What Went Down
by Foals
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 106
  3. Negative: 5 out of 106
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  1. HumanPate86
    Aug 28, 2015
    9
    What went down is surely a trip down the same alley as Holy Fire. Although, it must be said that it has a new sense of sonic ability than it's predecessor. It brings something new to the table while keeping Foals' signature sound. What went down, Mountain at my gates and Birch tree start off the album and are actually it's best tracks. Rest of it veers from very good (Snake oil, LonelyWhat went down is surely a trip down the same alley as Holy Fire. Although, it must be said that it has a new sense of sonic ability than it's predecessor. It brings something new to the table while keeping Foals' signature sound. What went down, Mountain at my gates and Birch tree start off the album and are actually it's best tracks. Rest of it veers from very good (Snake oil, Lonely hunter), to good (Albatross, Night Swimmers, London Thunder and Knife in the ocean) to Give it all which is the only track on the album that sounds and feels like a filler. Except for Give it all, album's only flaw is it's predictability towards the end - for example, I was able to foresee some of the chord changes and bass lines. Very good record.… Expand
  2. GeorgePap
    Aug 31, 2015
    9
    A few may argue that the Foals, as any other band, have stayed loyal to the indie sound that made them noticeable to the music community. However, their evolution since "Holy Fire" reflected a new image, again energetic and distinguishable. This album produces a scale starting from heavily energetic, ending all the way to a more harmonic feeling.

    Best songs of the album: "London    A few may argue that the Foals, as any other band, have stayed loyal to the indie sound that made them noticeable to the music community. However, their evolution since "Holy Fire" reflected a new image, again energetic and distinguishable. This album produces a scale starting from heavily energetic, ending all the way to a more harmonic feeling.

    Best songs of the album: "London Thunder", "Knife in the Ocean"    … Expand
  3. Dang13
    Aug 28, 2015
    10
    Best tracks: Birch tree, Give it all, Lonely Hunter, Knife in the Ocean

    A great album that fixes the small mistakes made in Holy Fire and keeps the brilliant sounds of their still best album "Total Life Forever". What Went Down has a unique sound and stands for itself as probably the best album of the year.
  4. ToffeeBoy
    Sep 7, 2015
    8
    as a 10 song album goes, i dont think this album has any room for "fillers" which the songs 'Give it all' & 'Lonely Hunter' unfortunately are..

    However, this album otherwise is solid! i love the distortion of 'Snake Oil' and night swimmers has a very drum & bass feel which i love.. 'Mountain at my gates' & 'What went down' show foals heavier side of pop and i feel this album is very    as a 10 song album goes, i dont think this album has any room for "fillers" which the songs 'Give it all' & 'Lonely Hunter' unfortunately are..

    However, this album otherwise is solid! i love the distortion of 'Snake Oil' and night swimmers has a very drum & bass feel which i love.. 'Mountain at my gates' & 'What went down' show foals heavier side of pop and i feel this album is very diverse, the only problem (despite being their best work to date) it still isnt a career defining album, which most people know foals are capable of! more to come from foals i think..    … Expand
  5. Ricko
    Feb 7, 2016
    8
    "What Went Down" is a further demonstration of Foals' brilliance in the realm of indie rock. Opener "What Went Down" is a furious, swirling rocker and is the heaviest thing the and have done to date. Lead single "Mountain at My Gates" is written for mass consumption but is at the same time satisfying which is a trend seen across the album. Whether or not this is Foals best work is"What Went Down" is a further demonstration of Foals' brilliance in the realm of indie rock. Opener "What Went Down" is a furious, swirling rocker and is the heaviest thing the and have done to date. Lead single "Mountain at My Gates" is written for mass consumption but is at the same time satisfying which is a trend seen across the album. Whether or not this is Foals best work is debatable, but I do think it is the bands most consistent and also their most ambitious record to date. Typically brooding and moody material, the album is always an interesting listen. Songs at the albums centre, like "Albatross" and "Snake Oil" are intriguing tracks - there is an element of pop in there somewhere but you have to search in the darkness to find it. Closer "A Knife in the Ocean" is one of my favourite tracks of the 2015. A record that needs to be checked out, well worth the price of admission.… Expand
  6. Koushyar
    Oct 12, 2015
    9
    I wasn't a Foals fan before listening to this album. I have listened to the album more than 10 times and I can't get enough of it. Don't single out any track and listen to the album from the beginning to the end. It made me go back and listen to their previous albums as well, which was great! Now I have found a new favorite band
  7. pdesaab07
    Sep 2, 2015
    8
    I really was hoping that Foals would make a bold move like Radiohead did with Kid A. No one understood Kid A when it was released and today the same people consider it one the band's best album.

    That being said.... this is still a huge effort from Foals... proving to my friends what I have been saying since I heard Spanish Sahara for the first time (I didn't know the first album at the    I really was hoping that Foals would make a bold move like Radiohead did with Kid A. No one understood Kid A when it was released and today the same people consider it one the band's best album.

    That being said.... this is still a huge effort from Foals... proving to my friends what I have been saying since I heard Spanish Sahara for the first time (I didn't know the first album at the time): there will be one the of biggest bands of our time; "What went down" is another proof of it.    … Expand
  8. jzakaryan
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    I have been following FOALS since "Antidotes". I'm very satisfied with the overall direction with which they're evolving their music - from 'silly' lightweight math rock songs to the deep and emotional tracks they produce nowadays. But, what's more important, they never lowered the bar, and each release is more complex and layered than the previous.
    "What Went Down" is a pure ode to    I have been following FOALS since "Antidotes". I'm very satisfied with the overall direction with which they're evolving their music - from 'silly' lightweight math rock songs to the deep and emotional tracks they produce nowadays. But, what's more important, they never lowered the bar, and each release is more complex and layered than the previous.
    "What Went Down" is a pure ode to inspiration and creative vision. From condensed emotions of the first track to upbeat and cheerful tunes in the middle, to the bold conclusion in the form of "Knife in the Ocean".    … Expand
  9. PabloBautista10
    Aug 28, 2015
    10
    Creativity is a process were many elements converge.
    Experiences can be lived in a short time or in a life time and FOALS is a band conformed by different type of guys with many passages of life to tell, their abilities and brains inevitably lead us to musical valhalla
    "What Went Down" is a beautiful peace of art dance/rock/punk were the line started in "Antidotes" seems to be in its    Creativity is a process were many elements converge.
    Experiences can be lived in a short time or in a life time and FOALS is a band conformed by different type of guys with many passages of life to tell, their abilities and brains inevitably lead us to musical valhalla

    "What Went Down" is a beautiful peace of art dance/rock/punk were the line started in "Antidotes" seems to be in its biggest maturity.    … Expand
  10. Szen
    Aug 31, 2015
    9
    "What Went Down" is a record full of emotion and pure inspiration. It's electrifying moments, like the song "What Went Down", can hit you like a thunder, while the record shows it's emotional colors, in songs like the captivating "London Thunder".
  11. dolevinio
    Sep 28, 2015
    9
    Great album,foals may have changed their sound but they are still as good as ever,might not fit for everyone but its great,it has perfect balance,some songs are more deep and some are energetic,i recommend this album to everyone.
  12. Tonyo
    Jan 30, 2016
    9
    Successeur de Holy Fire, cet album est une pure réussite. Le groupe revient à des sons plus rock qui ont fait leur renommée.

    Coup de cœur: What Went Down & Mountain At My Gates.
  13. Sheva271102
    Sep 15, 2019
    9
    What Went Down is an amazing album that has cool combination of indie and pyshedelic rock. It deserves more credit than it gets. (9/10)
  14. AdrianOst077
    Jan 3, 2023
    8
    Whilst it is a great album, it's a confusing one. It's a mix of different styles of genres all into one album but it's their best produced album up to this point. A lot of great songs such as Mountain At My Gates, Birch Tree and What Went Down, Lonely Hunter, as well as their best song that they have ever put out, A Knife in the Ocean. The vocal and instrumental mixing and production isWhilst it is a great album, it's a confusing one. It's a mix of different styles of genres all into one album but it's their best produced album up to this point. A lot of great songs such as Mountain At My Gates, Birch Tree and What Went Down, Lonely Hunter, as well as their best song that they have ever put out, A Knife in the Ocean. The vocal and instrumental mixing and production is the best it's been when compared to their previous albums which deserves a lot of praise. What Went Down gives you a mixture of feelings, happiness, sadness, loneliness, trapped within one entity. It's something special and didn't think I would rate this album this high but it has a lot of great songs that make up this album.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed Album of 2015
77
#77 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. PopMatters
    Sep 11, 2015
    50
    Barring a couple solid songs that fit their catalog fairly nicely, What Went Down offers nothing that their previous albums don’t deliver in a much more satisfying and ample way.
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  2. The 405
    Sep 2, 2015
    80
    There's always a sense of worry that once a band loses its chaotic edge, its youthful exuberance, it takes a step back, but this isn't quite the case with Foals on What Went Down.
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  3. Pitchfork
    Sep 2, 2015
    67
    There are superficial differences in aggression—slightly more electronic buzzing, harsher vocals, gristly guitars. It’s Foals’ raw record, but it’s still filet mignon tartare.... What Went Down is their most consistent, steady-handed work yet.
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