"The Will To Death" was first released on June 22, 2004. Frusciante had previously announced that in 2004 he would produce six albums during a six month break from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Will to Death being the first of these. Following the long and costly recording of his previous album, Shadows Collide With People, Frusciante decided to experiment with recording music quickly and in a minimalist fashion, doing a maximum of two takes per track. The songs are basically nice little pop tunes, with hard-panned oddball production and very personal, introspective lyrics. This album also marks a new personal aesthetic for Frusciante: he wanted these songs to be raw and immediate (as inspired by some of his favorite albums), and to this end there were very few takes involved with any of these songs, and mistakes and elements of chance found their way in as well. Frusciante's voice has come a long way, and there are some really interesting production touches as well. "The undeniable melodic licks of Frusciante are as vibrant as ever..." BILLBOARD // "John Frusciante restores my faith in singer-songwriters.... honest, sparkly, simply magical." - BBC