Fire & Brimstone is the fifth studio album by American country rock artist Brantley Gilbert. It was released on October 4, 2019 via Big Machine Records' Valory imprint. The album includes the singles "What Happens in a Small Town", a duet with Canadian country singer Lindsay Ell and "Fire't Up". Fire & Brimstone debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 with 36,000 album-equivalent units, of which 28,000 were pure album sales.[1] A deluxe edition of the album featuring the single "Hard Days" was released on October 2, 2020.[2]
Content
The album is Gilbert's fifth overall, and his third for the Valory imprint of Big Machine Records, to which he has been signed since 2011. It includes a total of fifteen tracks, some of which Gilbert released online prior to the album's release. The song "Not Like Us" was used in advertising for NASCAR in mid-2019. Vocal collaborators on the album include Willie Nelson and his son Lukas (of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real), Colt Ford, Jamey Johnson, and Alison Krauss. Canadian country singer Lindsay Ell is featured on the lead single, "What Happens in a Small Town".[3]
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that "Maybe it doesn't have enough intensity to live up to its titular promise, but Fire & Brimstone nevertheless is a cohesive record that shows Gilbert in firm grasp of his craft."[4] Dan MacIntosh of Country Standard Time gave a largely positive review, noting a "spiritual" theme on some songs including the title track, while also praising "Man That Hung the Moon". His review called the album "quality if not exactly country".[5]
Commercial performance
Fire & Brimstone debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums based on 36,000 album equivalent units, of which 28,000 are in traditional album sales.[6] It also debuted at No. 9 on Billboard 200.[1] It sold a further 5,700 copies the second week.[7] It has sold 70,300 copies as of March 2020,[8] and 127,000 consumed units as of February 2020.[9]
