[4]

Tracks

The album opens with "Let's Roll Just Like We Used To", which begins with a gong, and features a Mexican trumpet riff, a 'funky, spy-movie bassline', and elements of mod.[5] The second track and lead single "Days Are Forgotten" is a blues rock-leaning song boasting a 'filthy riff' alongside a 'trademark vowel-murdering, stadium-shaking chorus'[6] and has also drawn comparisons to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song".[7] Described as a 'sublime ballad',[8] "Goodbye Kiss" is atypical of the band's familiar style, and was covered by American singer Lana Del Rey for BBC Radio One's Live Lounge.[6] "La Fee Verte" is named after the historical nickname for absinthe that translates into 'the green fairy' and was originally written and sung by Sergio Pizzorno for the soundtrack to London Boulevard. The song has drawn heavy comparisons to the Beatles[9][3] and was described by Pizzorno as 'retro, but still sounds modern'.[10] The title track has been labelled as an 'energetic rave-up'[7] with 'grimy guitars, absurd lyrics and an air-punching chorus.'[6]

"Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From the Storm)" has been regarded as the biggest showcase of the album's Middle Eastern influences, featuring a 'wordless intro chant to the cutting strings and the brutal Bonham drumbeat'.[3] The song was used in the end credits to the movie Killer Elite.[11] "I Hear Voices" has been branded as 'Kraftwerk-inspired' electronica and has drawn comparisons to the 1982 sci-fi film Tron.[3] The second single "Re-Wired" is an electronic rock and disco-inspired song[12] and has been linked to the White Stripes.[5] Fourth single "Man of Simple Pleasures" was described by Pizzorno as a 'country song played by zombies'[13] and has been likened to Oasis as well as the track "Thick as Thieves" from the band's previous album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.[9][12] The pre-released free download track "Switchblade Smiles" has been regarded as a bridge between rock and electronica, featuring 'grungy guitar riffs threatening to smash the dance floor to bits.'[3] The song was featured on the soundtrack for FIFA 12. The closing track "Neon Noon" is a 'reverb-drenched slow-burner' combining acoustic guitars, strings and electronic elements.[6]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[15]
Consequence of Sound[16]
Digital Spy
The Fly
Guardian[17]
The Independent
NME[18]
Q[19]
Slant[20]
Daily Telegraph[21]
Focus[22]

Velociraptor! received a strong critical reception and is often considered by fans and critics to be one of the band's strongest albums. On Metacritic, Velociraptor! has the band's highest rating with a score of 79 out of 100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14] Their previous best album score was 68, held by West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009).[23]

NME reviewed the album positively, praising its ridiculousness and despite concluding that it falls short to its predecessor, it is "an album with 'much to love about it".[9] Antiquiet gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and declared that "Kasabian has found a way to channel everything you love about The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead while still keeping the unique sound that sets them apart from the contemporaries like Coldplay, Muse and The Killers."[24]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. In 2011, Velociraptor! sold 279,000 copies in the UK.[25] With little support from Sony Music, the album failed to chart in the United States.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sergio Pizzorno

No.TitleLength
1."Let's Roll Just Like We Used To"4:47
2."Days Are Forgotten"5:02
3."Goodbye Kiss"4:04
4."La Fée Verte"5:47
5."Velociraptor!"2:51
6."Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter from the Storm)"6:01
7."I Hear Voices"3:58
8."Re-Wired"4:44
9."Man of Simple Pleasures"3:51
10."Switchblade Smiles"4:13
11."Neon Noon"5:20
Deluxe Edition Bonus DVD: Live at The O2 Dublin, 27 November 2009
No.TitleLength
1."Julie & The Moth Man"8:29
2."Underdog"5:05
3."Where Did All the Love Go?"4:18
4."Swarfiga"2:23
5."Shoot the Runner"4:01
6."Cutt Off"5:29
7."Processed Beats"3:48
8."West Ryder Silver Bullet"6:09
9."Thick as Thieves"3:22
10."Take Aim"6:13
11."Empire"4:23
12."Last Trip (In Flight)"3:03
13."I.D."5:50
14."Ladies and Gentlemen, Roll the Dice"3:59
15."Fire"5:01
16."Fast Fuse"6:01
17."The Doberman"8:22
18."Club Foot"5:33
19."Vlad the Impaler"6:41
20."Stuntman"5:29
21."L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)"10:00
Japan Only Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Pistols at Dawn"5:18
13."Julie & The Moth Man"5:39
14."Black Whistler"3:41
Japanese Special Limited Edition Bonus Tracks[26]
No.TitleLength
15."Velociraptor!" (Live in Leicester) 
16."Re-Wired" (Live in Leicester) 
17."Switchblade Smiles" (Live in Leicester) 
Super Deluxe Box Bonus Track
No.TitleLength
12."Pistols at Dawn"5:18
Super Deluxe Box / Japanese Special Limited Edition[26] Bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" (Documentary)24:01
2."The Story of the Velociraptor!" (Track by Track Commentary)15:57
3."Velociraptor!" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
4."Days Are Forgotten" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
5."Re-Wired" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
6."Underdog" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
7."Fast Fuse" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
8."Vlad the Impaler" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
9."Switchblade Smiles" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
10."Fire" (Vevo Presents: Live in Leicester) 
11."Switchblade Smiles" (Video) 
12."Switchblade Smiles" (Making of) 
13."Days Are Forgotten" (Video) 
14."Days Are Forgotten" (Making of) 
15."Re-Wired" (Video) 
16."Re-Wired" (Making of) 
Italian Special Edition Bonus Disc – Man of Simple Pleasures Italian Special EP[27][28]
No.TitleLength
1."Man of Simple Pleasures" (feat. J-Ax) 
2."Where Did All the Love Go?" (Live in Dublin) 
3."Shoot the Runner" (Live in Dublin) 
4."Velociraptor!" (Live in Leicester) 
5."Re-Wired" (Live in Leicester) 
6."Switchblade Smiles" (Live in Leicester) 
7."Julie & The Moth Man" 
8."Pistols at Dawn" 
9."Narcotic Farm" 
iTunes Store Deluxe Version Bonus Tracks[29]
No.TitleLength
12."Pistols at Dawn"5:18
13."Switchblade Smiles" (Video)4:16
14."Switchblade Smiles" (Making of)3:08
15."Days Are Forgotten" (Video)4:08
16."Days Are Forgotten" (Making of)3:29
17."Re-Wired" (Video)4:19
18."Re-Wired" (Making of)3:41
19."The Story of the Velociraptor!" (Track by Track Commentary)15:53
20."Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" (Documentary)23:56

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Release history
Region Date Format Label
Australia[55] 16 September 2011 CD, CD/DVD,

Digital download

 Sony Music
Belgium[56]
Ireland[57]
Italy[58]
United States[59]
France[60] 19 September 2011
New Zealand[61]
United Kingdom[62] Columbia Records
Spain[63] 20 September 2011 Sony Music
Japan[64] 21 September 2011

References
  1. "Kasabian's Serge: I'm no indie boy". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. September 2011.
  2. Kasabian - Switchblade Smiles. YouTube. 15 July 2011.
  3. "Album Review: Kasabian - Velociraptor!". 27 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
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  5. Kasabian - Velociraptor! Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 10 September 2023
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  7. "Kasabian: Velociraptor!". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
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  11. Killer Elite (Motion Picture Soundtrack), 26 September 2011, retrieved 15 March 2022
  12. Empire, Kitty (17 September 2011). "Kasabian: Velociraptor! – review". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
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  19. October 2011, p. 114
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