this generation." His statements—containing predictions that the album would usher in an "entire new culture of the youth" and lead to the band's dominance—were regarded as highly grandiose in the press and mocked and set sources in his belief that his album would become a recording critics would refer to two decades on as the album of the 2000s, or the sole successor to what he considered the most recent "important" album, Nirvana's Nevermind (1991). He also contended he began writing Whisper immediately following the release of Blink-182, seeing it as a "force to be reckoned with" that he "knew [he] had to beat" and while wishing to take the project to "that Police level, that Joshua Tree level", he observed in interviews that prior to Blink-182's hiatus, he thought Angels & Airwaves would become a highly important band. The other band members did not refute DeLonge's press statements, viewing them as tongue-in-cheek and offering little substance. Thoroughly utilized by the band, DeLonge often discussed minor details and plans for accompanying films and other promotional matter, and his managers approached him having an "intervention" in which they disquietingly questioned his frame of mind. His ambitious beliefs were intensified by his addiction to Vicodin, a drug which he used due to his back problem and did not try out again when he was unable to obtain it for a week, hallucinating and deep in withdrawal. Reception Critical We Don't Need to Whisper received largely mixed reviews from contemporary music critics at the time of its release. Alternative Press was generally the most enthusiastic of the positive reviews, considering it influential to rock bands in 2006. The publication found the album to not be abounding or thought-provoking and commented: "While the lyrics might be DeLonge at his most soul-searching, the music is built for nothing smaller than football stadiums." IGN was also very positive in their assessment of the record, writing, "This album is like a post-millennial concept record that beckons to be listened to with the lights dimmed and the headphones clamped tightly around your aural receptors. [...] It may not be your cup of tea, but kudos to the quartet for not merely re-treading the [blink-182] market with more mature lyrics." Entertainment Weekly journalist Leah Greenblatt gave the album a B− rating, commending its obvious influences while also criticizing DeLonge's vocals. It stated that his vocals might improve to resemble