Checkmate Savage

Checkmate Savage is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 26 January 2009 through Chemikal Underground Records to critical acclaim.[12]

Checkmate Savage
Studio album by
The Phantom Band
Released26 January 2009
RecordedChem 19, Blantyre
GenreIndie,[1] folk,[1] pop,[1] blues,[1] post-rock[1] folktronica,[2] krautrock[2]
Length55:01
LabelChemikal Underground
ProducerPaul Savage
The Phantom Band chronology
Checkmate Savage
(2009)		 The Wants
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Drowned in Sound(7/10)[4]
The Guardian[5]
The List[1]
Mojo[6]
NME(8/10)[7]
Pitchfork(7.3/10)[8]
Q[9]
Scotland on Sunday[10]
The Times[11]

The album was produced by Paul Savage, formerly of The Delgados.

On 25 January 2019 Chemikal Underground released a deluxe double vinyl gatefold edition of the album to celebrate its 10th anniversary.[13]

Title

According to the band, the album's title refers to: "over-population, dwindling natural resources and the yawning void within every one of us caused by society's unnatural social contracts, and mass sexual repression, means one thing: it's checkmate for the human animal."[14]

Accolades

In December 2009, Checkmate Savage entered The Skinny's "Scottish Albums of the Decade" list at #28.[15]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Skinny Scotland Scottish Albums of the Decade 2009 28[15]

The album placed at number 17 in MOJO magazine's top 50 albums of 2009.[16]

In January 2010 the album was given the inaugural "Soundcheck Award" for album of 2009 by Radioeins and Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin.[17]

Track listing
  1. "The Howling" - 6:35
  2. "Burial Sounds" - 4:47
  3. "Folk Song Oblivion - 4:14
  4. "Crocodile" - 7:42
  5. "Halfhound" - 4:11
  6. "Left Hand Wave" - 5:40
  7. "Island" - 8:51
  8. "Throwing Bones" - 5:01
  9. "The Whole is on My Side" - 7:53

Personnel
  • Duncan Marquiss - guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Gerry Hart - bass, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Andy Wake - synthesizers, vocals, samples, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Rick Anthony - guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Damien Tonner - drums, percussion, fx, artwork
  • James SK Wān - bamboo flute
  • Greg Sinclair - guitar, pedals/fx, percussion, artwork
  • Paul Savage - producer
  • Jamie Savage - engineer
  • Kenny MacLeod - mastering
  • Christopher O'Donnell - flexatone ("Throwing Bones")
  • Aztext - design

References
  1. The List review
  2. Chris McCall, Chris (21 April 2016). "Emma Pollock on Record Labels and Solo Careers". The Skinny. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. Raggett, Ned. "Review: Checkmate Savage". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  4. Drowned in Sound review
  5. The Guardian review
  6. [Feb. Mojo review]
  7. [24 NME review]
  8. Pitchfork Media review
  9. [Feb. Q review]
  10. Scotland on Sunday review
  11. The Times review
  12. "Chemikal Underground Records - Glasgow, Scotland". Chemikal.co.uk. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  13. Chemikal Underground. "Checkmate Savage". Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  14. Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. The Skinny, Dec 2009, pg 10
  16. "MOJO's Top 50 Albums of 2009". Albumoftheyear.org. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  17. "Musikpreis: The Phantom Band gewinnt Soundcheck Award - Pop - Kultur - Tagesspiegel" (in German). Tagesspiegel.de. 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
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