The fabled, final studio album from El Paso’s At the Drive-In reissued on vinyl. Originally released in 2000 this album has become known as one of the most influential rock albums of the aughts. When punk was headed towards emo and rap-metal was mutating into nu-metal, ATDI decided to grab you by the collar and smack you across the face with its raw, unadulterated rock™. Album opener “Arc Arsenal” sets a vicious tone for the album with its guttural vocals and breakneck speed and standouts like “One Armed Scissor” and “Invalid Litter Dept.” show the more abstract and adventurous angle that led to the founding of The Mars Volta. They even managed to rope in Iggy Pop for a vocal appearance on “Rolodex Propaganda” and the reading of the ransom note on “Enfilade”. With their amps cranked to the max and the culmination of their anthemic, call-to-arms chorus’, ATDI created their own moment in time that is still resonating. The band split up soon after its release, further supplanting them into the lore of Rock & Roll history. Includes a free MP3 download for all of your digital necessities.

• music label: Twenty-First Chapter 2014

reviewed by boumtje-boumtje 081914