As the World Burns

As the World Burns
As the World Burns
Studio album by Arsonists
Released	August 24, 1999
Studio	Gallco Enterprises; D&D Studios (New York, NY); Ozone Studios (New York, NY); The Fire Place;
Genre	Hip hop
Length	60:51
Label	Matador
Producer	Q-Unique; Freestyle; MC D-Stroy; Swel Boogie; DJ Spin One;
Arsonists chronology
Singles from As the World Burns
	"Session"; Released: 1996; "Venom / Seed"; Released: 1997; "Blaze / Geembo's Theme / Flashback"; Released: January 19, 1998; "Backdraft"; Released: January 12, 1999; "Pyromaniax"; Released: July 5, 1999;

As the World Burns is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Arsonists. It was released on August 24, 1999, via Matador Records. The recording sessions took place at Gallco Enterprises, at D&D Studios and at Ozone Studios in New York, and at The Fire Place. The album was produced by members Q-Unique, Freestyle, MC D-Stroy and Swel Boogie, except one song produced with DJ Spin One. The album peaked at number 78 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its single "Pyromaniax" peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	favorable
Christgau's Consumer Guide
Exclaim!	mixed
NME
Pitchfork	7.7/10
The Source
Vibe	favorable

Jordan N. Mamone of CMJ New Music Report said: "The mood and the beats can get a little outlandish, but generally, the minor-key strings and time-capsule scratches admirably push hip-hop into the future while taking cues from its past".

In 2015, Fact placed it at number 72 on the "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Anthony Quiles Eric Winn	Q-Unique	1:37
2.	"Backdraft"	Quiles Robert Wallace Geraldo Barreto David Melendez Swel Boogie	Freestyle D.J. Spin One	3:11
3.	"Shit Ain't Sweet"	Quiles Barreto Melendez	Freestyle	4:03
4.	"Pyromaniax"	Quiles Barreto Melendez Swel	Q-Unique	4:21
5.	"Underground Vandal"	Wallace	Q-Unique	2:23
6.	"Blaze"	Quiles Wallace Barreto Melendez Swel Kinetic Energy Jeff Wayne Gary Osborne	Q-Unique	2:46
7.	"Venom"	Quiles Wallace Barreto Marc Cerrone Alain Wisniak	Q-Unique	2:53
8.	"Frienemies"	Melendez	Q-Unique Freestyle D-Stroy	2:05
9.	"Lt. Worf & Chewbacca"	Barreto Kinetic	Q-Unique	1:47
10.	"Session"	Quiles Wallace Melendez Swel	D-Stroy	3:50
11.	"Shaboing"	Quiles Wallace Melendez Swel	Freestyle	3:48
12.	"Rhyme Time Travel"	Quiles Manu Dibango David Jaymes Geoffrey Deane	Q-Unique	2:49
13.	"Live to Tell"	Wallace Barreto Melendez Stevie Wonder	D-Stroy	3:26
14.	"Seed"	Quiles Wallace Barreto Kinetic	Q-Unique	3:04
15.	"Lunchroom Take-Out"	Swel GR8 Scott	Q-Unique Swel	3:50
16.	"Worlds Collide"	Quiles Wallace Barreto Melendez Swel	Freestyle	4:24
17.	"Flashback"	Quiles Wallace Zack de la Rocha	Freestyle	3:00
18.	"D-Sturbed Words"	Melendez	D-Stroy	2:06
19.	"Geembo's Theme"	Quiles Melendez	Q-Unique D-Stroy	2:03
20.	"Halloween"	Quiles Wallace Barreto Melendez Swel Kinetic Cindy Wilson Fred Schneider Kate Pierson Keith Strickland Ricky Wilson Gary Wright Mick Jones	Freestyle	4:01
21.	"In Your Town"	Quiles Wallace Melendez	D-Stroy	3:43
Total length:				1:00:51

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	78

References

^ ^a ^b Mamone, Jordan N. (September 6, 1999). "Arsonists - As The World Burns (Matador)". CMJ New Music Report: 22.
^ Conaway, Matt. "Arsonists - As the World Burns". AllMusic. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ Rabin, Nathan (April 19, 2002). "The Arsonists: As The World Burns". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Arsonists". Christgau's Consumer Guide. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
^ Cowie, Del F. (October 1, 1999). "Arsonists: As The World Burns". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ "As The World Burns". NME. September 12, 2005. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
^ Wisdom, James P. (April 16, 2004). "Arsonists: As the World Burns: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 16, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Burke, Miguel (September 1999). "Arsonists – As the World Burns". Record Report. The Source. No. 120. New York. pp. 314, 320.
^ Callahan-Bever, Noah (October 1999). "The Arsonists 'As The World Burns'". Vibe: 187.
^ "72. Arsonists - As the World Burns (Matador, 1999)". Fact. February 25, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ "Arsonists Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2023.

External links

As the World Burns at Discogs (list of releases)

[cmj-1] Mamone, Jordan N. (September 6, 1999). "Arsonists - As The World Burns (Matador)". CMJ New Music Report: 22.

[2] Conaway, Matt. "Arsonists - As the World Burns". AllMusic. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

[3] Rabin, Nathan (April 19, 2002). "The Arsonists: As The World Burns". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

[4] Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Arsonists". Christgau's Consumer Guide. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[5] Cowie, Del F. (October 1, 1999). "Arsonists: As The World Burns". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

[6] "As The World Burns". NME. September 12, 2005. Retrieved April 2, 2023.

[7] Wisdom, James P. (April 16, 2004). "Arsonists: As the World Burns: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 16, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[8] Burke, Miguel (September 1999). "Arsonists – As the World Burns". Record Report. The Source. No. 120. New York. pp. 314, 320.

[9] Callahan-Bever, Noah (October 1999). "The Arsonists 'As The World Burns'". Vibe: 187.

[10] "72. Arsonists - As the World Burns (Matador, 1999)". Fact. February 25, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

[ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_Arsonists-11] "Arsonists Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2023.