Alkaline Trio--Crimson LEAKED!

For the second time in a row, The Alkaline Trio's new album has been leaked pretty darn early. I guess it was going to be called Church & Destroy, which would have been pretty damn lame. But, it's now called Crimson and is floating around cyberspace. I was way more into these guys when I was lonely and bitter, instead of just plain bitter.

I still consider "My Standard Break from Life" one of my favorite songs ever, but the sub-par showings on the Hot Water Music and One Man Army split EPs, along with a ho-hum contribution to Rock Against Bush didn't have me very optimistic for this release. Good Mourning was a little too major label-era AFI goth, but I liked it ok. My Chemical Romance might have already filled that niche with the kids now, though. This record doesn't sound too much like the Alkaline Trio I came to know and love. I mean, it's still Alkaline Trio, obviously, but now we've got lots of keyboards & orchestrations, is pretty snappy and poppy at times, and to me sounds like they took their cover of Berlin's "The Metro" as an excuse to add more 80s flourishes than ever. Very bright production, as well. I think Jerry Finn forgot he wasn't working with Green Day on this one. Doesn't suck nearly as bad as that B.Y.O. split, but something is off w/ this. Maybe it's not them, it's me. In whatever case, I think my CD player and the Alk3 might need to spend some time apart.