Furious Relationship helps ATDI to break-out
By SAM DERHEIMER
Assistant Scene Editor
They've become the icons of the blossoming genre of emo-rock (emotional rock), the latest trend in indie rock. Opening for bands like Rage Against the Machine, At The Drive-In has amazed fans, critics and fellow musicians alike with performances so full of energy and passion, they've been touted as everything from the saving grace of rock `n' roll to the new Nirvana — not exactly small shoes to fill.
As should be expected of any band labeled "the new Nirvana," At The Drive-In's style is not easy to define. Neil Strauss of Rolling Stone recently called At The Drive-In a band that is "too punk to be metal, too art-rock to be punk, too pop to be art-rock, too smart to be pop and too stoned to be smart." In a nutshell, there you have ATDI.
The thing about ATDI is, it could care less what is popular, or pretty. It plays only what comes from the souls of the five members that make up the band. And those souls are apparently full of a whole lot of passion for what they do. Lead vocalist Cedric Bixler thrashes like a madman through a frenzy of politically charged, fragmented lyrics. Not to be outdone, lead guitarist Omar Rodriguez matches his vocalist's intensity as he powers his way through song after song of heavy, splintered punk-rock guitar riffs — and the rest of the band is not far behind.
In other words, these guys never let up.
Relationship of Command, the band's latest release and first release since signing with Grand Royal Records, is one of the most intense rock albums to come out in some time, and is finally helping ATDI achieve the attention it has long deserved.
"One Armed Scissor," the first single off Relationship of Command, may be the best representative of the album as a whole. In the track, Bixler rips through a tirade of emotion and raw energy as he literally screams, "Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now!" Like a sick chemist, Rodiquez masterfully combines everything from the hard, fast punk riffs common to the genre, to more unexpected airy classic rock-ish riffs. "One Armed Scissor" is smart, sharp and a complete adrenaline rush to say the least.
Tracks like "Enfilade" and "Mannequin Republic" mix Bixler's fiery style with a more grungy musical backing. As Bixler unleashes a rush of vocal power, his band explodes behind him in a sort of twisted concoction of Nirvana and the Sex Pistols.
In "Enfilade," Bixler wails, "We wait as lepers /upheld at knife's reach /we covet all the status quo." Here is found the beating heart of ATDI's mission — heavy doses of poignant social messages converted into furious punk-rock rhythms.
The only real problems on Relationship arise when the band abandons this structure. With a draggingly slow pace at times and uncharacteristic fluffy guitars, "Invalid Litter Dept." is by far the biggest failure on the album. As the band sheds its intensity, it loses much of what makes ATDI such an attractive force. Bixler's vocals quickly deteriorate from powerful and insightful to artsy and pretentious. A similar problem is found in the likewise slower "Non-Zero Possibility."
For the most part, Relationship of Command is a remarkable example of innovation in a tired and seen-it-all-before rock scene. The energy and musicianship present on tracks like "Cosmonaut" and "Pattern Against User" more than make up for what is lost on songs like "Invalid Litter Dept." ATDI has successfully captured more raw emotion and energy on this studio album than most bands could ever hope to achieve performing live.
Whether or not At The Drive-In truly is the saving grace of rock is yet to be seen. But to understand At The Drive-In is to realize that it really doesn't matter anyway. ATDI will continue to make searing, honest punk-rock music whether they end up on TRL or not (In truth, they probably wouldn't want to go even if they had the chance).
In the end, that is the ultimate draw of this band, that is the edge that will always keep them one step ahead of anyone else. Passion like ATDI's can not be faked. Passion like ATDI's is what raises some bands to rock `n' roll gods, while those that lack it quietly fall to the wayside. It is passion like ATDI's that makes Relationship of Command an extraordinary punk-rock album.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, February 13, 2001
