Abandoned (album)

Abandoned is the fourth studio album by American melodic hardcore band Defeater. Abandoned is a concept album, following the story of the Catholic priest in the song "Cowardice" from Travels. This album is Defeater's first release with Epitaph Records.^[1] They went on tour in support of the album, supported by Four Year Strong, Expire, Superheaven, Speak Low If You Speak Love, My Iron Lung, and Elder Brother.^[2] Derek Archambault was quoted, "[Abandoned] is the overall way that this character feels, be it by this god that he never really believed in, but took a leap for, to pay back this man that saved his life, or be it self-inflicted, where he leaves the woman he loves but takes it out on himself emotionally and through drug abuse. The title itself is the overall feeling of the record."^[3] Abandoned was written and recorded after Archambault underwent hip surgery. Archambault used the time to "redouble his connection with his own writing, leaving him clear to truly inhabit what he calls his own Glass family—after the famous J.D. Salinger characters."^[4]

Abandoned
Studio album by Defeater
Released	August 28, 2015
Recorded	October 2014–February 2015
Genre	Melodic hardcore
Length	33:30
Label	Epitaph, Bridge 9
Producer	Defeater
Defeater chronology
Letters Home (2013) Abandoned (2015) Defeater (2019)

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100^[5]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[6]
Exclaim!	7/10^[7]
PopMatters	^[8]
Punknews.org	^[9]

Abandoned received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album holds a score of 79/100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Contrition"	2:58
2.	"Unanswered"	2:31
3.	"December 1943"	2:54
4.	"Spared in Hell"	2:01
5.	"Divination"	3:29
6.	"Borrowed & Blue" (featuring James Carroll of Make Do and Mend)	3:27
7.	"Penance"	2:38
8.	"Remorse"	3:08
9.	"Pillar of Salt"	2:17
10.	"Atonement"	3:29
11.	"Vice & Regret"	4:32
Total length:		33:30

Deluxe Edition

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Still & True"	2:57
13.	"Let Me Down"	4:03
Total length:		40:30

Personnel

Defeater

• Derek Archambault – lead vocals
• Jay Maas – guitar, backing vocals
• Jake Woodruff – guitar
• Mike Poulin – bass
• Joe Longobardi – drums

Production

• Jay Maas – recording, mixing at Getaway Recording Studios^{[permanent dead link]}
• Brad Boatright – mastering at Audio Siege
• Daniel Florez – additional engineering
• Michael Winters, Alyssa Archambault – photography
• Derek Archambault, Alyssa Archambault, Michael Winters – art direction
• Jason Link – design

References

1. "Defeater". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
2. "Defeater stream new album, 'Abandoned' - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
3. "Defeater Discuss the Challenges of Narrative and Their New Chapter 'Abandoned'". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
4. Records, Epitaph, Defeater - Abandoned, retrieved 2015-09-18
5. "Abandoned by Defeater Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
6. Abandoned at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
7. Ranjanathan, Branan (26 August 2015). "Defeater Abandoned". Exclaim!. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
8. King, Ethan (14 September 2015). "Defeater: Abandoned". PopMatters. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
9. Defeater - Abandoned on Punknews.org.