Punk Rock / Pop Punk / Alternative Rock
About :
Though the current world of Alkaline Trio is not nearly as fraught with and fueled by drink and drama as in the band's formative years, the making of the new Crimson (out May 24, 2005 on Vagrant), was not without its share of dark portents: Two bone-shattering skateboarding accidents, one PunkVoter tour that failed to block the reelection of George W. Bush... but oddly enough: No failed relationships!
As a result Crimson stands as the most mature and ambitious 13 songs Alkaline Trio has ever pushed itself to create-with able guidance from producer Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink-182, Jawbreaker). From the ominous piano and atmospherics opening of first single "Time To Waste" to closing ballad "Smoke," not a moment or note is wasted as the familiar Trio balance of darkness and melody on "Mercy Me," "Dethbed" and "The Poison" nestles up against increasingly progressive tempos and arrangements of "Burn" and "Satin," and the epic true-to-life tales of Manson family member Sadie Mae Glutz ("Sadie") and the West Memphis Three ("Prevent This Tragedy").
Alkaline Trio's legacy harkens back to 1997, when Matt Skiba, a bike messenger from working class Chicago 'burb McHenry, gave up the drums for the guitar and began his quest for the perfect balance of lyrical hell and pop heaven. He and fellow messenger / drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran would debut as Alkaline Trio for the Sundials 7" . Dan Andriano replaced Doran prior to the For Your Lungs Only EP , adding a second voice and songwriting style that complemented and contrasted with Skiba's, and the signature Alkaline Trio sound was born.
Two albums on indie Asian Man Records, Goddamnit and Maybe I'll Catch Fire , followed in 1998 and 2000 respectively, punctuated by hard touring and yielding to-this-day live favorites "Radio," "Nose Over Tail" and the latter's title track. A self-titled compilation of early singles, EPs, compilation tracks and others odds 'n' ends followed later in 2000.
From Here To Infirmary was released in 2001, marking both the Trio's Vagrant Records debut and the addition of ex-Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee to the fold. Singles "Private Eye" and "Stupid Kid" and staples "Crawl" and "Another Innocent Girl" became instant classics to the exponentially growing Alkaline Trio fan base that buoyed the record into the top 200 and packed clubs and theaters, transforming the band into a formidable worldwide draw.
The current Alkaline Trio line-up finally solidified with 2003's Good Mourning , as Derek Grant came aboard for the perfection of the Trio sonic identity that had been evolving since '97. On the strength of anti-mainstream anthem "We've Had Enough," the cloyingly bittersweet "All On Black," a yearning "100 Stories" and cautionary love and death serials "Emma" and "This Could Be Love," Good Mourning crashed into the Top 40, saw the band's debuts on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Show With David Letterman", and received raves from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Entertainment Weekly and the cover of Alternative Press.
Crimson delivers on this promise in spades. As "Time To Waste" builds from mounting menace to a majestic and traumatic chorus and segues directly into "The Poison," an Andriano barnburner reminiscent in spirit of those I Lied My Face Off era sides, though played with a fierce precision to which the early Trio could only aspire. "Burn" updates Skiba's songwriting acumen with twists and touches worthy of vintage Sisters of Mercy and Depeche Mode, while "Dethbed," "Mercy Me" and "Fall Victim" find an ever maturing but still familiar Alkaline Trio sound resurfacing like a long lost friend.
Just as Alkaline Trio were about to start recording Crimson, Matt Skiba fractured his wrist skateboarding. Though it was a minor break, and he was only in a cast for three weeks, the break pushed back the Trio's recording schedule and the pending album's release. After Skiba healed, the band jumped into recording and, with the help of producer Finn, finished in January '05. Skiba was anxious to get back on his board (though an avid skater since the age of ten, he had abandoned it for three months in fear of injuring himself again and further delaying the album's May 24th release). But, after 15 minutes, Skiba dropped into a pool and broke his left arm.
Now finally healed, Skiba is anxious to get Alkaline Trio back on the road. After all, the collective misfortunes that may have hobbled lesser acts have only provided Alkaline Trio with five studio albums worth of increasingly stronger material. As Skiba sings on the new record, "God bless catastrophe..."
History :
Early years, Goddamnit and Maybe I'll Catch Fire (1996–2000)
Alkaline Trio was formed in December 1996 (see 1996 in music), originally consisting of Matt Skiba (guitar/lead vocals), Rob Doran(bass/vocals), and Glenn Porter (drums/vocals). They all hailed from McHenry, Illinois, in Chicago's Northwest suburbs. 1997 saw the release of the band's first EP, Sundials. This was followed shortly after by the departure of Rob Doran, after which Dan Andriano, former singer of Asian Man Records band Tuesday and bassist for Slapstick, took his place and they began recording. The band released their second EP entitled For Your Lungs Only, in 1998, which began to build them a sizable fanbase in the American Midwest. Later on that year, the band released their first full length album, Goddamnit, followed by Maybe I'll Catch Fire in 2000 (both on Asian Man Records). Also in 2000, the band released a collection of their previously released EPs on their self-titled album.
From Here to Infirmary, Good Mourning and Dan Andriano's side project (2001–2005)
In 2001, the band released From Here To Infirmary on Vagrant Records. This album inspired music videos for the singles "Stupid Kid" and "Private Eye."
Their next full-length album was Good Mourning, released in 2003, with the album's launch single "We've Had Enough" seeing much the same success as the previous single "Stupid Kid." The album was something of a departure from earlier works, featuring greater production values.
The band appeared on various compilation albums, notably Plea for Peace Vol. 1, Vagrant Records: Another Year on the Streets Vol. 1, 2, and 3, and Rock Against Bush Vol. 1. Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano have both independently recorded split records, Skiba with Kevin Seconds on Asian Man Records and Andriano with Mike Felumlee on Double Zero Records, as well as jointly performing backing vocal duties on the album This is Unity Music by Common Rider. They recorded 2 split EPs: one with Hot Water Music in 2000 and the other with One Man Army in 2004.
In 2004, Dan became a member of The Falcon, a supergroup of sorts consisting of The Lawrence Arms' bassist Brendan Kelly, previously of Slapstick (alongside Dan) and The Broadways, and drummer Neil Hennessy. The Falcon also saw contributions from Todd Mohney of The Killing Tree and formerly Rise Against. The band released an EP, God Don't Make No Trash / Up Your Ass With Broken Glass in 2005 and its first full length, Unicornography in September 2006.
Crimson, Remains, and Matt Skiba's side project (2005–2007)
Alkaline Trio released their fifth studio album on Vagrant Records, titled Crimson, on May 24, 2005, which featured the single "Time to Waste." The single for this song also included bonus tracks produced by Squirtgun and Common Rider bassist Mass Giorgini. The tracks "Mercy Me" and "Burn" have also been released as singles from the album.
In December 2005, a dual-disc special edition re-release of Crimson hit store shelves. This album features the original cut of Crimson released earlier in the year, while the 2nd disc has demo and acoustic/live versions of some of the songs. Additionally, an enhanced version of the lyrics and liner notes are available for download with personal messages from the band members on the history and/or inspiration(s) behind the songs.
In September 2006, Patent Pending, the debut album by Matt Skiba's side project Heavens was released. The band consisted of Skiba on guitar and vocals, and Josiah Steinbrick (ofhardcore punk outfit F-Minus) on bass. On the album, the duo were joined by The Mars Volta's Isaiah "Ikey" Owens on organ and Matthew Compton on drums and percussion. Skiba was playing with Heavens during a short tour in the fall of 2006.
Alkaline Trio released an album of B-sides/Rarities, Live Performances, and a DVD with Performances from The Occult Roots Tour in early 2007 called Remains and put out on Vagrant Records.
In October 2006, it was announced that Alkaline Trio had signed with V2 Records. On January 12, 2007, the North America branch of the label announced that they were undergoingrestructuring to focus on their back catalogue and digital distribution. As a result, their employees were let go and their roster of artists left as free agents.
During late May 2007 the band began listing Epic Records as its label on their MySpace.
Agony & Irony (2008–2009)
In February 2008, Asian Man Records released a 10th Anniversary reissue of the band's 1998 full length, Goddamnit. The disc was remixed and remastered, with 4 bonus tracks from their 1996 demo tape added, and the album was repackaged with new artwork and a feature length DVD documentary about the band's early days. Predictably, the release caused quite a bit of excitement for long-time followers of the group.
On Saturday, February 9, 2008, the band posted a message on their MySpace page explaining that they had been in the studio for three weeks working on the new album without revealing a release date or title. The band later announced via their fan club, the Blood Pact, that their upcoming album, titled Agony & Irony, would be released on July 1, 2008. As a gift for members, they made a new song titled "In Vein" available as an exclusive. On April 4, they posted the song on their MySpace for 24 hours.
A contest ("Settle The Sco), was announced May 6, 2008, that encouraged fans to download sheet music of "Love Love Kiss Kiss" from the official website and send Alkaline Trio footage of their interpretation of the song before it was released by the band.
As expected, the band released Agony & Irony on July 1, 2008. First week sales for the album placed Alkaline Trio at #13 on the Billboard album charts.
This Addiction (2009–present)
During a concert in May 2009, the band revealed that they were no longer signed to Epic Records and that they would be releasing new material through their own label later in the year. Recording began that July. Five songs from the album ("This Addiction", "Dead On The Floor", "Dine, Dine My Darling", "Dorothy", and "Fruit Please") were debuted on that tour withSaves the Day.
On November 18, 2009, the band announced that they would be releasing their new album on their own newly formed label, Heart & Skull, a joint venture with Epitaph Records. In the same article, Skiba also confirmed that the new album would be released on February 23 in 2010, with another new song announced, entitled "The American Scream."
On December 1 Alkaline Trio confirmed to Rock Sound that the title of their new album would be This Addiction:
"It is the first song on the record and the title of our new album," said vocalist Matt Skiba. "The song takes heroin addiction as a metaphor for love. The whole record is really personal, all three of us have been through quite a bit since our last album [2008's Agony & Irony] and it is all expressed through this, all the songs are about the relationships we've been in and so the record has a constant theme."
The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest the band has ever charted to date.
Members :
Current Members :Matt Skiba : Lead Vocals , Guitars (1996-present)
Dan Adriano : Lead Vocals, Bass (1997-present)
Derek Grant : Drums , Percussions, Backing Vocals (2001-present)
Former Members :
Rob Dan : Bass, Backig Vocals (1996-1997)
Glenn Porter : Drums , Percussion (1996-2001)
Mike Felumlee : Drums, Percussion (2000-2001)
Touring Members :
Atom Wilard : Drums , Percussion (2000)
Pete Prada : Drums, Percussion (2001)
Nolan McGuire : Guitars (2003-2007)
