Alkaline trio's 5th offering brought to you by Skiba and crew
Alkaline Trio are becoming one of the most successful pop punk bands in the industry. Since their forming sometime around the late 90's, Matt Skiba's band has slowly climbed the ladder of success with numerous drummer changes, Dan Aldriano taking up bass duties and a fair share of the song writing. 1998's 'Goddamnit' saw 3 fresh faced Satanists playing songs about vampires, alcohol and shopping carts. These were themes that were much more appreciated by punk fans who were bored to death with cliché love songs and Alkaline Trio's name set the American punk scene alight like petrol to fire. After a couple of releases on the illustrious Asian-Man records, the band released their third full length 'From Here to Infirmary' on Vagrant records. Due to Vagrant records and the labels tactical promoting, the band had finally acquired the attention of rock fans all over the world. Since then, the band have released 'Good Mourning', played at renowned rock festivals such as Reading and Leeds, had their music videos played on numerous music channels and have potentially the most dedicated fan-base a band could ask for. More recently, the band have released their 5th and most anticipated album 'Crimson', again on Vagrant records.
Since their first album in 1998, Alkaline Trio's image and sound has slowly 'warped' over time. 'Crimson', their latest release, is a contrasting art in comparison to the raw sounds of their self titled B-sides collection, released on Asian-Man records. We are no longer offered the excitement, which previously appeared in songs such as 'Cringe' or 'Mr. Chainsaw'. It seems with the arrival of drummer Derek Grant, the band has reverted from writing 'barn burners' (As Derek himself once referred to those slightly faster songs) and introduced those more anthem-like tunes with catchy chorus's and peculiar effects. One good example of this is the third track on 'Crimson' called 'Burn'. It's a lot slower than anything the band has done previously and uses an excessive amount of effects. Alkaline Trio are not the first band to leave their punk roots for a more experimental sound. Other mainstream acts such as Blink 182 have been dabbling with unusual effects. Personally I find these electronic experiments tedious and annoying. They also weaken a bands live performance, how ironic would it be to have a string section of 4 other people in a band called the Alkaline Trio? 'Time to Waste' and 'Sadie' includes Skiba's guitar tech participating in the songs as a 'fourth member'. This is proof that Alkaline Trio is no longer band we knew and are indeed leaving their old sound for something different.
One thing Alkaline Trio has emphasized their music upon, is the gothic image that they have carried from the beginning of the band. It was certainly a part of the band in each of their songs but that amusing theme of alcoholism often found in earlier albums has no disappeared. Songs like ‘Back to Hell’ cry with pop-punk Satanism and ‘Smoke’ rings with blasphemous chords.
So is it fair to say that the old Alkaline Trio have finally been laid to rest? I should think so, the Trio have certainly entered a more pop friendly sound, shall we call it 'Coffin-Rock'? Skiba has been avoiding the classical 'fucks' and bed shitting he usually includes in his lyrics. But rejoice for if you enjoyed the cheekiness of 'Good Mourning's final track; 'Old school Reasons', then you'll enjoy 'Mercy Me'. The song has more hooks than a championship-boxing bout and could get the grumpiest of people nodding along.
Crimson is certainly an album which is easier to digest every time you hear it but comparing to any other Alkaline Trio release, yes even Good Mourning, shows how weak it is. It's certainly a step in the right direction after the appalling split the band released via bio in 2004 but the real question asks; will their sound ever be what it was? Keep your eyes out for that fourth member when you go to Leeds or Reading this year.