Some basic info: Alkaline Trio is a Chicago-based punk-rock outfit formed by Matt Skiba, Rob Doran, and Glen Porter, known for their dark lyrics and melodic hooks. Over the years, the line-up has changed, with Matt Skiba being the only constant member.
Like Weezer's Pinkerton, this album involves dealing with lost love, but this album has a much different approach. While Pinkerton deals more with being lonely and isolated, this album deals more with getting over past loves and moving on. The lyrical content of this album is consistently dark and depressing, in a happy way. The lyrics entail things such as drowning girls ("This is Getting Over You"), drinking yourself to death ("Cooking Wine"), and trying to prove yourself to the one you love ("Nose Over Tail"). Despite the depressing lyrics, Skiba and bassist Dan Adriano's vocal melodies carry a light mood throughout the album. The hooks are extremely catchy and will stay in your head for days, especially if you can relate.
The guitar parts in this album are nothing very complex. They mostly consist of distorted power chords, something common is punk music. What really was surprised me about this album was the drumming. Glen Porter provides both a solid foundation for the other instruments and still does things to make the drum parts interesting. I think his best drumming occurs in the track "Southern Rock."
Overall, I love this album. It's been a favorite of mine for several years, and it's definitely in my top 5 albums. One thing I didn't realize for a long time, is that this is actually a compilation of two different EPs, but the tracks were put together in a way, that it could easily be one full-length.
Rating. 5/5
Favorite Tracks: Bleeder, Southern Rock, Cooking Wine, '97, and Nose Over Tail are my favorite tracks, but I love every song on here.
Like Weezer's Pinkerton, this album involves dealing with lost love, but this album has a much different approach. While Pinkerton deals more with being lonely and isolated, this album deals more with getting over past loves and moving on. The lyrical content of this album is consistently dark and depressing, in a happy way. The lyrics entail things such as drowning girls ("This is Getting Over You"), drinking yourself to death ("Cooking Wine"), and trying to prove yourself to the one you love ("Nose Over Tail"). Despite the depressing lyrics, Skiba and bassist Dan Adriano's vocal melodies carry a light mood throughout the album. The hooks are extremely catchy and will stay in your head for days, especially if you can relate.
The guitar parts in this album are nothing very complex. They mostly consist of distorted power chords, something common is punk music. What really was surprised me about this album was the drumming. Glen Porter provides both a solid foundation for the other instruments and still does things to make the drum parts interesting. I think his best drumming occurs in the track "Southern Rock."
Overall, I love this album. It's been a favorite of mine for several years, and it's definitely in my top 5 albums. One thing I didn't realize for a long time, is that this is actually a compilation of two different EPs, but the tracks were put together in a way, that it could easily be one full-length.
Rating. 5/5
Favorite Tracks: Bleeder, Southern Rock, Cooking Wine, '97, and Nose Over Tail are my favorite tracks, but I love every song on here.
Last edited by nastyn8 on Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:08 pm; edited 2 times in total