Alkaline Trio: About the Band, Its Albums and More

My Alkaline Trio love affair began in late 2006, long after the original formation of the band and long after they had already developed a strong fan base. I had heard of them before I took the plunge into fandom, but I have always had an initial aversion to anything popular, despite being an avid pop-punk fan. And by pop-punk, I do not mean the hokey Simple Plans or Fall Out Boys, I mean the good stuff, but that's another article. Alkaline Trio doesn't regularly haunt MTV or the airwaves, so I wanted to give a quick rundown of their albums to help introduce any late-bloomers (like me) to their catchy, but sometimes dark, music. This is a list of their full-length albums, not in order by release date, but by my recommendations of what you should try first.

From Here To Infirmary (2001) This is their fourth full-length album, and is definitely one of my favorites. It's from the middle of their career, so I think it would be a good choice for your first taste of Alkaline Trio. The first track, "Private Eye" is amazing!

Good Mourning (2003) This album was released after From Here To Infirmary, making it their fifth release. Another favorite of mine, and I almost chose it as the first album to check out, but it does peter out a little bit mid-way. It has a more polished sound, not indicative of their previous albums. The first five tracks are absolute gold, though.

Goddamnit (1998) The Trio's debut album. Would I sound redundant if I said that this was also a favorite? Yes, I would. Anyway, this album has a much more raw sound, which would be expected. If you liked the first two albums listed, I think it's time you delved into their past. High energy and great lyrics. Also, they're about to reissue Goddamnit. The reissue will include bonus tracks, a DVD, new artwork and more. Exciting.

Crimson (2005) The sixth release. This album is just beautiful, and I would have put it higher in the list, but it has such a different sound that I didn't want to throw anyone off. I highly recommend this album to anyone, and it can definitely be played all the way through without skipping a single track. Don't expect a raw punk sound, though, it's polished to a high shine and implements electronic music. If you like this, check out Matt Skiba's other band, Heavens.

Maybe I'll Catch Fire (2000) Many fans won't agree with me putting this low on the list. It's got some great songs, but the whole album feels slow to me. "Radio" is a must for any Trio fan, though, so check it out and then proceed to berate me for not putting this album higher.

Remains (2007) A compilation and their latest release! There are three songs on here that are just amazing and they alone are worth the cost of the CD: "Queen of Pain," "Warbrain," and "We Can Never Break Up." Otherwise, it's hit or miss.

Alkaline Trio (2000) Self-titled, obviously, and a compilation. All the songs are from old EP's and elsewhere. "Goodbye Forever" is one of my favorite songs, and there are a few more awesome tracks, but there's also some stuff that only a die-hard fan can appreciate. I prefer the Goddamnit version of "Nose Over Tail" and a couple songs, like the Cure cover "Exploding Boy" and "Sun Dials" are simply not listenable.

I hope this helps some poor soul who hasn't yet experienced the greatness of Alkaline Trio. If you are dying for more after listening to these albums (as I was), you can go to their official website and sign up for their fan club entitled Blood Pact. You'll get the standard fan pack: T-shirt, patch, web access, etc... but what you're really signing up for is the exclusive downloads of unreleased music. They have a bunch of live stuff, demos, and other unreleased goodies available. Definitely worth the measly $25 it takes to sign on.