Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trail of Dead take new paths, 7 Jun 2004
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.. Ridiculous long name, ridiculously good band.
I remember hearing the debut CD thinking:
"Wow, it sounds alright, but I dunno.. I can't hear the lyrics"
Then Madonna was released.
"I don't need to hear the lyrics actually.. the voice doesn't need that clarity.. this is really good!"
Source Tags + Code -
"It's like they've grown up but haven't freaked out Beatles style"
And now the Secret of Elena's Tomb. Owning all release's to date, it's apparent that Trail of Dead have quite a drive for progression. They still grow as a band, and of course it's all for the better. It may not be the same, but treading the same ground looking for another 'Mistakes and Regrets' or 'Blight Takes All' can only end in disappointment.
In a nutshell, this CD picks up where 'Source Tags..' left off - Those heavy yet lush walls of sound with a sense of beauty about it, but 'Mach Schau' seemingly hinting back toward the 'Madonna' era.
Then, there are the last two gems. 'Counting off the Days' is a peaceful beauty of a song, while 'Intelligence' delves into more dancey territory (Not as bad as you may think, if you're dancephobic). Either way, both of these songs are something the ToD boys haven't really explored as of yet, and is pulled off better than I can really explain. Just get the damn thing!
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
solid (and slightly surprising) stuff, 13 April 2003
I must admit that I am a great fan of this band, and even considering my bias towards their records, I was slightly sceptical of an immanent EP release, due mainly to the fact that most of the EP's I own are poorly produced and more than obviously aimed at gaining a little extra income instead of showcasing new material. 'The secret of Elena's tomb' however, does not succumb to these negative expectations. That is not to say that each and every track delivers a brand new, earth-shatteringly original piece of music history. On the contrary, to me this record is an, ahem, "game of two halves" The first three tracks drag direct parallels to past material, and in some cases, even specific songs. The opener, 'Mach Schau' (literally "make a show" or something similar) spits and revs with that much famed ferocity of old. It combines the traditional AYWKUBTTOD song structure with a mesmerising little play on guitars before bursting into full throttle with the vocals rhythmically enhancing the drum-driven riff for two verses before quietening down again, building and subsequently finishing with Keeley chanting the title full gusto. Unfortunately, comparisons to 'Mistakes and regrets' to me seem inevitable, while the overall feel suggests that it was written in the 'Maddona' era. Then again, this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you follow the view of some of those who didn't quite warm to 'Source Tags and Codes'. The next two tacks however, do identify with the aforementioned album. 'Crowning of a Heart' provides the highlight of the record. A beautifully executed guitar layering not dissimilar to the title track of the last album, is combined effortlessly with a scattering of Cello, a female backing singer and one of the most considered vocal efforts the band has produced to date. Certainly an album header worthy of chart status. 'All Saints day' is a simpler effort, but with an equally catchy riff that hums along nicely throughout the track which peaks with the scream; "a bottle in my hand, make some noise! make some noise!" This is where my comparisons and parallels end however. If 'Source Tags and Codes' hinted at the direction TOD are heading, the last two tracks purposefully confirm this.'Counting off the days' provides the band's first almost-acoustic effort. Gorgeous strumming and another brilliant vocal demonstration gives those who pigeonhole TOD as 'emo' a little more to nibble on. The bands greatest strengths however, their passion and quirky use of engineering quickly raise this above anything as 'emotional' as Hell is for Heroes or Cave-in. 'Intelligence'( familiar to those who bought 'relative was') follows this with more than a little shock for the listener. TOD have angled several times towards psychadelia, but this exceeds far beyond any of those experiments. Its programmed base beats and white-line crescendo almost creates the mad-for-it club atmosphere present in Radiohead's 'ideoteque' or some of the fuller material of The Music. You'll either love or hate the lat two tracks. 'Secrets' really shows the musical development the band are making. Melodies are sharper, vocals more considered, and the songs really show that they've thought out some of the weaknesses of their last record. Finally, another new inclusion, a la "enhanced material" provides some more stuff to browse, with the well shot videos for 'Relative Ways' 'Just Another Morning Stoner' and live shots of 'All Saints Day'. There is also a great little art section by Conrad Keeley if you are interested in the other outlets of the band members. Overall, this is a great little piece. Although some startlingly familiar guitar cuts and structures appear every so often, the more abstract efforts will please many. If you like the broader palette TOD are singing from, no doubt you'll find this and the next full album, a stormer.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
yup. they've still got it., 11 April 2003
ok, so being a uk-er, i thought i'd get to finally hear this cd some time next year. however, A delightful ep landed on my doorstep. bringing in a mix of styles from all three previous trail of dead offerings, this collection of songs does not disappoint. opening with 'mach schau', which upon listening, i consider to be "an old-rocker" - something that would quite easily fit on the end of the debut. the second song, 'all saint's day' for me sums up all that was great about 'madonna', the sophomore album. jason takes over vocal duties on this one, leaving conrad to fill in, on the drumkit. and very well, i might add. 'crowning of a heart' was the next aural delight to grace my ears. i first heard this about two weeks before the release date - conrad played it to me over the net. i'm not ashamed to say when i originally heard it i thought "oh no, they've finally gone pop". however, listening to it now just reminds me of 'source tags and codes' and the lush orchestration and melody that went into that. it has the trademark ...trail of dead instrumental breakdown in the middle, which i love and can't get enough of. it's the boys at their best, and a niche i think they've carved for themselves. 'counting off the days' is this e.p's 'sigh your children' - it's a post-orgasmic cigarette; a final goodbye; a crumbling headstone's epitaph. breaking out from an introverted tune to a lavishly-orchestrated lament, it'll bring a tear to the most hardened of hearts. 'intelligence' first hit my ears as a b-side to the uk release of the 'relative ways' single last year. programmed by tylor jacobson, (a friend of the band) it's electronicy, and jason's vocal reminds me of u2 and (to a certain extent) bowie. not your usual ...trail of dead sound, but a change. a good change. i dont know whether this eclectic mix of songs was intended, but 'the secret of elena's tomb' has kept my faith in conrad f keely and his musicians, making this ep one to introduce this band to new fans, and still keep the de-hard 'deaders satisfied. well, me anyways. a delight. plus, it has bonus cd rom footage. rock!
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