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8 out of 10
Three years ago, as an impressionable young man of 28 years old, I managed to accidentally download Alkaline Trio's Crimson album. Immediately enamoured with their addictive hooks and melancholic lyrical output, I immediately set out on a mission to discover their entire back catalogue. So, as you can imagine, when news of a brand new album was announced, I was like a kid before Christmas, knowing that what was in the box was Optimus Prime, but being unable to actually play with it.
But now I have it in my hand. Agony & Irony that is, not Optimus Prime. I am not disappointed.
In their 12 year career Alkaline Trio have built a loyal following, selling more than a million records worldwide and it is these fans that have already kicked this album off to a great start - the first single 'Help Me' generated a massive 70,000 plays in just one day on MySpace.
From the opening riff of 'Calling All Skeletons' to the less than optimistic closer 'Into The Night' (The carrion has been forgotten, left for dead in the sun rotting), it is clear that the Chicago gothic punks have released something a bit special. Covering such wonderfully summery themes as love, alcoholism, depression, fire, drugs, blasphemy and death, Agony & Irony is a collection of ten perfectly formed pop-punk rock masterpieces produced by Josh Abraham (Linkin Park, Slayer, Atreyu, 30 Seconds to Mars - but we won't hold that one against him).
Of particular note are 'Do you wanna know?" which I must have played 14 times in a row and anthemic social commentary, 'Live Young, Die Fast' which portrays a Tyler-Durden-school-of-driving-esque pessimism that could only have been penned by these fine fellows. So, I hear you ask, if this album is so bloody great, why only 8 out of 10? Well, as you asked. The only problem is that Alkaline Trio are so dammed good at what they do, this album fails to break new ground - they have an instantly recognisable sound and it works.
Go and buy it. Or don't. Just don't come crying to me when you realise you've missed out.
Listen: www.myspace.com/alkalinetrio
Tracklist:
1. Calling All Skeletons
2. Help Me
3. In Vein
4. Over And Out
5. I Found Away
6. Do You Wanna Know?
7. Live Young, Die Fast
8. Lost And Rendered
9. Ruin It
10. Into The Night
2 comments:
You've got some great reviews on here! Do you post these elsewhere? or are they strictly for...random people to fall across?
You should reach out and get people to read these babies!
And btw, (here I am a day later haha)
I work at Sarathan Records, a small indie label from Seattle and I think you might like one of our new artists, War Tapes. They've been on tour with The Bravery, Smashing Pumpkins and most recently, Tiger Army...and they have been described as "Interpol meets AFI with a dose of The Cure".
Anyway, we're offering a free download of their song, "Dreaming of You". You can snag it here: http://sarathan.com/free/wartapes
If you get a chance to listen I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to post the song and share it with anyone you think might be into it. For more info, check out www.myspace.com/wartapes :)
cheers!
Katy
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