When you release an album recognized by many as the best post-hardcore release ever, there’s not much to do than to call it quits and focus on other projects. While this should be a joke, that’s exactly what happened with At the Drive In after the band released Relationship of Command, the best post-hardcore offering ever. I found this gem of an album about a year ago realizing post-hardcore is more than a bunch of kids trying to play a bit different version of metalcore. The problem is that I discovered the best album of the entire genre first, making all other to pale when compared to it. Something similar happened me with Cult of Luna’s Salvation; other post metal records just couldn’t stand a chance when compared to Salvation, making me a fan of the genre but at the same time disappointed with almost every other post record, except Rosetta’s debut, The Galilean Satellites, the only post record I adore sans Salvation.
Well, this was also the case with Relationship of Command. I heard it, spun it a couple of dozen of times and was impressed. And then, when tried to find similar records, ended up massively disappointed because of the fact no other album could come close to the brilliance of At the Drive In’s swansong. 17 years have passed, with the band making a couple of live comebacks after which they would go back in the shadows, time after time. But a while ago news started appearing – At the Drive In were ready to release the successor to Relationship of Command. I was psyched; if some band could release an album capable of making me stop returning to RoC, they are At the Drive In. But the sweet anticipation has gone sour once the record started playing.
A strange feeling of listening something that isn’t made by the same guys who gave the world the best post-hardcore album ever appeared as soon as the first track started. Weird, I thought, this shouldn’t sound like this. And as soon as I spun RoC again, the answer was there. The youthful energy that made RoC a masterpiece wasn’t present on its successor. Sure, 17 years have passed since At the Drive In released their last records, all members grew older, but the change is drastic, at least when you start paying attention.
This is partly because of the fact that two founding members, Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala were in progressive rock waters for more than a decade with their famous band, The Mars Volta. And that’s visible in the new sound, containing much more progressive elements. The uncontrolled energy of the old At the Drive In has been put on a leash, there are still bursts of the old insanity, but every part of the music is toned down a bit.
No more bombastic screams, courtesy of Cedric (he had problems with his voice during live shows and couldn’t deliver the same intensity during the recording of the new record), no more enchanting dual guitar melodies that made RoC simple on the surface but quite complex once you start noticing the subtle elements. The songs are a bit slower, with fewer breaks and tempo changes, and with more progressive drumming and guitar work. Production is stellar, no surprise given the fact that Omar is an excellent producer. Insane lyrics are still here but don’t pack the same punch this time, since there’s not enough energy to give them the much-needed intensity.
Don’t get me wrong, there are excellent songs on in•ter a•li•a such as No Wolf Like The Present, Continuum (which starts with Cedric singing “I gotta get a new faaaaceeee” another signature verse of the old At the Drive In), Governed by Contagions, or the excellent closer Hostage Stamps. Songs mentioned are faster, ones that hide a bit of the old energy and charm inside them. Others are either too poppy (Like Call Broken Arrow and Incurably Innocent), or just cannot grab the listener and prevent their mind from wandering away while listening to them (Tilting at the Univendor, Holtzclaw). And Ghost-Tape No. 9 is just slow and boring. Overall in•ter a•li•a sounds like the old At the Drive In that has been stripped out of its musical energy and infused with The Mars Volta and (just a few) Bosnian Rainbows elements. It’s good but not great and cannot be compared to the timeless Relationship of Command.
