Artwork by The Used

Artwork, the fourth studio album from Orem, Utah's the Used, came out on Reprise on August 31, 2009, the last they'd make for the label before moving to Hopeless Records. Matt Squire produced it, and it's a dark, clenched record: gnashing post-hardcore riffs, Jepha's bass and Dan Whitesides' drums pounding underneath, and Bert McCracken lurching from croon to scream like a man arguing with himself.

This is the band Alternative Press crowned kings of the 2000s emo scene, but there's nothing mopey about the attack here. "Blood On My Hands" is the one rock radio's countdowns grabbed.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.