Alkaline Trio Returns to Their Roots

© Alkaline Trio

When any band with punk roots has been established as long as Alkaline Trio and decides to release a new album, old fans can usually expect one of two things: a soulless, mainstream recreation of the band’s original sound or an evolved state of musicianship that compliments what they have already done right.

This evolutionary process has been well underway for Alkaline Trio since the time they were playing small gigs in the suburbs of McHenry, Illinois back in 1996. After almost fifteen years of rock star experience, defined by tours, record deals, fame, booze, drugs, lineup changes, deaths, nasty breakups, etcetera, the band’s sound and lyrical content has most certainly evolved and is perhaps even more fueled by fiery passion than songs on early albums like Goddamnit, their first angsty full-length released in 1998.

While more recent albums like Agony & Irony (2008) and Crimson (2005) earned the band mainstream Pop Punk acclaim, This Addiction comes off as a shout back to their old-school, simplistic Punk Rock roots. Singer Matt Skiba, the only remaining original member, reports that the songs on This Addiction came together quickly and were inspired by life-changing experiences that occurred in the lapse between Agony & Irony and the new album.

In terms of song quality, Alkaline Trio has stuck to their guns by writing straight-forward, chord-driven tunes that are illuminated by incendiary lyrics about love, death, war and, of course, addiction. The album’s title is derived from an overarching theme that lies at the heart of all eleven tracks, which is essentially a metaphoric comparison between the pitfalls love and the trials of addiction. The first song, “This Addiction,” encapsulates this theme with lyrics like “You hit me just like heroin/I feel you coursing through my veins/I once tried to kick this addiction/I swear I’ll never kick again.”

While subject matter like addictive love might seem exhausted and clichéd in just about any genre of music, This Addiction also explores the realities of war on an intimately personal level. Inspired by a U.S. soldier who committed suicide on his mother’s grave once he returned from the War in Afghanistan, “The American Scream” sounds rather poppy but features some of the darkest, politically irreverent lyrics on the album: “And that’s where they found me/In the cemetery/A smoking gun in my hand/ Now I’m damned for the land of the free/Sing with me.”

Lyrically, the anger is evident and fans can rest assured that the fire that fuels Alkaline Trio hasn’t been extinguished by mainstream limelight. Musically, however, their sound has been refined by mainstream production techniques that Skiba refers to as “bells and whistles” in an Alternative Press interview. The result is a stripped-down, straight-up Rock album that sounds reminiscent of old material, intentionally polished to better represent their progression as “big time” musicians.

Perhaps the only musical weakness is Skiba’s vocals on several tracks, which at times sound bland and deflated of necessary intensity to buttress the heavy lyrical content. Nevertheless, the album is studded with plenty of melodic hooks to sing along to.

Although some fans might rule this album a sell out to corporate music or a cheesy rehash of what drew them to Alkaline Trio in the first place, This Addiction essentially showcases the same band they were over a decade ago with better production. It should also be noted that This Addiction was released on a new independent label that the band created themselves called Heart and Skull in an attempt to have as little corporate influence on their sound as possible. Take or leave This Addiction, Alkaline Trio is continuing to evolve and will most likely be sticking around for quite some time.