Magnified

Magnified is the second album by the American alternative rock band Failure.[3][4]

Magnified
Studio album by Failure
Released	March 8, 1994
Recorded	1993, Kiva West, Encino
Genre	Alternative rock grunge alternative metal[1]
Length	44:24
Label	Slash[2]
Producer	Failure
Failure chronology
Comfort (1992) Magnified (1994) Fantastic Planet (1996)
Singles from Magnified
"Empty Friend" Released: 1994 "Moth" Released: 1994 "Frogs" Released: 1994 "Undone" Released: 1994 "Magnified" Released: 1994

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Production

Drummer Robert Gauss departed during the recording of the album; the remaining drum parts were played by Kellii Scott.[3]

Magnified differs from Failure's debut album Comfort by using a great deal of bass guitar distortion. The use of a bassline as the main structure of the song as well as distortion can be heard best on "Frogs" and "Wonderful Life." Harmonics are also used extensively and can be heard quite prominently on the songs "Moth," "Wonderful Life," and "Empty Friend."

Critical reception

In a retrospective article published to coincide with the album's 25th anniversary, Decibel wrote that "druggy chord changes slither unpredictably, oftentimes led by a four-string bassquake alongside primal drumming, both delivered with forceful conviction."[5] Trouser Press called the album "a major improvement [over the debut], but not a thorough success," writing that "Failure paints senseless coats of alternative guitar ... over tuneful material that might actually be enticing if not for the underbrush."[2] The Seattle Times wrote that "the songwriting on Magnified is more pop-oriented than on the band's first disc, Comfort, which had more of an improvisational feel."[6] The Albuquerque Journal wrote that "Failure checks into the rock 'n' roll hall of fame as the only band to have less variation between songs than Boston."[7]

Track listing

All music is composed by Ken Andrews & Greg Edwards except where noted.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Let It Drip"	Andrews	Andrews	2:41
2.	"Moth"	Edwards		3:50
3.	"Frogs"	Andrews/Edwards		4:55
4.	"Bernie"	Andrews		5:17
5.	"Magnified"	Edwards		4:36
6.	"Wonderful Life"	Andrews		5:34
7.	"Undone"	Andrews/Edwards		4:27
8.	"Wet Gravity"	Edwards		6:06
9.	"Empty Friend"	Edwards		4:21
10.	"Small Crimes"	Edwards		7:13

Personnel

• Ken Andrews – vocals, guitar, bass
• Greg Edwards – bass, guitar, drums
• Robert Gauss, Kellii Scott – drums

Credits

Recorded by Paul Lani. Mixed by David Bianco and Ken Andrews. Frog: Bruce Schwartz

References

1. "Magnified - Failure". AllMusic.
2. "Failure". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
3. "Failure | Biography & History". AllMusic.
4. Kreps, Daniel (December 16, 2019). "Failure Celebrate First Three Albums With Live Residencies, Box Set". Rolling Stone.
5. "Retrospective: Failure's "Magnified" 25 Years Later". Decibel Magazine. March 8, 2019.
6. "Summer Gets Rocking With `Rockstock '94' | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com.
7. "TOOL FAILURE INFECTIOUS GROOVES JOHN TRUDELL BRUCE COCKBURN". Albuquerque Journal: 61. April 21, 1994.