Church and Destroy

That’s what Matt Skiba, lead singer and guitarist for Chicago’s Alkaline Trio wanted to call their latest release. Upon hearing that they were thinking about using "Church and Destroy" as the title, some religious groups put pressure on the band and their label, Vagrant Records. Skiba says that they changed the title to the bland "Crimson," not because of the protest, but because it didn’t quite fit the new songs they had recorded.

For our readers who don’t belong to the Blood-Pact, it’s been said that the Alkaline Trio represent the perfect balance of lyrical hell and pop heaven. They may have co-opted their look from The Damned, but lyrically, they sound like Danzig-era Misfits with catchy hooks. Musically, they haven’t really tried anything beyond three chords … until now. "Crimson" finds the Alkaline Trio exploring outside the house that Bad Religion built. Sometimes the changes can be good, like with their new single, "Time to Waste," which features a piano; likewise "Burn" and "Prevent This Tragedy" feature good synth parts. Yet sometimes these additions seem to bring the songs down as in the case of the From Autumn to Ashes-sounding "Sadie" which features a female spoken word part. The same goes for the string arrangements on the closing track "Smoke."

Matt Skiba says that being a longtime member of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan hasn’t shaped the bands sound, but being the principal creative force behind Alkaline Trio, we have to wonder how could it not? Skiba said in a recent interview that one of the edicts of Satanism prohibits bothering others in open territory. However, "if someone bothers you, ask him to stop – if he does not stop, destroy him." That’s what Skiba lives by, and that’s exactly how Alkaline Trio have carved themselves a niche in today’s overcrowded pop-punk music scene.

The Alkaline Trio will be performing on Tuesday, July 12th at La Zona Rosa. Playing support will be Rise Against and Death by Stereo.

Tickets are available from Star Tickets and are priced at $21.50. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8.