Out of the Black (song)

"Out of the Black" is the debut single by English rock duo Royal Blood. The song was written and recorded by the duo for their debut EP of the same name, released by Black Mammoth Records on 11 November 2013. The track later appeared as the opening track on the band's self-titled debut studio album. It was also part of the soundtrack to the film Who Am I – No System Is Safe, as well as the video games Forza Horizon 2 and EA Sports UFC, and was used in a featurette for the Netflix series Daredevil at the 2015 New York Comic Con. The song served as the official theme song for the 2016 professional wrestling event WWE Roadblock. It has been covered by Billie Marten.

"Out of the Black"
Single by Royal Blood
from the album Out of the Black and Royal Blood
Released22 November 2013 (2013-11-22)
RecordedRockfield Studios
(Monmouth, Wales)
Genre
Length4:00
LabelBlack Mammoth
Songwriter(s)
  • Mike Kerr
  • Ben Thatcher
Producer(s)
  • Tom Dalgety
  • Mike Kerr
  • Ben Thatcher
Royal Blood singles chronology
"Out of the Black"
(2013)
"Little Monster"
(2014)

Music video

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A music video for the song was released on 6 February 2015. It was directed by David Wilson and Christy Karacas and mixes live-action footage with animation. In the video, a robber wearing a bunny costume steals various confectionaries from a petrol station, including a chocolate bar directly from the station's attendant. When the police respond, the robber is revealed to be an alien and, along with other aliens in costumes, massacres a team of men in black who arrive on the scene. The aliens, however, are subsequently slaughtered in a fight with the attendant, who kills the alien in the bunny costume last and takes back his chocolate bar.

Critical reception

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Scott Kerr of AllMusic, no relation to the band's frontman Mike Kerr, called the song "a riff-fueled onslaught that belies their two-piece status; with just a heavily processed bass guitar and a drum set between them, they make some four-piece rock bands look inconsequential".[1] DIY editor Stephen Ackroyd repeated what Kerr said, calling the song "an incendiary calling card - a roaring, snarling Godzilla levelling skyscrapers at will".[2]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher. All tracks produced by Tom Dalgety with Kerr and Thatcher

"Out of the Black" 7" (BMR001)
No.TitleLength
1."Out of the Black"4:00
2."Come On Over"2:51
Total length:6:51

Personnel

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Partly adapted from Out of the Black liner notes.[3]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[14] Gold 40,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Gold 400,000

Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Catalogue no.
United Kingdom 11 November 2013 7" vinyl[16] Black Mammoth BMR001
United States 18 March 2014 Modern rock radio[17] Warner Bros. none

References

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  1. ^ Kerr, Scott. "Royal Blood – Royal Blood". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  2. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (22 August 2014). "Album Review: Royal Blood – Royal Blood". DIY. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. ^ Out of the Black (liner notes). Royal Blood. Warner Bros. Records. 2014. 542162-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 1278" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Royal Blood Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Royal Blood Album & Song Chart History — Mexico Ingles Airplay for Royal Blood". Billboard. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  9. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Royal Blood Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Royal Blood Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  13. ^ "Mainstream Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Royal Blood – Out of the Black". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  15. ^ "British single certifications – Royal Blood – Out of the Black". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Out of the Black EP – Royal Blood (7 inch Vinyl Disc – Black Mammoth #BMR 001)". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  17. ^ "Alternative > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
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