Posted on: April 24, 2010 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Alkaline Trio has pretty much guaranteed their spot of being a cornerstone band in the post-emo years, but it really seems as if rather than merely resting on the goodwill created by their prior works, AK3 are continuing to add to the diversity and complexities that mark their work as a band. The disc starts off with the titular track, a song that sets up listeners nicely for the entirety of the album. What results in this two and a half minute track is a microcosm of what listeners should expect for the rest of the album, in a conveniently small form.

However, it is the Misfits-like-named “Dine, Dine My Darling” that really kicks things into gear, as it links together the past, present, and future of punk rock without seeming overly cheesy or out of touch. “Lead Poisoning” changes things up nicely, throwing a trumpet into the mix that surprisingly keeps the momentum up instead of coming out of left field and breaking up the tone achieved by the other tracks on the disc. “This Addiction” continues the hard-hitting treatment even as the album crosses the mid-disc point. “Draculina” is a track that keeps things interesting; rather than keeping with the band’s typical output, the inclusion of a synthesizer allows the act more tools with which to create a compelling, even haunting, track for the album.

However, I feel the band reaches their high-water mark on the album with “This Addiction”’s final track, “Fine”. “Fine” acts as a sort of transitory track for the Alkaline Trio. On one hand, the title acts as a perfect ending for what was already a solid album, but it stands strongly as an introduction for listeners for the ways that the band may yet take for future recordings. Regardless of whether individuals were already fans of the band or are coming in fresh to the party, “This Addiction” represents a great album that will stand the test of time.

Top Tracks: Dine, Dine My Darling, Dead on the Floor

Rating: 7.6/10

Alkaline Trio – This Addiction / 2010 Epitaph / 11 Tracks | 17 Tracks (Bonus Edition) / http://www.alkalinetrio.com / http://www.epitaph.com

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