| A Storm in Heaven | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 June 1993 | |||
| Recorded | December 1992 – January 1993 | |||
| Studio | Sawmills, Cornwall | |||
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| Length | 47:07 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | John Leckie | |||
| Verve chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Storm in Heaven | ||||
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A Storm in Heaven is the debut studio album by the English rock band Verve, later the Verve, released on 21 June 1993 on Hut Records. The band had formed between school friends vocalist Richard Ashcroft, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury, with guitarist Nick McCabe joining shortly after. After a show in London, they signed to the Virgin Records imprint Hut Records in 1991, which released their first three singles in 1992. Following the appointment of the company Savage and Best as their management, the band recorded their debut album at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall with producer John Leckie. Referred to mainly as a psychedelic album, A Storm in Heaven was largely written in the studio.
"Blue" was released as the lead single from A Storm in Heaven in May 1993; initially, promotion saw them go on a UK tour, perform at Glastonbury Festival, and appear on a European tour with the Smashing Pumpkins. Following the release of the second single "Slide Away" in September 1993, Verve embarked on a headlining US tour and closed out the year on a UK tour with Oasis. They went on a headlining European tour in early 1992, prior to their stint on Lollapalooza, on which Salisbury got arrested and Ashcroft had to be hospitalized. They concluded promotion with a round of festivals in Europe, including the Reading Festival.
A Storm in Heaven received mixed reviews from music critics; though many largely praised the music, others were not content with its lyrical theme of death and its dark sound. Retrospective reviews and biographies of the Verve were more positive, also focusing on the music. The album peaked at number 27 on the UK Albums Chart, going on to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2014. "Blue" reached number 69 on the UK Singles Chart. In the following years, most of the album's listeners came to it after the release of the band's third studio album, Urban Hymns (1997); the band returned to the sound of the album through various songs on Urban Hymns and their second studio album, A Northern Soul (1995). It has appeared on best-of lists for the shoegaze genre by NME and Pitchfork.