Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony

2008

There are points in life where it’s comforting to know certain things don’t change. Listening to the Alkaline Trio’s “Agony & Irony” is not one of those times.

Kudos to this Chicago three-some for sticking it out far longer than anyone could have imagined when they made a name for themselves at The Fireside in the late nineties. It is clear, however, that time has not treated the group well. It’s been eleven years now since the release of their maniacal, goth-punk masterpiece “Goddamnit” and they have yet to rival or even match the originality and intensity of that seminal achievement.

After the departure of original drummer Glenn Porter following “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire”, which features the anthemic, revenge-themed “Radio”, the band released one album with former Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee before shacking up with Derek Grant of the Suicide Machines. The only interesting part about this Spinal Tap-esque history is the surprising effect losing a drummer can have on your overall sound.

Porter was a monster behind the kit. Being such a virtuosic player he was able to keep the Trio’s simple arrangements and straightforward power chord approach fresh by the huge array of rhythms he could create. From bombastic, metal-influenced breakdowns to the shape-shifting shuffle of “You’ve Got So Far To Go”, he was the standout musician but rarely recognized for his contributions. Derek Grant is a great drummer but his influence has proven to be more melodic than anything else. Singers Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano have benefited greatly from Grant’s ability to write vocal harmonies and incorporate backing vocals. Those things worked well for his LP debut on “Good Mourning” but the band has displayed little growth musically or lyrically since.

“Agony & Irony” is no different. The only positive thing I can say about the record is that the vocal harmonies and backing vocals have again improved over previous albums. That’s about it. “Agony & Irony” is a bland, uneven pop-punk effort that offers nothing new to the either the band’s repertoire or the genre to which they belong. Which poses another question, what genre of music is this? No longer edgy enough to be punk. The gothic/macabre elements of their earlier albums now come off as gratuitous and stale. It isn’t exactly Emo. Are the Alkaline Trio now a pop-rock band? “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” and “Do You Wanna Know?” sound eerily like top 40 rock hits with their big hooks and catchy melodies. And what’s with the cheerleader handclaps in “Calling All Skeletons”?

“Agony & Irony” does feature some strong tracks (“Help Me”, “In Vein”, “Ruin It”) but holds together about as well as a Hollywood courtship. The reality is that you can only go so far with guitar, drums, bass and five-chord rock songs about heartbreak and insecurities. These are especially hard to swallow coming from musicians now in their thirties with wives, families and a fairly successful back catalog from which to collect royalties.

The Alkaline Trio may have grown up but their music is still enduring the painful and embarrassing mutations of puberty.

Best Track: “In Vein”