Alkaline Trio
E.P.



Release Date: 2020 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A solid and worthwhile nine minutes that further cements Alkaline Trio’s creative resurgence

Alkaline Trio’s last album Is This Thing Cursed? is one of the most remarkable and surprising return to forms in recent memory. Not only is it just as good as their older material, but it does so without feeling like a cheap rehash of it. It was incredibly refreshing hearing a reinvigorated version of the band who just a few albums before sounded completely out of ideas, complete with some of the band’s sharpest writing and best hooks to date. Most importantly, they sounded invested again. Finally the prospect of hearing new Alkaline Trio material was an exciting one, and this new EP more or less picks exactly where Cursed left off. The writing and chemistry between members is still as phenomenal as it is on Cursed, even with session drummer Tony Barsotti filling in for longtime drummer Derek Grant. While not quite as technical or impressive as Grant’s usual playing, it’s still more than serviceable enough to prop up Matt and Dan, who both do plenty to shine on this. Opening track and sole Matt song “Minds Like Minefield” recalls the more intricate guitar layering and immediate hookiness of a song like “Blackbird” but taken to the nth degree with a more experimental bridge, punk beats and one of Matt’s most active and agile vocal melodies. It shows Matt lean even more into the darker and moodier side of the band explored on Cursed, and provides a tremendous direction for them to push into for the next album. The remainder of the cuts on the EP belong to Dan, with “Radio Violence” being a bouncy pop punk number and the beautiful acoustic number “Smokestack”, almost sounding as if it came off an Emergency Room album. Both of these tracks highlight Dan’s more mature and subdued approach to writing, and help close out the EP wonderfully. E.P. is a solid and worthwhile nine minutes that further cements Alkaline Trio’s creative resurgence and proves that even this deep into their career they’re still able to churn out incredibly solid material.



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user ratings (81)
3.4
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
onionbubs
March 19th 2020


21978 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

short review on a short release hope i remembered how to write

Atari
Staff Reviewer
March 19th 2020


28007 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

whoa!

onionbubs
March 19th 2020


21978 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yea had no idea this was coming today very welcome surprise

theacademy
Emeritus
March 19th 2020


31865 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

is this thing... BlEsSeD?

SymbolicInTime
March 19th 2020


7380 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Solid stuff. Was feeling a 3.5 at first, but it already grew on me by the second. Hope I still end up being able to go to the rescheduled Fall shows.

onionbubs
March 19th 2020


21978 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yea thats about where i was first listen i think i might bump to a 4.5 if the second track grows on me a bit more. really love the first and last song tho hope they break out minds like minefields whenever that tour gets rescheduled

9Hammer
March 19th 2020


487 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Nice review! I find this to be a nice, short and sweet record for what it is. Radio Violence is a catchy jam for me.

Atari
Staff Reviewer
March 20th 2020


28007 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah I think Radio Violence is my favorite here

Rowan5215
Staff Reviewer
March 20th 2020


47944 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

wish I could be keen for this but Skiba is such an absolute fuckwit/abuse defender/has a neo-nazi friend. he's completely ruined this band I've loved since I was like 12 for me, so gg Skeebs



might jam the Dan acoustic song if I'm in the mood tho

SlothcoreSam
March 20th 2020


6370 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Insta 4,

1. Minds like Minefields, 4.7

2. Radio Violence, 3.7

3. Smokestack, 3.9



After 2 listens. Let's see how this changes.

McTime50
March 20th 2020


1021 Comments


i like radio violence more than the other two for sure

tectactoe
March 20th 2020


7837 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Safe and forgettable. And this is coming from someone who genuinely loves early AK3.

Track 3 is the best.

Trebor.
Emeritus
March 21st 2020


59974 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

tight

glorybox94
March 22nd 2020


1079 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

radio violence is also my favorite here

GotDoritos
March 24th 2020


32 Comments


This is fun, glad to see Cursed wasn't a one-off in terms of quality.

Is it just me or is there a high-pitched ringing sound on Minds Like Minefields? Listening to the spotify version...very distracting

Minushuman24
March 24th 2020


4997 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

radio violence is pretty nice, the ep is nice

BADNEW
March 26th 2020


43 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

It's alright. Pretty average for Alkaline Trio. Nothing made my playlist here. Radio Violence is pretty solid, but not all that catchy.

Project
March 26th 2020


5886 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah this is solid if unremarkable.

decisions
May 26th 2020


1129 Comments


Good EP, production is a bit too sterile though.

BigHerb
July 19th 2020


20 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

A great way to kill 10 minutes of your quarantine.



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