Galactic Conquest
Galactic Conquest is the second full-length album by the Christian pop punk band Eleventyseven. The album was released on September 4, 2007, through Flicker Records.
In December, 2017, ten years after release, a limited edition vinyl pressing and release of Galactic Conquest occurred.
Critical reception
The album received a wide variety of reviews ranging from positive to very negative.New Release Tuesday praised the album, stating, "Overall, a must-have for anybody looking for original Christian music. The style is great, and Eleventyseven have really found their niche." I mean, nobody else does it, and they do it perfectly. I would love to see the style throughout their next album, but this is one of my favorites for the year." Kevan Breitinger of CCMCentral optimistically stated "The punk pop genre has been known, let’s face it, to lend itself to sophomoric behavior, repetitive beats, and a notable lack of imagination. But Eleventyseven’s sophomore release, Galactic Conquest, is decidedly un-sophomoric....Eleventyseven wrings as much out of it as anyone else in the mix, often a bit more. Galactic Conquest goes a long way in bringing soul to the genre."
On the flipside, Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout said, "It's kind of sad nowadays that artists will put out music without much effort, knowing that there are kids out there who will buy it. I guess Eleventyseven is an amazing alternative to the filth and garbage that kids are listening to in the mainstream, like Soulja Boy or Nickelback, so I must give them props for that. And if it's what kids like, then Eleventyseven is doing a good job of keeping them entertained. But for those of us wanting some pop/punk with depth and maturity, steer clear of this, and go with FM Static or Run Kid Run. You'll most likely be more satisfied with them."
Finally, Andy Argyrakis of Today's Christian Music negatively stated, "The group's sugar-coated sounds and watered-down lyrics lack the full-fledged punch needed to fully land on any level....And while the project has a few more glimpses of saccharine satisfaction, Eleventyseven still has plenty of room to develop before a Galactic Conquest is even remotely possible."
Singles
The song "Love In Your Arms" was released as the band's first single for this record, making it as high as the No. 6 spot in ChristianRock.Net's weekly Top 30. The second song "It's Beautiful" also hit the Top 15, charting at No. 13 on the October 6, 2007 R&R chart.Personnel
Eleventyseven- Matt Langston - lead vocals, guitar, co-producer on track 11
- Caleb Satterfield - bass
- Johnathan Stephens - drums
- Ian Eskelin - producer
- Travis Wyrick - producer
- Will McGinniss - executive producer
- Mark Stuart - executive producer
- Mike Payne - additional guitar on track 3, acoustic guitar on track 6
- Tim Lauer - keyboards and string arrangement on track 6
- Aaron Shannon - recording, additional programming, mixing on track 11
- Ben Phillips - drums recording
- Barry Weeks - vocal engineering, additional vocal production
- JR McNeely - mixing
- Steve Blackmon - mixing assistant
- Dan Shike - mastering
- Heather Hetzler - A&R production
- Josh Heiner - art direction, styling
- Tim Parker - design, art direction
- Dave Hill - photography
- Love Sponge Strings
- * Kris Wilkinson
- * David Davidson
- * David Angell
- Anthony Lamarchina Galactic Choir
- * Matt Payne
- * Mike Payne
- * Matty McRee
- * Marty Wheeler
- * Troy Vest
- * Zach Morris