| The
Daily Texan - No Date by John St. Denis | |
For
a band that completely commits itself to the music when performing live, it's a
wonder that they've undercut themselves with this record. Trail of Dead were a welcome sight when they started perfomring in '95. Conrad Keely and Jason Reece (the original two members) upped the ante on loud, emotive music with live performances that blew up right before your eyes and often resulted in inuries to the musicians. After adding Kevin Allen (additional guitar) and Neil Busch (bass and samples), the band shed some of their destructiveness for structure. The result is a tighter band and amazing songs. the band regularly puts on one of the best local shows you're likely to see. But they made a mistake in the recording of this record. Whether through bad asthetic choices or having Chris Smith (guitarist for Sixteen Deluxe) produce it, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead severely underrepresents the band. The guitars are tinny and lacking bottom end, the drums are often leaden and boxy, and much of the vocals sound like they were recorded in the bathroom - not a good approach for this band. Rather than being a document of the band's dual sonic onslaught and delicate approach, it's a mannered production. Sadly, their earlier cassette releases were better. The songs themselves aren't bad. Indeed, "Ounce of Prevention", "Novena Without Faith" and "Prince With a Thousand Enemies" are great. It's just that the recording (and it's cover) doesn't do justice to them. Do yourself a favor, go see them play and decide if you really want this record. Comments: Actually, the vocals were recorded in the bathroom , which might explain why they sound like they were recorded in the bathroom. -- Conrad Keely Rating: ** 1/2 (out of five) | |
