The Files You Have on Me
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| The Files You Have on Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📅 Released | March 25, 2003 | |||
| Studio | Minirock Music, Germany | |||
| ⏳ Length | 46:18 | |||
| 🏷️ Label | Victory | |||
| 🤑 Producer | Waterdown | |||
| Waterdown chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Waterdown | ||||
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Buy this album The Files You Have on Me or listen to it on amazon
The Files You Have on Me is the second studio album by German post-hardcore band Waterdown. It was released on March 25, 2003, by Victory Records.[1]
Background
Waterdown formed in Germany in 2000 and signed with Victory Records after performing on a short German tour with Canadian hardcore band Grade in the summer of 2000. The band subsequently toured with groups including Snapcase, Boy Sets Fire, Avail, and Jimmy Eat World. Their debut album, Never Kill the Boy on the First Date, was released in 2001.[2]
The Files You Have on Me was Waterdown's second full-length release for Victory Records. A contemporary review by The Lost Archives described the album as a development of the band's earlier melodic hardcore sound, with increased use of vocal harmonies and more complex song structures. The review also noted a greater presence of slower and more introspective material compared with the band's debut.[3]
Recording and production
The album was recorded and engineered at Minirock Music in Germany. Waterdown is credited with producing, recording and engineering the album, while Michael Schwabe handled mastering at Monoposto Mastering. Axel Pralat was credited with the artwork, Philipp Meyer with the design, and Uwe Sabirowsky with photography.[4]
The album's songwriting credits list Waterdown as the writer and composer of all thirteen tracks.[4]
Music
Contemporary writers described The Files You Have on Me in terms including hardcore, post-hardcore, emo and melodic hardcore. The Lost Archives characterized the record as an evolution of Waterdown's melodic, sing-song hardcore style, emphasizing its increased vocal harmonies and more complex structures.[3]
Drowned in Sound described Waterdown's music as a combination of aggressive hardcore, melody, metal and pop-punk. Its review highlighted "Xerox" for its combination of abrasive guitar work and melodic passages, while "Transient" was described as a more upbeat song and "Decaffeinated" as a particularly aggressive example of the band's dual-riff approach.[5]
Sea of Tranquility similarly described the band's sound as a mixture of hardcore, metal, punk and emo, noting the presence of dual vocalists and the contrast between heavier songs and more melodic material.[6]
Release
The Files You Have on Me was released on March 25, 2003, through Victory Records.[1]
The standard CD edition contains thirteen tracks and has a listed total running time of 46:18.[7]
The album was issued as Victory Records catalog number VR193 in the United States.[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written and composed by Waterdown.[4]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bulletproof" | 2:46 |
| 2. | "A Fortress" | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Xerox" | 4:48 |
| 4. | "Transient" | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Dodging Bullets" | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Decaffeinated" | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Nails Broken Short" | 4:29 |
| 8. | "Going Back" | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Disgrace" | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Nothing" | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Interrogation" | 3:14 |
| 12. | "At The Waterfront" | 4:26 |
| 13. | "13" | 2:06 |
| Total length: | 46:18 | |
The song "Nails Broken Short" is rendered as "Nails All Broken Short" in some contemporary and secondary sources, including The Lost Archives and Musik-Sammler. The Victory Records listing uses "Nails Broken Short".[3][7][1]
The song "Xerox" released as a single and music video released for the single.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's 2003 CD pressing.[4]
Waterdown
- Ingo Rieser – vocals
- Marcel Bischoff – vocals
- Holger Behrens – guitar
- Axel Pralat – guitar
- Christian Kruse – bass
- Philipp Meyer – drums
Production and artwork
- Waterdown – producer, recording, engineering
- Michael Schwabe – mastering
- Axel Pralat – artwork
- Philipp Meyer – design
- Uwe Sabirowsky – photography
- Gero Langisch – management
- Gordeon Music Promotion – management
- Drive To Play – booking
Critical reception
Contemporary critical responses to The Files You Have on Me varied.
The Lost Archives gave the album an A−, praising its stronger vocal harmonies, more complex song structures, lyrics, recording and distinctive approach to melodic hardcore. The review specifically highlighted "Nails All Broken Short" as an example of the band's more unconventional songwriting.[3]
Drowned in Sound gave the album a score of 7 out of 10. The review praised the combination of hardcore aggression and melody, particularly on "Xerox" and "Decaffeinated", while describing the album as a mixture of hardcore, metal and pop-punk.[5]
Sea of Tranquility gave the album four out of five stars. The review emphasized Waterdown's mixture of hardcore, metal, punk and emo and described the album as a varied record that moves between heavy and more melodic material.[6]
By contrast, Ink 19 gave the album a negative review. The publication praised the vocal contrast between Ingo Rieser and Marcel Bischoff but criticized the band's songwriting as insufficiently distinctive, comparing its sound with contemporary bands such as Thursday, Snapcase and Boy Sets Fire. The review also discussed political and personal themes in songs including "Bulletproof", "A Fortress", "Dodging Bullets" and "Decaffeinated".[8]
Legacy
The Files You Have on Me remained Waterdown's second full-length album and was followed by All Riot in 2006.[2]
Victory Records later described The Files You Have on Me as the band's second album for the label, following Never Kill the Boy on the First Date.[2]
Charts
No reliable major national album-chart position has been identified for The Files You Have on Me in the sources consulted.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The Files You Have On Me". Victory Records. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Waterdown". Victory Records. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bailey, Nate (March 2003). "Waterdown – The Files You Have On Me". The Lost Archives. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Waterdown – The Files You Have On Me: US 2003 CD pressing". Dork. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hocking, Mat (June 12, 2003). "Waterdown – The Files You Have On Me". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Popke, Michael (April 6, 2003). "Waterdown: The Files You Have On Me". Sea of Tranquility. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Waterdown – The Files You Have On Me". Musik-Sammler. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- ↑ Libling, Margie (June 27, 2003). "Waterdown – The Files You Have On Me". Ink 19. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
External links
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