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From Chaos
Studio album by 311
Released	June 19, 2001
Recorded	December 2000 – March 2001
Studio	The Hive (North Hollywood, California) Sound City (Van Nuys, California)
Genre	Alternative rock, reggae rock, rap rock
Length	39:49
Label	Volcano Entertainment
Producer	311, Ron Saint Germain
311 chronology
Soundsystem (1999) From Chaos (2001) Evolver (2003)
Singles from From Chaos
"You Wouldn't Believe" Released: July 3, 2001 "I'll Be Here Awhile" Released: 2001 "Amber" Released: February 2002

From Chaos is the sixth studio album by 311, released on June 19, 2001.

In 2000, before this album was recorded and released they left Capricorn Records and switched to Volcano Entertainment as their permanent label.

Singles from this album include "You Wouldn't Believe", "I'll Be Here Awhile", and "Amber". The latter was the most popular single from the album, and it still remains 311's most popular single to date.

From Chaos is the first album to ever be recorded in 311's current recording studio The Hive in North Hollywood, California.

From Chaos is an enhanced CD, featuring interviews with the band.

Shortly after the album was mixed, lead singer Nick Hexum had his tonsils removed.

"Bomb the Town," "Will the World," "We Do It Like This," and "Dreamland" are b-sides from this CD. They can be heard on the bonus disc included with Enlarged to Show Detail 2.

This is the last 311 studio album to receive a RIAA certification.

Background

Much of the album From Chaos was written by the band while on tour in 2000 promoting their fifth studio album 'Soundsystem.' The album name 'From Chaos' was inspired by the band’s situation with their previous record label of seven years, Capricorn Records. According to singer Nick Hexum, they "had a lot of disagreements with Capricorn over the years and it was just time to end our relationship." The band sued Capricorn, voided their contract and signed with Volcano records. The band was going through stress of legal trouble, which brought a negativity environment where albums do not get made; they did not want to make an album surrounding that subject, so most of the album is born out of "relationships and appreciating life" according to Hexum, who takes pride in being up-beat and positive.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Kerrang!
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

The album received positive reviews from various music critics. Steve Appleford of Los Angeles Times writes " "From Chaos" is mostly a repeat of proven 311 formulas (even with strange new flashes of prog-rock flavor), but singers Nicholas Hexum and S.A. Martinez are earnest, energetic MC's, crooning, rapping, shouting across a thundering blend of rock, reggae, hip-hop and psychedelia. Still fresh and funky." Angelique Campbell from Dayton Daily News in Ohio writes, "311 stays with its formula of combining funk, rock and reggae with a dash of catchy pop sensibility on From Chaos." Jacob Lunders, a contributor for Allmusic writes, "From Chaos astonishes and impresses with considerable energy and focus, proving itself as the album 311 has always been capable of making."

However, Paul Massari of The Boston Globe criticized the album, writing "311 tries to demonstrate that it is still relevant in the era of the loud, angry rap-metal band. The death-rock power chords on tracks like "Full Ride" are plodding, and the tone of the gangsta raps is absurdly inflated." Kathryn McGuire of Rolling Stone adds, "311 slings melodramatic metal riffs and whiny verses every which way, and their once-novel fusion seems unfocused and flat." Kristen Koba, founder of PopMatters wrote, "The whiny white boy rap, almost funky bass lines, and grinding guitar riffs just couldn’t hold up in a city that offers so much innovative hip-hop and truly vital rock."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from album’s liner notes.

311

• Nick Hexum – vocals (lead vocals on tracks 1–12, "Bomb the Town", "We Do It Like This"), rhythm guitar, programming, additional engineering
• Chad Sexton – drums, percussion, programming, additional engineering
• SA Martinez – vocals (lead vocals on tracks 1–9, 11, "Bomb the Town", "We Do It Like This"), turntables
• Tim Mahoney – lead guitar
• Aaron "P-Nut" Wills – bass

Production

• 311 – producer
• Ron Saint Germain – producer, engineer, mixing
• Alex Rivera – additional engineering, Hive Studio tech and engineer
• Mike Terry – tracking assistant
• Geoff Walcha – mixing assistant
• Scotch Ralston – technical assistance
• Joe Gastwirt – mastering
• Matt Hunter – Hive Studio drum tech
• Ruff Stewart – Hive Studio guitar tech

Charts

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Album

Singles

Certifications

References

1. Conrad, Ed (October 5, 2001). "For a Band Without an Attitude, Life Is Good". The Record. p. 1. ProQuest 425364275.
2. AllMusic review
3. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). "311". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE Inc. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
4. Myers, Ben (August 4, 2001). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 864. UK: EMAP. p. 46.
5. "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-16.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
6. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "311". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 813. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
7. Appleford, Steve (2001-07-08). "High-Energy 311 Lets the Good Times Roll in Universal Show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
8. Campbell, Angelique. "Recordings on Review." Dayton Daily News. Jun 29 2001.
9. Lunders, Jacob. "From Chaos." Allmusic.com April 10, 2013.
10. Massari, Paul. "311 from Chaos Volcano Entertainment." The Boston Globe Jul 12 2001.
11. "311: From Chaos : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-16.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).McGuire, Kathryn. "From Chaos". Rolling Stone. Aug 02 2001.
12. Koba, Kirsten (n.d.). "311: From Chaos". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 23, 2002. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
13. From Chaos (booklet). Volcano Entertainment. 2001.
14. "American album certifications – 311 – From Chaos". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 2, 2022.

• 311 (band) albums
• 2001 albums
• Volcano Entertainment albums
• Albums produced by Ron Saint Germain