However, due to other commitments (primarily a tour with John Carpenter) the material was scrapped and the band started again with guitarist Chad I Ginsburg on lead vocals.

[1] Speaking with Jackass crew member Rick Kosick in March 2017, CKY drummer Jess Margera noted that the band considered putting "one or two" of the songs written with Davies on the album, but then decided to start over after his departure.

[2] It was first revealed that CKY was recording new material in January 2016, when Margera posted a photo of Abbey Road Studios in London, England, on his Instagram account with the caption "Me Chad and Matt Deis.

[7] In March 2017, it was announced that CKY had signed a worldwide record deal with Entertainment One Music, with the band's first album on the label scheduled for a summer release.

[8] On April 30, 2017, on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter, the album was officially announced and "Days of Self Destruction", featuring Brent Hinds of Mastodon, was premiered as the first single.

[10] Speaking about the track, Ginsburg described it as being "generally about anyone that gets in your way, holds you back or slows your potential with their own blatant insecurity, fears or sickness — individuals who you are ultimately and knowingly covering for as they selfishly sabotage you".

[14] AllMusic's James Christopher Monger proposed that The Phoenix features "a sleek and sordid set of swaggering disco-post-grunge emissions that fall well within the established CKY sonic parameters", highlighting the tracks "Replaceable", "Unknown Enemy" and "Better Than Get Even".