Decadence (album)

Decadence is the debut studio album of American rock band Head Automatica that was released on August 17, 2004, through Warner Bros. Records.

[3] Some live performances with Glassjaw were halted when Palumbo had a relapse of Crohn's disease in April 2003, resulting in the cancellation of a tour of the United Kingdom.

[5] The new act allowed Palumbo to work on material that was "dark and futuristic, with a blend of garage and dance", which did not fit the sound of Glassjaw.

[9] Recording sessions for Decadence occurred between September and October 2003; during this time, Dan the Automator had been working on second albums for Handsome Boy Modeling School and Gorillaz.

[12] Palumbo had some heavy-sounding songs spare; he recorded "Beating Heart Baby" and "The Razor" with producer Howard Benson, who was known for his work with Cold and P.O.D., two months later.

[18] AllMusic reviewer Johnny Loftus wrote the album's sound blends elements of "furiously en vogue dance-punk, assemblist modern rock, and bits and pieces of the Def Jux crew's underground aesthetic".

[20] Palumbo cited the works of Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, and Squeeze as inspiration for the album.

[5] Palumbo said he had written around 60% of the album beforehand but Dan the Automator is listed as a co-writer on the songs "At the Speed of a Yellow Bullet", "Brooklyn Is Burning", "Please Please Please (Young Hollywood)", "King Caesar", "Disco Hades II", and "Head Automatica Soundsystem".

[13] Palumbo co-wrote "Beating Heart Baby" with guitarist Craig Bonich; and "Dance Party Plus" with Tim Armstrong from Rancid and Dave Rhodes.

[22] Loftus said "Brooklyn Is Burning" "cuts bumpy dollar store disco" against a "crackling sample" in the vein of "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

[23] The album's closing track "I Shot William H. Macy" sounds like a mixture of EMF and Gang of Four, and concludes with a telephone call from rapper Cage.

[13] In February 2004, Spin reported the album would be titled Tokyo Decadence and released the following month, by which time the band's lineup had expanded to seven members.

[42] The band also had to cancel their support slot on the Used's UK tour in early 2005 because Palumbo was again hospitalized with Crohn's disease shortly after landing.

[20] According to Rolling Stone reviewer Kirk Miller, Palumbo's "violent frown" and "veiled threats come off more like an invitation than a warning" compared to his earlier work with Glassjaw.

[17] Thea Cooke of mxdwn.com held a similar sentiment, stating Palumbo "replaced his angst-ridden vengeful sound with catchy, poppy hooks", showing he has "singing talent, even if it is just as a cock-rocker".

[18] The staff at Ultimate Guitar considered the album a "portion of fresh air" among the mainstream pop-punk scene, complimenting the band as they fused Dan the Automator's "dance beats and squiggles and Palumbo's inclination for angry rock sound".

[60] According to Soundthesirens founder Billy Ho, Decadence is a "step in a new direction" but it "still doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Palumbo’s voice meanders from extremely irritating to mildly nauseating".

[62] Loftus said the mix of sounds on the album is not "100 percent consistent, and occasionally skates right past irony and straight into empty-headed pomposity.

"[19] Jeff Miller wrote while the opening three tracks are "as close to perfect as anything that’s come out of the current dance-punk revival", the remainder "pales in comparison".

wrote following the album's release, "artists like Fall Out Boy and their protégés played with dance, rock and pop in a way that didn't sound like Head Automatica, but may have been made possible by it".

According to Eloise, Sonny Moore of From First to Last "transitioned from screamo to EDM as Skrillex, and more recently Lil Peep rose to prominence releasing emo rap on SoundCloud".

[26] In 2022, Laura Marie Braun of Spin said "Beating Heart Baby" became an "instant crossover classic for scenesters and emo kids alike".