Until the End (Kittie album)

Did You Know?

• The album's only single, "Into the Darkness", reached number 116 on the UK Singles Chart.
• Kittie recruited guitarist Lisa Marx for the album's supporting tour after recording concluded.
• The music video for "Into the Darkness" first aired on MTV2's Headbangers Ball on June 19, 2004.

Recording and production

Recording began after Kittie and Artemis Records settled their lawsuit on March 1, 2004. The band chose Long View Farm Studios for its isolation and facilities, allowing them to focus solely on recording; they left the studio only three or four times during the three-week session. Working nearly twelve hours daily, the band completed basic guitar, bass, and drum tracks in the first week, with Mercedes' drums tracked over three days. Morgan recorded her vocals the following week. The album was recorded onto two-inch analogue tape with minimal digital editing or overdubs, and no click tracks were used. Producer Steve Thompson emphasized developing each song's individual sound, sometimes experimenting with different instruments, pedals, and recording rooms. Arroyo and Mercedes recorded their parts in the control room, while Morgan recorded in an isolated room on the second floor, which she said reduced pressure.

Composition and lyrics

Until the End has been described as death metal, heavy metal, and thrash metal, continuing Kittie's shift away from nu metal. It places heavier emphasis on melody than previous albums, featuring heavy riffs, double bass drumming, fluctuating time signatures, no guitar solos, and a mix of screamed, growled, snarled, and clean vocals. Songs are written in drop C tuning. "Into the Darkness" experiments with vocal harmony between screamed and clean vocals and a key change in its last chorus; Morgan called it the most difficult song she had written lyrically and vocally. A vocal remix of the song removes the screamed vocals. Lyrics reflect frustration and uncertainty from the band's legal struggles, as well as personal experiences and human nature. The artwork, illustrated by Geoff Mack from a concept by Morgan, represents helplessness and the end of innocence.

Reception

Until the End received mixed reviews, scoring 56 out of 100 on Metacritic based on seven reviews. AllMusic praised its heavy composition but noted formulaic modern metal clichés on some songs. Blabbermouth.net criticized the band's rudimentary songwriting skills and mediocre talents, calling the album a murk of generic metal. Ox-Fanzine described the compositions as flat and superfluous, stating Kittie had not grown up. Exclaim! found faintly creative moments but said the main selling point was the band's juvenile riot grrrl attitude. The Village Voice dismissed the album as tenaciously mindless and grim, comparing Kittie unfavorably to Slayer, Pungent Stench, and Grave, and recommending it only as marginally better than Auf der Maur. The album sold 19,000 copies in its first week, peaking at number 105 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the Top Independent Albums chart.

Touring and aftermath

Kittie headlined a tour from July to August 2004 with Candiria, 36 Crazyfists, and Twelve Tribes, and performed at RoadRage 2004 on August 6. On August 11, Mercedes was hospitalized for internal bleeding from stress and dehydration, leading to cancellation of remaining dates. The band then joined Otep and Crisis for the Metal Movement Tour from September 27 to November 10, 2004, aiming to raise awareness for women in heavy metal. They performed in Mexico City on January 15, 2005. Artemis offered limited touring support, forcing Morgan and Mercedes to pay Arroyo, Marx, and touring costs from personal funds. After touring, they could not pay a retainer; Marx left in February 2005, followed by Arroyo, who joined Suicide City. Morgan announced their departures on March 23, 2005, blaming Artemis. On March 31, Kittie parted ways with Artemis after rejecting a contract amendment that would reduce their fourth album's recording budget, then went on hiatus for six months.