...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (Trail of Dead for short) had struck gold when they released their third album, "Source Tags and Codes". Having two very well received albums under their belt, "Source Tags And Codes" was the band's breakthrough. This year, the band released their latest album, "Worlds Apart".
The Band
Jason Reece - Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Conrad Keeley - Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Neil Busch - Bass, Samples
Kevin Allen - Guitar
With an album as close to perfection as "Source Tags And Codes", it's easy for one to wonder what Trail of Dead would get up to with the album's follower. Is the album a success? Definitely. Is it as good as "Source Tags and Codes"? No. Like "Source Tags and Codes", the enjoyment of the album doesn't really come with the first listen. However, after more than a few listens, the listener doesn't hear the same brilliance as "Source Tags and Codes" had. While the same thought and cleverness is there, the songs just aren't as good. The biggest difference is that this album has standout moments, while "Source Tags and Codes" was really just one big standout. So the album is very good on it's own but comes as a dissapointment when compared to the band's masterpiece.
Ok, so enough of the comparisons to "Source Tags and Codes". "Worlds Apart" is a solid fourth album and well worth looking into. The album's opener, "Ode To Isis" sounds like the band are marching to war. War on the rest of the music industry. Then the first real song, "Will You Smile Again" kicks in with an excellent intro, although the rest of the song isn't quite as good. There are some nice melodies and riffs all the way through the album, but the highlight is, no doubt the drumming. The drums are powerful on the level of someone like Dave Grohl and fit perfectly for every situation they are placed in. The vocals on this album are also excellent, coming off similar to the band Hope of The States but sounding very punk at the same time. The vocals aren't good in the most common sense, but if they were anything else, Trail of Dead would quite possibly fall flat on their faces. The strings and keyboards on the album are also used to great effect, similar to the Smashing Pumpkins.
The album has some excellent tracks and some not as excellent tracks. While quite reminiscent of earlier Trail of Dead songs, "Caterwaul" is no doubt the standout of the album while "Let It Dive" is a nice slower track, similar to "How Near How Far" from Source Tags, but possibly even better. The album's intro is indeed very interesting and is definitely worth a look.
It's hard to know what Trail of Dead were thinking with this new album. It seems that the same amount of effort that went into earlier efforts isn't present here, though it's easy to tell that the band worked hard on this album. This album won't be enjoyed much on first listen for fans of "Source Tags and Codes". However, after a few more listens, fans will grow to love this album as well. This album is no masterpiece, but it's certainly very, very good and while the band weren't able to better "Source Tags and Codes", theres no way in hell anyone can blame them for it. "Worlds Apart" is a worthy purchase and a fine start to 2005. Long live Trail of Dead. Good work boys.
Pros
- Great drumming
- Most songs are great
- THOSE vocals
- An excellent mix of sounds most bands in their field don't even dream of
- Cool intro
Cons
- It's hard not to be dissapointed after Source Tags was so perfect
- Some boring songs and interludes
- Takes effort
Reccomended Tracks
Caterwaul
Let It Dive
The Best
The Lost City of Refuge
FINAL RATING: 4/5
