 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by Morgan Parsons Published: August 19, 2005
Alkaline Trio Is: Matt Skiba (Vocals, Guitar) Dan Adriano (Bass, Vocals) Derek Grant (Drums, Vocals) ***damnit was Alkaline Trio’s first full-length and was put out by Asian Man Records in 1998. Back then, the Trio had more of a punk rock sound but with darker lyrics than other bands at the time. In April 2000, the band released their Vagrant-debut record, From Here To Infirmary which has been arguably claimed by fans as their best. With more ghoulish lyrics and melodic riffs than you could shake a severed limb at, Good Mourning helped Alkaline Trio break into the mainstream with a single on the radio and television. Now, here we are in the summer of '05, asking ourselves if these guys can reinvent their sound yet again and find a way of reaching the masses. Much like the band itself, Crimson, as we know it, has gone through some radical changes in its existence as well. When Alkaline Trio had announced a tentative title for their new CD in the fall of 2004, they soon faced a backlash from the public. Pepperdine University’s radio station declared that they would not support a record titled Church and Destroy at their Christian campus. Claiming that this had nothing to do with the switch to Crimson, Alkaline Trio was set to head into the studio. Just as the process was about to begin, front-man Matt Skiba broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident that would push the recording and release date back. Thanks to the help of producer Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink-182, Jawbreaker), the band was finished in January of this year. “Time To Waste” is not only the first single off of Crimson, but also the very first track on the CD. Starting off with a lone piano, the song leads you to believe that that’s all you’re in for. As a guitar joins the slow build up, you can feel yourself get goose bumps and a shiver of anticipation. Then when it finally hits, you know that this is a different Alkaline Trio than the one you thought you knew. With other stand out tracks like “Burn” and “Dethbed,” it is quite easy to fall into this record and let it absorb you. Crimson has the melodic feeling of Good Mourning but also pays homage to the band’s earlier work with a fan favorite resurrected: “Sadie.” However, not all sits well with me and this seemingly perfect album. Most the songs with Dan leading the singing leave me wanting more. His voice fits the music more often than not, but it just feels like something is missing here. Crimson marks a defining moment for this group of guys. More bands break out everyday capitalizing off the style that Alkaline Trio created. Where would bands like My Chemical Romance be if it wasn’t for a man who vowed to himself back in 1997 that he would do something no one else had before? Now is the time for Alkaline Trio to take back the crown as goth-punk kings and this record helps them prove why they deserve to be at the top. EDITOR'S NOTE: The title of Alkaline Trio's first album has been edited for content. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2009 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |