The Used

The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, guitarist Justin Shekoski (who replaced original guitarist Quinn Allman in 2015), bassist Jeph Howard, and drummer Dan Whitesides (who replaced founding drummer Branden Steineckert in 2006).

The group signed to Reprise Records and rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third album, Lies for the Liars, in May 2007. Shallow Believer, an EP that featured most of the band's B-sides, was released in February 2008. They spent 2008 working on their fourth studio album, Artwork, which was released in August 2009. A fifth album, titled Vulnerable, was released in March 2012 through the independent label Hopeless Records. In summer 2013 they released another EP titled The Ocean of the Sky. Their sixth album, Imaginary Enemy, released in April 2014.

Albums by The Used have achieved gold and platinum statuses in many countries worldwide.

The Used (album)

The Used is the self-titled debut album by American alternative rock band The Used. It was released on June 25, 2002 and has since been certified gold in the US.

The Used was mastered using HDCD technology. Although it is unmarked, playing the album in a CD player able to decode HDCD will give superior sound quality.

Reception and Legacy

Upon its release, the album received rave reviews from critics, with praise being directed primarily to the instrumentation. The album has since become recognized as a landmark album of the emocore and screamo genres. Many bands such as Escape the Fate, Crown the Empire and A Static Lullaby have cited the album as a major influence on their sounds. NME listed the album as one of "20 Emo Albums That Have Resolutely Stood The Test Of Time".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by The Used. 

Multimedia content

Artwork (album)

Artwork is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band The Used, released through Reprise in the United States and the UK on August 31, 2009.

Writing and recording

The Used began writing for Artwork in early 2008, and originally hoped to enter the studio shortly after Kevin Lyman's 2008 "Get a Life Tour" with Weezer front-man Rivers Cuomo as producer of the album. The Used expressed their interest in the raw sound found on Weezer's 1996 album Pinkerton, and hoped to create a similar sound by working with Cuomo. The band ended up working with producer Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Receiving End of Sirens) and did not enter the studio until the end of 2008.

The Used experienced several changes upon making Artwork. The band changed management within their label Reprise Records. This was the first album with new drummer Dan Whitesides; also the first studio album that was not produced by Goldfinger's frontman John Feldmann. Feldmann had been working with The Used since lead singer Bert McCracken threw a demo on stage during a Goldfinger concert in 2001. Commenting on the band's state prior to these changes, guitarist Quinn Allman felt that, "we were kept in a space with our resources that was creating an essence for our band that wasn't who we truly were." These changes allowed The Used to take their music in a new direction with Artwork.