Alkaline Trio are one of those bands that I will forever be disappointed by when they release a new album. It's not because I know those albums will be bad, it's because they will never, ever manage to recreate records like 'Maybe I'll Catch Fire' or 'Godamnit', two albums that should go down in folklore as being a couple of the best modern day punk albums. They summed up a Chicago scene with a dark, raw and gritty sound complete with a songwriter in Matt Skiba who wore his heart on his sleeve and was quite happy to share his tales of drugs and drink with the world. There was a sense of realism and of passion - and the songs were fucking ace. 'From Here To Infirmary' may have showcased a poppier side and this was reinforced with 'Good Mourning', but their new album, 'Crimson', only reinforces the fact the band have lost their attitude - this is disappointing only in the fact it's nowhere near as good as the band were back 7 or 8 years ago.
That's not to say 'Crimson' is bad - it's just not as good as the band have done previously. 'Mercy Me' is catchy as hell, but it's too light for Alkaline Trio. It does have the trademark Skiba vocal and a catchy chorus - it's bound to be a major radio hit too, especially with all this faux-goth MCR stuff going on - but it's no 'Fuck You, Aurora'. Hell, it's not even a 'Crawl' or 'Stupid Kid'. 'Mercy Me' is stereotypical of what 'Crimson' is all about - it's an album crammed full of three-minute 'hits'. 'The Poison' and 'Burn' allow this record to get off to a good start - this is backed up by the song 'Dethbed' as well - but none of these songs make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, nor do they make me think I'll be listening to them 5 years down the line, like I do the older albums.
Some would say it's unfair of me to compare old Alk3 with the newer model, but when you set your standards so high over the years and then ever-so-slowly mellow out your sound, it's difficult not to make the comparisons. Skiba's voice has lost some of its power and the songs don't have the same impact either. 'Fall Victim' begs to be bellowed out, for example. Interestingly they've also added an electronic feel to some of the songs and it is often the keyboards that maintain the darker-tinge the band are famed for, rather than the lyrics or the tone of the guitars. Because of this, songs like 'Settle for Satin' sound a bit weak. Even 'Sadie' isn't as good as the other version which appeared on the One Man Army split. It just sounds like a song from the 80's, complete with atmospheric synth.
'Crimson' isn't a bad record by any means, it's just really, really disappointing. I think it will go on to become the band's biggest commercial success, after all it would appear half of this album was penned with the radio in mind. Catchy choruses can be found in abundance here, but that's been at the cost of losing their passion and power. To think what the band are capable of, this is a real shame - but I think that's as much a compliment to just how good Alkaline Trio are. Older fans are likely to be disappointed, but don't be surprised if legions more surface on the back of this.
www.alkalinetrio.com
Vagrant
Paul
