Available on Vinyl for the First Time as Deluxe Gatefod 2LP-Set

Filter’s third studio album, The Amalgamut, is available for the first time on vinyl in celebration of the title’s 20th anniversary. Following the success of the band’s platinum-selling 1999 release, Title of Record, 2002’s The Amalgamut spawned fan favorites “Where Do We Go from Here” and “American Cliché.” 2LP-set housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeves.

When The Amalgamut was released in July 2002, Filter – and specifically its primary member, Richard Patrick – was at a crossroads. Formed in 1993 by Patrick (the first guitarist for Nine Inch Nails), Filter shot to dizzying heights with their unique blend of industrial pop and post-grunge alternative metal, while their 1995 debut, Short Bus, was a platinum-certified best-seller, thanks to the hit single “Hey Man Nice Shot.” Two years later, Patrick enlisted a new line-up of musicians to record Filter’s 1999 follow-up, Title of Record, including members of his touring band (guitarist Geno Lenardo and bassist Frank Cavanagh) and drummer Steven Gillis. While the platinum-selling Title of Record yielded Filter’s biggest hit, “Take a Picture,” Patrick’s ongoing struggle with alcohol and substance abuse was reaching its peak.

Feeling the pressure to deliver a third best-selling album, Patrick’s demons only intensified as he began work with his bandmates and producers Ben Grosse (Depeche Mode, Underoath, Disturbed) and Rae DiLeo (Veruca Salt, Rufus Wainwright). Several of the songs on the album found Patrick addressing the powerful – and untenable – grip of addiction, including “God Damn Me” and “Where Do We Go from Here,” in which he sings, “The combination of lost control/The loss of soul…I’m not so glad I met you.” In addition to looking inward, Patrick also wrote about the turmoil that was taking place around the country during that time – from school shootings (“Columind,” “American Cliché”) to the terrorist attacks on September 11th (“The Missing”).

The Amalgamut had lighter moments as well. Much of the inspiration behind the album came from Patrick’s travels across America. Initially, he was struck by the number of chain stores and fast-food restaurants in every town, and the lack of distinctiveness that had spread from region to region. But soon, as he explained to Sound Decisions, “I realized that the people of America are so cross-cultured now that that is where you are going to find [individuality].” He continued, “There are so many different, freethinking people, and that’s a good thing. Within our homogeny you find incredible diversity.” From that epiphany came the concept – and the title – for The Amalgamut.

The album was well-received by fans and journalists alike, peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard 200, while lead single “Where Do We Go From Here” landed at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks and No. 12 on Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Q Magazine hailed The Amalgamut as “A robust blend of anthemic choruses and electro-tinged riffing,” adding, “it will appeal to fans of Depeche Mode and Metallica alike.” Entertainment Weekly called the band’s sound “more honed than ever,” while AllMusic declared, “The Amalgamut proves that there’s much more to the band than ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot.'”