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| Artist: Alkaline Trio
Label: V2
Category: Music
List Price: £13.99
Buy New: £6.98
You Save: £7.01 (50%)
New (12) Used (2) Collectible (1) from £6.50
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 1969
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
EAN: 5033197511887
ASIN: B001AI939U
Release Date: July 7, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Ignore the bad reviews... July 9, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
After having this album for a while now and being a huge trio fan myself i was so shocked to come on here and see the bad reviews! The sad thing about being in a successful band these days is the fact that if you try something different people (your "fans") will always chime in with their two cents and tell you why what your doing is "wrong" or "rubbish" compared to your "older/better" material!
Personally i didn't want trio to release another goddamnit, good mourning or self-titled etc... because i already have those albums...ive already heard those songs! I admire trio for putting together something new and different, yeah its a little slower and very polished but its still trio, they're signature sound is still there, the witty gothic lyrics are still there and the album itself is fantastic! "Over and Out" is definitely the stand out track for me along with "Ruin it", "In Vein" and "I Found A Way". Overall the album has a far more upbeat and inspirational tone to it when compared to the most pessimistic of trio's back catalogue and the guys pull this off with style.
Please don't let the bad reviews sway you on this one if your a fan of trio, this album won't leave you dissapointed!
 Oh dear... July 4, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Well, I was kind of looking forward to this album. There last few have been mediocre, but we're all allowed a few off days from time to time, right? Unfortunately, wrong. From the band that brought us the greatness of their eponymous debut, 'Goddamit', 'Maybe I'll Catch Fire' and 'From Here To Infirmary' comes an album of MOR and highly disappointing tunes. If you've heard this band is good, don't buy this album - it isn't. Maybe these guys are chilling out with age, but it doesn't translate to their music - gone is the aggression, the verve and the humour of their previous releases. In short, this album is instantly forgettable - generic, uninspired and perhaps the death-nail in a once fantastic band.
 More of the same dark punk rock... July 1, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
The death bells ring out with the release of Alkaline Trio's sixth album, their first for V2/Cooperative, produced by Josh Abraham, who has twiddled knobs for the likes of Linkin Park, Slayer and 30 Seconds To Mars. Some may wonder whether the band would stick to the same formula, or perhaps they might decide to sing happy and joyful songs whilst expressing their love of Jesus...er, no, don't worry folks, Matt Skiba hasn't crossed back over from the darkside, and the band still know how to pen a good catchy Punk/Rock song about death, booze, drugs and romance amongst other things...
First song, `Calling All Skeletons' is classic Alkaline Trio and could've come straight from previous album, `Crimson', which gives you a comforting feeling that things won't be too different from previous albums, as Matt, Dan and Derek don't try and be experimental, and God forbid, arty. Following on we have first single, `Help Me' that first appeared on the band's MySpace page generating 70k plays in a single day. Again we have the formula of large and fierce guitar riffs that rise like the Devil, as Matt sings out, "Help me, help me, won't you // Sing me, sing me, one last song // Help me, help me // Somebody help me // Save me from myself..." Good stuff.
We then have Dan's slightly deeper vocals on, `In Vein' that has almost Ska guitars in the verse, and in the background we have the underrated drumming from Derek Grant, who perfectly makes up the missing technical musical parts that may lack with both Dan and Matt taking turns in singing again throughout the album. This also gives Alkaline Trio that distinctive sound. After this we have my favourite song from the album that showcases everything that is good about Matt's song writing. Starting off with thick bass lines and gentle guitars, the vocals dominate in this mid-tempo song whereby the lyrics are prominent and deliciously morbid, telling tales of the last moments of a few people's lives like, "Over and out, she said // From a hospital bed // For what it's worth, it doesn't hurt // Don't cry // Over and out, he said // With a 45 to his head // The war has taken, everything from me // It's all, I see..."
There are a number of songs that as you would expect border on anthems and `I Found Away' is certainly one of them, whilst Mr Andriano sings out loud whilst asking us, "Do You Wanna Know?" in the song of the same name, and then in the totally Punk-tastic, `Ruin It' between the big head-nodding riffs. `Live Young, Die Fast' is a tough-plod of a song, dark and moody, whilst the guitars are almost melodic on, `Love Love, Kiss Kiss' as Dan sings, "Take a look and see // I painted you a picture // It's black and white // except the blood's a little richer...". Things speed up for the Rocking, `Lost And Rendered' before the last song, `Into The Night' brings down the black veil on the album in a song that is another gem of dark Punk Rock.
Each of the Alkaline Trio albums have evolved and although the first couple were more Punk than the later albums, `Good Mourning' broke them more into the mainstream, whilst `Crimson' kept things hot, and although clichéd, `Agony And Irony' follows on nicely. It's almost like mixing `Crimson' with Matt Skiba's side project Heavens, but taking away any synthesisers and adding extra guitars and thick bass lines. All in all this is a great album for fans of the band, but those who have been unsure of the band previously will still remain inconclusive in their feelings towards them. This is more of the same, and that's pretty good for me...
Don't listen to the other guy. . . . June 29, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I haven't actually got this album as yet but as the guys have been good enough to put the whole album on their myspace page for folks to listen to, whenever I have been on my laptop over the past few days, I've logged onto their page first so I could listen to it whilst doing what I had to do.
I have to say, I completely disagree with the other reiview that is up here at the moment, I've listened to the album about 9 times and I love it. I've been a Trio fan for about 6 years now and yes, this album is going in a different direction to previous albums - but what can you expect?? The guys are now in their 30's, Matt and Dan got married, Dan and his wife have a baby, they aren't the angry 20 somethings that we first heard 10 years ago. They are in happier places now - so obviously their sound is going to change. Songwriters mature, go in different directions and try new things, people should just deal with it instead of slating the guys for going in a new direction.
The opener "Calling All Skeletons" is a fantastic tune, which I look forward to hearing them do live. "In Vein" is also one which will get everyone jumping up and down and getting sweaty at their live gigs! On the whole, no the album is not another "Goddamnit" - but for me, I think it's an excellent return for the boys and I think any fan who accepts that Matt and Dan have matured as artists will love it too.
A Right Mixture June 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Its hard to say what Agony and Irony is compared to the bands other albums, because you can find notes and riffs reminiscent of all albums. The album starts with a rather .. goofy intro on Calling all skeletons, which is a bit of a bore until the chorus kicks in with guitar riffs similar to those found on Crimson, classics like Smoke in particular. Alkaline trio clearly knew what the public would like when they chose tracks for the EP, Help Me and In Vein being the highlights of the album, or at least the trio's most stable songs. In a way the album is a continuation of Crimson, with cleaner guitars and once again similar song fillers to Crimson. Dan Andriano has always been a favorite of mine and although his bass playing is truly legendary for In Vein, his stand out song, the best in my opinion, is Do You Wanna Know, with all new styles like a bit of falsetto from Dan THATS RIGHT, DAN GOES HIGH PITCH, WHO KNEW??? but despite this, there is some clear classical Alkaline in his songs.
The let down would have to be Live Young, Die Fast, sounds like a fast jivy song eh? like snake oil tanker or jaked on green beers? a fast pace is unfortunately not found on this one, its slow. Very slow. and seems to try and be a ballad, and fails. Sure its going to be an arm waver live, but its not for me i guess...
There is hope for Old school trio fans if their still here in the song Love Love, Kiss Kiss, which uses a sketchier guitar, and sounds like the stuff found on maybe i'll catch fire, even Matt Skiba gets into the old spirit with lyrics of anger and the annoyance of when others are all loved up all around you. Although it seemed Into the Night wasn't the ideal finish to the album when released on the EP, it does work here.. just. So yes this is a good album, even if it takes a couple of listens to fully appreciate, but the sing-along factor is always evident. I'd bet fans of Crimson will enjoy this.. small album, and they will definitely gain a new crowd. Reason for 4 stars? Its as if Matt is trying to change, and Dan stick to their roots, clearly by each of their songs.. i suppose its also me being bias in that i preferred the alkaline of old.. worth a try.
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