Omar Rodriguez Lopez: The Essential Album Guide

RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND (AT THE DRIVE-IN) (2000)
Key Tracks: "Arcarsenal," "One Armed Scissor"
Quick Take: At the Drive-In reinvigorated American postpunk, combining emo's unabashed passion with a politically edged fury reminiscent of the MC5. Their major label debut, Relationship of Command, ratchets everything up to 11. In comparison to previous emo-influenced efforts, Command sounds a little icy. But this is owed mostly to Ross Robinson's all- edges production; ATDI play as deftly as ever, unleashing a fireworks display of competing yet complementary sound bursts. The sinisterly schizo "One Armed Scissor" enthralled indie-oriented hard rock fans who had yet to hear from the Strokes or the White Stripes, but personal differences broke At the Drive-In apart before they could make a mark on MTV.

Relationship of Command (Virgin)