Alkaline Trio
Crimson

I write this review to give space to this group on DeBaser, considering they've almost never been considered and there's little to nothing available.

Before diving into the actual review, I want to clarify something once and for all. The Alkaline Trio absolutely do not play emo-core as erroneously stated in the review preceding mine, and as I've read in the comments, nor do they play emo-punk as some professional web-zines even swear. As far as I know, emo-core bands are like Silverstein and similar, which alternate clean vocals with screamo, and the sound is somewhat harder. Emo, very different from emo-core, is a sort of melodic rock proposed by bands like Jimmy Eat World. Unfortunately, I see that these labels tend to be given to bands that often have nothing to do with those genres. Sadly, giving wrong labels is indeed a bad habit.

Having clarified these points, let's start the review.

Let's start by saying that the group in question has been active since '96 and is currently composed of Matt Skiba, vocals and guitar, Dan Andriano, vocals and bass, and Derek Grant on drums. Back to the previous topic, what genre do these "damned" alkaline batteries play? Well, the sound of Alkaline Trio mixes pop-punk with emo shades.

The style of Alkaline Trio could be summarized as a blend between the sound of Blink-182 (from which they take the carefree sonorities and catchy choruses) and the dark atmospheres of A.F.I. In fact, they manage to blend dark and melancholic atmospheres, which explode into well-crafted catchy choruses.

The strength of the group lies in the Skiba-Andriano duo, both play instruments and perform the different vocal parts, with Skiba's voice being sharper and edgier, and the bassist's being more muffled and distinctive.

This "Crimson", released by Vagrant Records (Get Up Kids, Saves The Day, and Face To Face), comes two years after "Good Mourning" with some changes. The sound is more or less the same, but here the sounds are more refined and the melodies more elaborate, especially due to the use of instruments like piano, strings, and violins. The production is entrusted, as in the past, to Jerry Finn, who has worked with A.F.I. and Blink-182 among others, and is of excellent quality.

The cover features the profile of the drummer and in the background, Skiba's future wife, either in black and white or in the color version.

Compared to the other albums by the Illinois band, the melodies manage to all be very clear and engaging.

It is true that the songs may be more catchy, but the final result is interesting.

The elements that sufficiently distance the group from others are present. Songs like "Mercy me" (one of the singles) with an apt riff that sticks in your head and won't leave, and "Fall victim" are nice and well-crafted even if similar to those of other pop-punk bands. But also listen to the dark-wave riffs of "Dethbed" or the beautiful "Settle for satin" (sung entirely by Andriano), which is the best episode, supported by an epic guitar riff and a chilling middle section with an excellent drum highlight (the instrumental interlude in the middle recalls to mind at times a famous Pink Floyd piece, "On the run"). The intense "Sadie" (the most emo of the thirteen tracks), revisited from the split with One Man Army in 2004 and slightly modified, with noteworthy choruses and where towards the end the guitars intertwine with the strings creating an inviting sound, is also beautiful. Among the best of the lot is also "The poison", sung by Andriano as well, and directed by the drummer who takes control by delivering a good dose of speed to the piece.

The launch single was "Time to waste" characterized by a piano intro and frequent guitar walls. I would say that as a first single, it is very appropriate since it is catchy and fresh enough. It's kind of the manifesto of the album and the one that best represents their dark and gloomy style.

These, in my opinion, are the most interesting and representative songs, and I'll also highlight the decent ballads "Burn" (also released as a single, although it doesn't reach the intensity of the beautiful "Radio") and "Smoke", the closing track (both emphasized by the use of the piano).

Meanwhile, "Back to hell" sounds slightly harder compared to the other tracks. Here, there is an overlap of the two voices in the choruses, with the drum thumping as it should, a piece that very much recalls the lively and fast-paced past songs. But there are also a few missteps in the second half of the album where songs like "I was tragedy" appear, a poorly executed blend that could have been avoided.

Whereas "I was a prayer" and "Your neck" detach from the "pop-punk" core, veering more towards melodic rock, with the former built upon beautiful sweet guitar arpeggios and a nice singable refrain being the better of the two.

A few words should also be spent on the truly excellent and deep lyrics which tackle themes dear to them like death, love themes, relationships, daily obsessions, etc., all very interesting.

In my opinion, the album, given the genre proposed, isn't all that predictable, on the contrary, the final result is really good and deserves at least a listen, although I must admit that some sound experimentation could have been avoided (referring to "I was a tragedy"). And I must say that they are one of the best pop-punk bands around, better than the former Blink-182, (well, I might receive criticism here) who always manage to engage you with the atmospheres they create, with great songwriting and the vocal interpretative personality of Matt and Dan.

By inserting this album in the band's developmental path, one appreciates the desire for change (renewal) and consequently, the rating is proof of it. I recommend it to all pop-punk lovers, although it might appeal to people who listen to different genres.

Lastly, a final note: the album was also released in a deluxe version, containing two CDs, the first being the original Crimson, while on the second are the demo and/or acoustic versions of the tracks that were later modified and included in the studio version. You can notice the difference as the songs on the second CD are much rawer and more artisanal.