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PrintAlkaline Trio is more than morbid
'Remains' shows how much the band has progressed over the years
If you’re a fan of Alkaline Trio, “Remains” is definitely what you want. This compilation is essential for long time Alkaline Trio fans as well as new listeners. The members of this pop/punk band from Chicago include singer and guitarist Matt Skiba, bassist and vocalist Dan Andriano, and on drums and back-up vocals, Derek Grant. If you’ve never heard of them, you don’t know how much you’ve been missing out. Whether you’re into bands like Bayside, The Misfits, or The Lawrence Arms, you’ll definitely love this band.
“Remains” is a collection of 22 songs the band has recorded for EPs, international releases, B-sides, and various compilation albums. In this album, you get to hear a mixture of the different types of sounds as they have progressed throughout the years. This CD is a gem among their other albums because it features all their rarities as well as three amazing new tracks, recorded live at a show in Los Angeles. The live recordings are somewhat rough but live recordings in general are all rough.
If you read their lyrics, you can’t help but to find it somewhat morbid, containing thoughts of death and existentialism. However, it’s what makes them, them. If songs that are morbid aren’t your cup of tea, it’s okay. They make it up with fast-tempo songs containing catchy hooks, they speak of alcoholism, drugs, death, fights, heartbreak, and blasphemy.
“Hell Yes” is probably
my favorite song because I love how catchy it is. No stone goes unturned with the Alkaline Trio. They don’t shy away from any subject, which makes their music nothing short of amazing. The songs in this compilation showcase their older style, as well as their new side, exhibiting a little bit of everything.
The DVD that is included when you purchase “Remains” is the cherry on top of your ice cream sundae. It contains 45 minutes of golden footage behind the scenes at their shows, including all the band’s videos from their previous albums. Even if you already have these rare songs downloaded somewhere on your mp3 player, you should still buy “Remains” for the DVD. Also, just to have all your favorite tracks all on one album is incredible. This band also does a lot of covers on the album, such as “The Metro,” originally by Berlin, and thankfully, they do all the bands they’ve covered a lot of justice.
The collection of these songs truly portrays how much this band has grown and how much their sound has matured. They started as a band whose lyrics is created around horribly teenage problems like drinking, fights and drama and throughout the years, they’ve matured, and you get to see that in “Remains.”
Rate : 4 out of 5 stars
