Agony & Irony : Alkaline Trio : Review : Rolling Stone

When My Chemical Romance struck platinum, Alkaline Trio might have wondered, "Why not us?" The Chicago group has spent more than a decade evolving from a Misfits-inspired hardcore act into craftsmen of exquisite doom-pop. Having recently signed with a major label, the Trio grab for the brass ring with Agony & Irony, enlisting producer Josh Abraham (Linkin Park, Velvet Revolver) to spin their big-hooked tales of funerals and heartbreak into radio-friendly cluster bombs. That new sound fits them well, at least in the beginning: Album opener "Calling All Skeletons" is a stomp-along anthem complete with hand claps, and "Help Me," a tribute to Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, adds an extra emo jolt to their hero's icy vibe. Other tracks lack the evil singsonginess of Alkaline Trio's best work, and a handful of tunes ("Live Young Die Fast," "Lost and Rendered") try to reach lighter-waving transcendence but end up sounding halfhearted. There's enough gallows humor and goth aggression to get the faithful swaying, but these guys won't be selling out arenas anytime soon.