Customer Reviews

Relationship Of Command

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

i have to say first of all that this album is superb, catchy (if not immediately) and with a very, very long life span. BUT my main point is that every budding guitarist out there (like myself) who feel they are stuck in a box or shape, listen to this record for inspiration. what sounds fairly tuneless to start with soon becomes addictive and greatly enjoyable. the lead guitarists small expressions often verge on bluesey in feel and then reduce to visceral squeals the next. you have to hear it to believe it. trust me :)

Amidst the sea of watered down nu-metal and post-grunge boredom come a truly inspirational band. 'Relationship of Command' is the album that introduced one of the greatest rock acts ever into the mainstream...

...and then they went and split. A terrible shame, though it was, they've left behind some fantastic music (and look to go on to make more with new bands such as Sparta and The Mars Volta).

'Relationship of Command' is often hailed as the band's best album, due partly to the brilliant production job from uber-producer Ross Robinson, but mainly because the band seem completely comfortable with what they're doing.

The album is quite avante garde and obscure in places, never afraid to break the boundaries, but the band's feel for melody and tunefulness also shines through. That said, the album actually has quite dark, heavy feel, unlike the previous releases, but still remains instantly accessible.

Part of the brilliance of the album is that it appeals on a number of levels. It has the accessibility and rock 'n' roll attitude for you to simply rock to, but listen closely and you notice the intricacy of the music, and the highly thought-provoking lyrics.

To top it all off, the vocals of Cedric Bixler are amazing. He has a good singing voice, but it is his gravelly shout that really stands out.

'Relationship of Command' is everything a rock album should be - intellignet, inspirational, unafraid to experiment and, above all, hugely enjoyable.

I'd like to make reference to the review from 30 Sept - a couple below this one.

I'm not sure the purpose of comparing it to other band that he likes - it's all a preference of taste.

Yes this album is contrived from punk, yes it is 'new'- yes it has not been granted 'classic' status by the critics and fans ...yet.

But the point of this is that this album is by a band at their peak - it culmimnates all they have done before - captures all the elements a good band should have and took it to a level above what their contemporaries were doing.

Comparing an album only a few years old to an album by Husker Du which has gained notoriety is silly, in time this album will be called a classic of late 90/early 00 modern rock.

I am giving it 5 stars - I'm not gonna compare it to My Bloody Valentine who again deserve 5 stars for their momentous album, but this album is the climactic high point by a band who had always puished punk rock music to its limits, never compromising and always investing in their sound.

Yes some people might find his voice irritating, but i know people who dont like Bob Mould voice - despite his classic status.

This is a great album with a sound that is beyond what any other band is doing at the moment - apart from Fugazi maybe. It has focus, intelligence, something new to offer and above all else enjoyable punk rock songs.

One of the great tragedies of this millenium so far, is that At the Drive in did not recieve more mainstream attention.
The band disbanded right before their big chance at pop recognition. At the Drive in, like Nirvana before them, could of exposed the world at large, to an antidote to the virus of corporate rock. But sadly, they didnt, oh well, thats the mainstreams loss, but the cult of At the Drive in's immeasurable gain.

This album is a plethora of genres,the ferocity of punk, the groove of dub reggae, the subtle atmospherics of trip hop and the
emotion of ...well..emo, stirred in a potuntil it forms something new and wonderful.The albums standout track, invalid litter department, is a glorius epic six minutes of eccentric lyrics, subtle aggression and some of the finest piano playing in the history of rock.

Relationship of command does not feature one filler track, every song, is brimming with emotion and has its own distinct identity.

The album is not flawless, at times Cedric Bixlers voice can be irritating, but that is only a minor glitch in an album, that deserves to be revered as a classic.

Its sad to think since At the Drive in called it a day, we've seen the rise of Puddle of mud and Nickelback, truly that is a shame

What can I say? They recently gobsmacked everyone on Later with Jools Holland with their downright stonkingly violent performance. Rock is returning! The album takes a while to get into but it won't leave your stereo. I suggest you just glue it in. The highlights have to be Mannequin Republic, One Armed Scissor and the sublime Arcarsenal. Incredibly catchy riffs, supreme vocals and pulsating energy. Simply exhilirating.

This album is a masterpiece. At the drive-in are better than Nirvana. But it seems no-one's allowed to say that anymore. Anyway, this record has a "no frills" honesty about it. There's genuine passion throughout the album, backed by mind-boggling lyrics with may not be completly clear, but allow you to make valid interpretations of your own. And there are snippets of greatness peppered along the way. The tempo is fast, and this suits the vocal stylings of Cedric Bixler, who may not technically be the finest singer, but has a dramatic voice that no-one could utilise any better. The music is complex and accessible at the same time, and I can't imagine how they pieced the instruments together to make one great song after another. Some may say there isn't much variation here, but this album just shows where the band was at the time. If you want variation - refer to their previous albums/EPs which don't parallel the intensity of this album. If you like The Icarus Line/Refused/Your Enemies Friends - buy this album. This band may have gone on 'hiatus', but at least we have this timeless classic from their relics.

This album is an outstanding piece of work. The band manage to channel all their rage, angst and disgust at the underbelly of America into blistering riffs, crashing drums and rare these days in rock, inteligent lyrics.

Rock fans, do yourself a favour and buy this album. Let At The Drive-In get angry for you!

Nu-metal fans buy this album as an education.

"They call it a wasteland, they call it a waste land baby"

This is the future. Forget the pre-packaged angst of Limp Bizkit and say hello to At The Drive-In. It only took one hearing of "Rolodex Propaganda" on the radio to realise that this band is something special. This is one of the most original and thrilling records of the last decade. Combining the punk edge of Nirvana, the complex structure of Fugazi and the kind of shouty vocals that made Rage Against The Machine so great, this is punk for the thinking man. Its hard to pick the highlights as every song is fantastic, but here are my personal faves: *Arcarsenal-fast paced slice of punk rock genius. *One Armed Scissor-catchy as hell hardcore punk. *Invalid Litter Dept.-mellow(ish) rock with a brilliant singalong chorus. *Rolodex Propaganda-rage against the machine style metal with guest vocals by iggy pop.

This album takes ages to work under your skin. A sprawling, shreiking, ranting, writhing album of pure white rage. This is perfectly, originally constructed punk music. The first time you hear it, it's just noise and fury. Nothing special. After several listenings, the depth of the music and the obscure intelligence of the lyrics work into your mind brilliant. An epic, landmark piece of work.

I received this album as a present, having heard only one song (Invalid Litter Dept.) a couple of times before. I didn't know what to expect but I was very very pleasantly suprised, I've been listening to it non-stop ever since! This album has so much raw emotion emitting from it that at first it can feel overwhelming. The shouty vocals take a little time to adapt to but once you have you will be singing away like mad. The choruses being stuck in your head for days on end. Listen to the clips, order the album, get the album, listen to the album, adore the album, constantly listen to the album. You MUST have this album.