Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Heavy Rock Album, 3 Dec 2002
It's a close call between this and Relationship of Command as to which is the best ATD-I album. Personally, the more traditional rock feel of this gives it the edge over the electronic sample fest of Relationship of Command. Arguably the best track here is the dark, haunting Napoleon Solo, despite it being possibly the least ATD-I style track on the album. More traditional fast and heavy tracks such as Chanbara and Transatlantic Foe are amongst the best the band have ever produced. However, it's the album as a whole which excels here, rather than individual tracks. Unlike many bands, where some tracks seem so similar that they almost result in an album sounding like one big, long song (sorry to name names, but The Offspring's Conspiracy Of One is the worst offender I've heard), this album has excellent variation in the style, mood and pace of the songs. Possibly the only flaw is that it doesn't go on for another 10 minutes (something Sparta rectified with their debut Wiretap Scars), as, at 38 minutes, it's a little on the short side, and unlike Idlewild's new album (same length as this), you don't feel totally fulfilled at the end of it.
Still, it's a great album, ATD-I's best, and anyone who reckons they love "true" rock music (not nu-metal trash) should have this on regular rotation on their stereo.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does it all make sense now?, 21 Mar 2003
I'm presuming that if you have come to read this, you already know something about the crazy ride that ATD-i are so this review will make comparisons with ROfC in some places seeing as everyone always wants to know if this album is good.
Personally, I prefer this record to ROfC, I think it has better melodies and is much more moving and subtle, rather than the exciting adrenalin rush of ROfC.
A lot of people prefer ROfC, although I think a lot of this is due to its superior production, and that people fail to see through this relatively lo-fi recording and hear the songs themselves.
Although this album lacks electronic madness of ROfC, it contains more crazy guitar parts and little things that make you go "ooh" while at the same time having more of a traditional rock edge to it. The song structures are easier to follow and in some places thing are almost, dare I say, predictable.
napoleon solo and lopsided are tow of my favourite songs ever, the way napoleon solo builds up, and has a really sudden quiet loud dynamic, is sheer genius. The slower pace and beautiful guitar parts that switch for big, harsh walls of noise make this song genius distilled. Did I forget to say the lyrics are top as well?
Lopsided is also brilliant, that simple riff and heartfelt chorus with its masterful pause are what brings this to another level. "does it all make sense now?" has to be one of my favorite vocal melodies ever!
Buy this album and see what it's like to emo without being whiney, this is some of the most genuinely moving music I have ever heard.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Innovative and amazing..., 18 Nov 2000
By A Customer
In this album, At The Drive-In tried to capture their live sound in the studio. They did this by not tracking any of the songs (i.e. they all played as a band, instead of recording each instrument separately). This results in a slightly rough-sounding, energy packed album.And my God, what an album it is. Almost at true classic status, and most certainly the best ATDI have ever done (even better than this years release, 'Relationship of Command'). If you consider yourself a fan of ATDI's music, then you should already have this. If not, buy it now. I wish I could give it more than five stars.
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