Introduction
So I'll be honest, I was never truly into the whole punk rock scene growing up. The fact of the matter was I just saw no point in listening to a genre that consisted of yelling, screaming, and fast guitar chords. As the years dragged on I was slowly introduced to bands such as Blink 182, Green Day, and The Offspring which offered me the slightest dip into the huge ocean of the punk rock scene. Being a 90's kid it's pretty much cemented into your brain that you will like either grunge or pop punk music because it was what sold well and was continually blasted in your ears. It wasn't until my high school years that a simple miss search on Youtube brought me to today's band. Alkaline Trio. At the time I was actually just looking for All Time Low but instantly fell in love with their newest album at the time entitled This Addiction, which stills plays repeat on my iPod to this day. It was so refreshing to hear a punk rock band that was not afraid to write about darker more personal issues. Of course, the band would later release the greatest hits album Damnesia which, in the same way of Foo Fighters' Skin and Bones, changed my outlook on a band I had really only seen play heavier inspired music.Alkaline Trio started back in December 1996 consisting of Matt Skiba (guitar, vocals), Rob Doran (Bass,vocals), and Glen Porter (drums, vocals) in their community of McHenry, Illinois. The band released their first EP, Sundials, in 1997 which saw the depature of Rob Doran and the acceptance of Dan Andriano to fill his place. They were very busy the next few years releasing a multitude of EPs and 2 albums before releasing From Here To Infirmary in 2001 which saw the first time one of their albums reached above the top 200 Billboard ranking and grossing in more than six figures income. After a few albums the bands drummer was replaced with Derek Grant to which the band went on to release six studio albums before parting ways with their newest label "Epic Records." They released This Addiction in 2010 to the highest chart on the Billboard 200 of 11. Subsequently, the band followed it up with an album only to be describe as a love letters to their fans, Damnesia, in 2011 that consisted of fan-favorite songs across their very long career. Fans heard nothing for a year when it was announced the band was heading back into the studio and with the recent divorce Matt Skiba had gone through it seemed to be a very personal album entitled My Shame Is True.
"Kudos to Skiba who is not afraid to really bare his soul"
The Singles
While this album has seen it's slew of lyrical videos from the band, sadly only one song has actually been released as a single the oddly named "I Wanna be a Warhol." Now this song takes no prisoners as it starts up nearly full force with the drums and distorted guitar launching into a build-up to the first verse. It's here that the aforementioned "Warhol" singer, Matt Skiba wants to be is one of the famous painters works hanging on the wall of, from what we can gather, his ex's place. It's a very fun song that can really get the blood pumping and get you excited for the band has to offer this time around. Also, the song has a very This Addiction feel to it and is definitely the safest bet for a first single by the band but as we'll see, it's far from the best song on the album.The Rest of The Album...
Sadly, the album itself opens with a song that is far too safe for the band as "She Lied to the FBI" feels like a song that has everyone on auto-pilot which, for a opener definitely does detract major points. If you stay through this song though you are greeted with the opener that should have been "I Wanna Be a Warhol" which as I have stated gives you a good idea of what to expect from the album. A majority of the songs on this album are quite brilliant even if they are not guaranteed hits. For example, "I'm Only Here to Disappoint" and "I, Pessimist" are great songs on the album that are fun fast paced songs with lyrics that hide a much darker and deep narrative mostly because as Skiba stated "I just wrote this one more as a love letter to my ex-girlfriend, or an apology note set to music." Quick side note, the second singer on "I, Pessimist" sounds an awful lot like the singer from Rise Against when he yells it was quite jarring the first time hearing. I should also note that while a majority of punk has a reputation for fast power chords and not a whole lot of diversity with the keys but as a band I've never heard a more diverse group uninhibited not only with the key or time signature but also the feel of a song but, more on that later.Songs of note on this album are the somber "Kiss You to Death," the thought provoking "Only Love," and the amazing finale "Until Death Do Us Part." "Kiss You to Death" follows on the heels on "I'm Only Here to Disappoint" and shifts to a much more intimate setting with Skiba painting the picture of man so depressed with the separation he has been inflicting that he is pulling himself to the person he loves to try and make everything alright. The song envelopes into a drum tirade that I found this band does so well, allowing the drums to circle completely around the vocals without detracting from them which is owed to a lot to the producers on the album who meticulously pick apart the song to bring out only the best. The song is very heartbreaking it's narrative as I have said it's about losing someone and really not knowing the starting place to be on your own and regardless of how the confrontation may go ("I don't care if we fuck, or we talk, or we cry") it's all about being there with that person which I'm sure everyone has felt at one point or another in their lives. Kudos to Skiba who is not afraid to really bare his soul regardless of how it may come across.
Vampires or Secret service agents? YOU DECIDE!
"Only Love" starts out with a riff just a few notes short of a Coldplay song but slowly narrowing focus around the idea that no matter how much money you have, things you buy, or leisures you abuse, at the end of the day the only reason we are Earth is love. It's a great song that asks a lot of good questions while also bringing out one of my favorite lines from the album, "I hear the telephone works both ways think you can make a little effort someday?" This song as well as a majority of others accolades should be given to drummer Derek Grant whom has slowly become one of my favorite drummers of today. This is because he is a great dynamic drummer who knows not only how to stand out, continually switch up his style of playing to make different songs and sections sound distinct, but he also knows how to illustrate the high points in the song for other instruments such as Skiba's louder singing parts.The last song we'll talk about is the near perfect ending track "Until Death Do Us Part." This song starts with a split of acoustic guitar on one end and electric on the other which goes for a minute straight before the rest of the band starts a build up to the chorus which I at first though may fall flat because the lyrical content for the song was very intimate so turning it up to eleven may ruin the appeal. But oh boy was I wrong, with Skiba singing another amazing pre chorus before the build up, "Now I want you back and waiting there for me. I won't hold my breath I don't expect a thing but a boy can dream." This leads into Skiba belting out, with the rest of the band throwing their intensity through the roof, for his ex to "Tell him everything will be okay," begging her to say she still in love with him and how he can get back in her arms. This ladies and gentleman is the perfect way to represent the emotion one feels at the end of a relationship they were truly invested in. Skiba is not angry, only really showing that emotion a few times on the album. Instead, he leaves the album with the sentiment that he wants it to work out, he wishes there was something he could do but realize it may be a delusion, but, it's his delusion and he is completely fine with that.
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