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Alkaline Trio


Majestic McMoose

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Been listening to this since a while ago.

I'm enjoying it more than their two previous efforts. I think I like it more than MSIT, specially (if I had to make an order list of their last four records, that would be: Agony and Irony paired whit Is This Thing Cursed?, then This Addiction and finally My Shame Is True). Is a strong album. Very melodic and kind of melancholic/dark-ish. So I can see how they wrote it from a similar place than the one from which they wrote Mourning and Fire. I can relate to some lyrics very strongly. The title track is a perfect metaphor abut anyone who doesn't have a clue on how to get rid of a depression or anxiety problem. I like this.

BUT I still have two things that I worry about:

1.- It's an instant catchy record which, usually, tends to fade quickly. I'll see how it evolves.

2.- In this regard, I find that, this time, Dan songs are a bunch of growers. They get better as they grt replayed.I geel like just stepped out of what he usually writes, and that equals to take some risks.

3.- Skiba is a melody recicler too, not only DeLonge. Some parts (vocal melodies) remind me directly to some of his back catalog, in AK3 and in Sekrets. This has been happening since This Addiction.

Other than that, this proofs two things. The band is back on track and strong, with a very solid record. And also, proves that Skiba is only a kind of studio/live musician in blink. His input in that band is barelly 1%.

Long life Alkalkine Trio!!!!!!!!

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this is definitely my favorite of the last four albums. my shame is true was a fucking dud with the exception of i wanna be a warhol. awful production on that record as well.

i don't mind the production/mixing on this one. they've struggled to get a cool sound without jerry finn around and i think this one sounds the most interesting since those days 

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I've listened through properly once.

Not really sure why everyone is slobbering over it quite this much. it's alright, not amazing. it's a better album overall than My Shame Is True but I think the highlights of My Shame Is True reach much higher than those on this record (screw what everyone says, She Lied To The FBI, I Pessimist and Kiss You To Death are amazing - and I love Until Death Do Us Part)

I find a lot of the mix on this record to be a little bit of a mess, especially on the more full on songs. I am a bit "meh" about most of them but it's only been one major play through. I'm going to put my initial impressions and then come back and update depending on how they change later on. it's a nice thing to reflect on. 

1."Is This Thing Cursed?" - Liked it instantly, like it more now, it's very relatable and I like the dynamic shifts in it - half the lyrics suck and half of them are brilliant. it feels like Good Mourning era Alk3 to me in places and that's appealing. 

2."Blackbird" - I like it but don't think it's anything special. 

3."Demon and Division" - sounds like a blink song, the mix is quite distracting and muddled though. 

4."Little Help?" - I actually loved this instantly. simple song, simple concept, really unrelenting in pace - really straight forward but very effective. 

5."I Can't Believe" - Mostly super boring. I like small musical parts in it, and the end half of each chorus, but overall the song is incredibly meh.

6."Sweet Vampires" - Don't understand the love for this one, feels quite mundane to me.

7."Pale Blue Ribbon" - Didn't really stick out at all. 

8."Goodbye Fire Island" - I got really tired of the "pay up" vocal part on just one listen. I imagine on more listens I'll either get used to it or find it annoying as tits. outside of that though it's an alright track, bit odd. 

9."Stay" - I loved this. Very sweet, very Danesque. some good lyrics here and there - feels a little plodding-on in places though and it could have benefited from some more interesting instrumentation.

10."Heart Attacks" - I liked the chorus a lot. 

11."Worn So Thin" - interesting lyrics, kind of dull song.

12."Throw Me to the Lions" - didn't interest or impact in any way shape or form.

13."Krystalline" - Brilliant base idea that just falls apart at the end. it's like "aw man how simple but effective! great two verses and two choruses and...oh that's it? whats with the weird noises? is there more?.... no? just... just nothing? really? wtf" 

Hopefully my opinion will improve on future listens, I think I'll get more out of songs like Heart Attacks over time but the only one I hadn't heard before that I just instantly went "yep!" to was Little Help? 

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I just get the feeling a lot of the praise of this album from these boards is because of Skiba being largely involved in it compared to his situation with blink. It's true that he's way more involved but I find the album a bit dull. That's the problem with most of Alkaline Trio for me. They're very samey. Blackbird is a nice song. Nothing special. It's one of them ones you just don't turn off when it comes on a playlist or something. Just a good song to listen to.

Demon and Division might just be the best song on it if it wasn't for the mixing. I can't even listen to the song on the headphones because it fucks my ears up. For some reason, it doesn't do that with earphones. Very good song though.

I can't remember what the other songs sound like after the first listen except Krystalline. That song got my attention straight away. i love that weird outro. Just wish there was something more to the song but it's outros like that make me think of what it'd be like if blink experimented with Skiba.

I'm also not hearing all these "riffs" people are going on about either. It's just octave chords with little lead parts now and then, just like typical Alkaline Trio songs. Skiba is a rhythm guitarist at best. Oh, there's another part of a song I remember which i loved. Can't remember which song it is, but the 2nd verse was totally different to the 1st verse. Skiba just played some kinda chord and let it ring out. Had some weird effect on it but it sounded awesome. It was on either Throw Me to the Lions or Worn So Thin. Definitely one of the last songs anyway.

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23 minutes ago, Nosferatu said:

I just get the feeling a lot of the praise of this album from these boards is because of Skiba being largely involved in it compared to his situation with blink. It's true that he's way more involved but I find the album a bit dull. That's the problem with most of Alkaline Trio for me. They're very samey. Blackbird is a nice song. Nothing special. It's one of them ones you just don't turn off when it comes on a playlist or something. Just a good song to listen to.

Demon and Division might just be the best song on it if it wasn't for the mixing. I can't even listen to the song on the headphones because it fucks my ears up. For some reason, it doesn't do that with earphones. Very good song though.

I can't remember what the other songs sound like after the first listen except Krystalline. That song got my attention straight away. i love that weird outro. Just wish there was something more to the song but it's outros like that make me think of what it'd be like if blink experimented with Skiba.

I'm also not hearing all these "riffs" people are going on about either. It's just octave chords with little lead parts now and then, just like typical Alkaline Trio songs. Skiba is a rhythm guitarist at best. Oh, there's another part of a song I remember which i loved. Can't remember which song it is, but the 2nd verse was totally different to the 1st verse. Skiba just played some kinda chord and let it ring out. Had some weird effect on it but it sounded awesome. It was on either Throw Me to the Lions or Worn So Thin. Definitely one of the last songs anyway.

For alk3, there's a lot more little guitar parts than usual. most of their albums are only meat and potatoes approach to power chord playing and some octave chords, this has more small little licks and parts which he doesn't do that much of usually. it's nothing profound compared to any other pop punk band but compared to alk3's history it's quite a leap. 

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10 minutes ago, Kay said:

For alk3, there's a lot more little guitar parts than usual. most of their albums are only meat and potatoes approach to power chord playing and some octave chords, this has more small little licks and parts which he doesn't do that much of usually. it's nothing profound compared to any other pop punk band but compared to alk3's history it's quite a leap. 

Yup and compared to the guitar work on California, it makes him look like Tom Morello lol.

Planned on banging this album all day, BUT Eminem dropped a surprise album overnight... :O

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@Nosferatu, I agree with you in some parts. This is why I said, for example, that I'll see how this album evolves after a few replays. I'm bored of 'first impressions' in press and shit like that, because I  found myself yeeeeeeears ago that the most accurate opinion or review is the one which gets more listens. But well, I guess this is the price for press 2.0, hype, promo, advanced stuff and shit. Hahaha.

Personally I found out thet the catchier an album is, the quicker it fades away for me. Is like fireworks. I'm not saying I need anything complicated to enjoy, but well, you know... you guys get the idea.

With this album I feel like there are great songs that will be classics for the band, that's for sure. but they still lack something I only can find in early AK3 records (until A&I, in fact). Then, the songs they release are more or less good or cool, but don't seem to stick for any reason. And also, still thinking that Dan's songs are absolute growers. 'Stay' is amazing, I really like it, for example,but that's one of the 'easies' to catch on the first listens, so...

The key is what some of you have pointed out: AK3 is under a kind of autopilot setting. They have the key for what sounds like them, and the kind of run in circles around that core. To me, the as they go far from that core, the better. And, of course, what i don't like at all is self-plagiarism, so to say. I'll try to match the songs in ITTC? which have been already released in AK3/Sekrets discography, there are two that are so evident to me...

But hey, overall I still think this is a good album and I'm satisfied with it. And yeah, don't like to compare shit, nor to set a confrontation, but I like it waaaaaaaay more than Californa 1 or 2.

 

Edit: was a response to Nosferatu.

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4 minutes ago, Ghost said:

@...Dan..., I agree with you in some parts. This is why I said, for example, that I'll see how this album evolves after a few replays. I'm bored of 'first impressions' in press and shit like that, because I  found myself yeeeeeeears ago that the most accurate opinion or review is the one which gets more listens. But well, I guess this is the price for press 2.0, hype, promo, advanced stuff and shit. Hahaha.

Personally I found out thet the catchier an album is, the quicker it fades away for me. Is like fireworks. I'm not saying I need anything complicated to enjoy, but well, you know... you guys get the idea.

With this album I feel like there are great songs that will be classics for the band, that's for sure. but they still lack something I only can find in early AK3 records (until A&I, in fact). Then, the songs they release are more or less good or cool, but don't seem to stick for any reason. And also, still thinking that Dan's songs are absolute growers. 'Stay' is amazing, I really like it, for example,but that's one of the 'easies' to catch on the first listens, so...

The key is what some of you have pointed out: AK3 is under a kind of autopilot setting. They have the key for what sounds like them, and the kind of run in circles around that core. To me, the as they go far from that core, the better. And, of course, what i don't like at all is self-plagiarism, so to say. I'll try to match the songs in ITTC? which have been already released in AK3/Sekrets discography, there are two that are so evident to me...

But hey, overall I still think this is a good album and I'm satisfied with it. And yeah, don't like to compare shit, nor to set a confrontation, but I like it waaaaaaaay more than Californa 1 or 2.

did you mean to tag Dan? I think you may be responding to someone else. 

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I think it gets better the more you listen to it, or at least this is what's happening to me. When I listened to it the first time the other night I was shocked because it was so different from what I was expecting and I didn't know if I liked it but now I enjoy all the songs, and it's getting better and better. I'd say it's their best album since Crimson. 

I think Skiba has finally stepped up, because he hasn't done anything amazing over the last 3 albums with the band, but here he's bringing great vibes to all his songs and came up with some cool lyrics too. Throw Me To The Lions, Heart Attacks, Blackbird, Sweet Vampires, Krystalline.. they're all so good. 

I'm still not sure about Dan though and it's confusing. 

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12 minutes ago, Elisa said:

I think it gets better the more you listen to it, or at least this is what's happening to me. When I listened to it the first time the other night I was shocked because it was so different from what I was expecting and I didn't know if I liked it but now I enjoy all the songs, and it's getting better and better. I'd say it's their best album since Crimson. 

I think Skiba has finally stepped up, because he hasn't done anything amazing over the last 3 albums with the band, but here he's bringing great vibes to all his songs and came up with some cool lyrics too. Throw Me To The Lions, Heart Attacks, Blackbird, Sweet Vampires, Krystalline.. they're all so good. 

I'm still not sure about Dan though and it's confusing. 

come on though, Little Help? is kickass. 

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2 minutes ago, Elisa said:

Little Help is so fun and I love Stay, but I don't know why I feel this way about his songs on this album. 

I can't really comment I've never been the biggest fan of his songwriting overall, always preferred Matts, just less so in their later career. I think having 3 out of his 5 solo ones be good ones is actually pretty good for him haha

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17 minutes ago, Kay said:

I can't really comment I've never been the biggest fan of his songwriting overall, always preferred Matts, just less so in their later career. I think having 3 out of his 5 solo ones be good ones is actually pretty good for him haha

If anything, I'm actually glad Matt wrote some good songs this time so it evens it out.

 

Apparently Little Help was a song he wrote a few years ago. 

 

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