…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – The Century of Self – Citizen Dick Album Review

You know how we roll here at citizendick; we’re cowed by the stern words of my man Sam Coleridge: “reviewers are usually people who would have been poets, historians, biographers, if they could; they have tried their talents at one or the other, and have failed; therefore they turn critics.”  That burns.  As such, we only review things that we like; I’ve not produced a lot of art in my life, so I’m not prepared to shit on someone else’s.  Given the choice, we’d rather elevate things done well.  All this to provide some justification for saying that I did not love the last Trail of Dead record, So Divided.  I don’t think I’m alone on this and the band’s difficulties with their former record label, Interscope, are well publicized.  That last record was a bit of a blow for me, as Worlds Apart is one of those albums I’ll be listening to straight through at least once a month until I shuffle off.  (And, if cds had grooves like records, I would have worn them off of “Days of Being Wild” from Source Tags & Codes). As a Trail of Dead fan, more than as a reviewer of records, I was excited to see where the band went with The Century of Self, their first album post-Interscope, released on Justice Records.  I’m happy to report that it’s a return to form.  Trail of Dead are loud and literary and intricate, just like you remember them.  It’s an hour long dose of tension and it’s cathartic release.  If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be writing about it.  Promise.

Right off the bat, it’s clear that Trail of Dead has dropped some of the pretension of the last album.  That palate cleansing instrumental first track is still here, but it’s a bruiser, with big fuzzy guitars and splashy cymbals.  It’s a two minute reminder that the band can bring the muscle.  That song bleeds right into the albums early highlight, “Far Pavilions,” which feverishly recalls the band’s early work.  There are the half-shouted gravelly background vocals which anchored songs like “Heart in the Hand of the Matter’ back in the day are prominently featured here.  There’s a breakdown in the middle, where the guitars dip out and some ethereal oohing and ahhing takes over.  That’s punctuated with an increasingly intense march like rhythm from the drums before the guitars explode back into the speakers.  It’s that swaggering theatricality that makes me love Trail of Dead, so it’s nice to see on the second track.

“Far Pavilions” goes right into “Isis Unveiled.”  Apparently, at least at the beginning of this record, the attitude is “breaks between songs are for candy-asses, we roll right into the next track.”  “Isis Unveiled” is another dose of heaviness, with a left turn in the middle of the song to a stomping guitar and piano riff behind some of the creepier lyrics I’ve heard in some time: “and if they taste blood, we’ll let them drink and if they taste the flesh we’ll let them be” delivered in a bar room-style multiple part harmony; it sounds like a pack of cannibals huddled around the piano at a seedy pub.  It’s awesome.  On the first listen, it was clear that Trail of Dead were back to form after the first three tracks.

I could keep going with the track by track break down, but you’re going to want to hear all of this for yourself.  There are other clear highlights on the album;  “Fields of Coal,” for instance, dials it down a notch without sounding soft, while managing to force the listener to recall Bon Jovi’s “Runaway” in the strangest way ever (this is intended as a compliment).  The musicianship throughout is top-notch, as expected; no one has ever accused the fellows of not being able to play.  In short, it’s an album that I’ll be listening to straight through for a while.  I’ve got high expectations for Trail of Dead.  I don’t want a song or two that make me tap my toe or that perk my ears up.  I want albums that I can hit play on and leave alone.  This one delivers.

If the review hasn’t convinced you to hop in the car and head to the record store, this scorching live version of “Bells of Creations,” another one of the album’s standout tracks, should.  It’s from a March 2008 date in Schorndorf, Germany, which I probably couldn’t find on a map.  As an added bonus for you, loyal reader, we’ve tacked on “Will You Smile Again For Me,”  principally because it will melt your face off, but also because you can hear a drunk German shout “1234″ right before it kicks in.  Danke Schoen!

“Bells of Creation” – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

“Would You Smile Again For Me” – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Buy …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at insound!