At The Drive In
Relationship Of Command

THE REVIEW

Sound bomb of rare beauty!
If you want to summarize in one sentence what this album is like to someone who's not familiar with it, I'd certainly say so.
In 2000, At The Drive In reentered the market with this full-length, bewildering everyone a bit, with a truly remarkable sonic blend, original and of significant impact; what astonishes the most is the remarkable caliber of the tracks: never a misstep, and even when the tones lower, the songwriting remains sky-high.
Third album of their career and BOOOOM!!! What emerges is most definitely close to a masterpiece, and I emphasize "close" because the formula of "Relationship of Command" neither sincerely nor objectively invents anything new—there were already Stooges, Iggy Pop, and Rage Against The Machine if we want to be frank.
But here, it's not about the proposal but how you propose, and here the band's points in favor rise inexorably: personality and attitude to spare, an undeniable verve animates these musicians who go all out until they outshine their peers... and if this is the sensation on the album, I can't imagine how it would be live.
Already the trio "Arcarsenal," "Pattern Against User," and "One Armed Scissor" suggests that these guys mean business..."Send transmission from the one armed scissor... cut awaaaay!! cut awaaaay!!" shouts Cedric, and it becomes clear who his muse is (Zack De La Rocha???), followed by a perfect band that hits hard with punk bursts and hardcore offbeats... pure bliss!!
The album flows pleasurably between outbursts and significant melodic moments, also beautiful are "Invalid Litter Dept" and "Quarantined," atmospheric and particular pieces that fit into the album's gritty context.
This record refuses a genre definition, instead aiming at the warm heart of listeners not yet embalmed by clichés, thanks to the stylistic variety of the melodies present (great taste in frequently inserting violin shades into the tracks) placed in a purely core/punk context.
The cherry on the cake: Iggy "iguana" Pop, after giving the band his blessing on various occasions, marks his presence on the album by contributing to sing on the track "Rolodex Propaganda," and what do you think the result is???

Those who love pure, untainted rock cannot miss this other great chapter, far from any form of business, it identifies as a work made with and for the heart.