With their major label debut album, Source Tags and Codes, alternative rockers …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead tried to wow audiences with their powerful yet melodic rock, while at the same time expanding their minds and enlightening them to the downfall of the agrarian society that we are slowly shifting away from. They bit off more than they could chew. Still, it is a solid rock album for those who prefer a little pretension with their guitar solos and drum fills.
The band now returns with the EP The Secret of Elena’s Tomb. In keeping with the band’s motif, it is a dark and esoteric record that will probably appeal only to fans of its previous work.
The record opens with the mysterious “Mach Schau.” The song opens with a soft and somber guitar line, only to burst into a break-neck punk rhythm a minute into the song, then returns to the soft and somber to re-energize the end of the song. This song most resembled the work the band did on Source Tags and Codes, which relied heavily on loud/soft dynamics.
Things begin to be more consistent with “All St. Day.” The drumming and general mood stay consistent throughout, which helps in the general accessibiltity of the song. Still, it is dark brooding and laden with distortion and effects. The vocals of Conrad Keely are especially guttural and terrifying, to go along with the general mood.
The next song, “Crowning of a Heart,” has the band actually toning it down a bit. There are no loud yelps of pain and frustration or loud wailing of the guitar–just a soft melody backed by flowing drums and layers upon layers of synths and electronics.
This soft mentality continues onto the mainly acoustic “Counting Off the Days.” To be honest, this is where the band sounds most impressive; there are no monolithic arrangements or driving drum lines to bury the root vocals and melodies. If these guys would just stop trying to fill the room with sound, they might even be understood.
The final track, “Intelligence,” almost sounds like a new-wave dance song, with its Casio drum machine sound and distorted keyboards and electronic effects. If it weren’t for the fiery vocals, this could easily be mistaken for Devo or Brian Eno. This song probably won’t make it on tour, unless they want their butts kicked by their fans.
Included with the EP are several computer features, including a live video rendition of “All St. Day,” the videos off Source Tags and Codes, entrance to an exclusive band Web site and a sketch gallery. This gallery contains seemingly random sketches of Greek statues and turn-of-the-century photograph of random objects. These pictures do all share one thing: they are all really spooky.
In any event, this EP is not for the occasional music listener. Also, people should not use this EP as the starting point for getting into …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Source Tags and Codes would be a much better suggestion. However, this should be a great pick for those who are already fans of the group and who want to see where the band is going. If this actually is the band’s direction, we can expect good things.
