And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
The Secret of Elena's Tomb EP
(Interscope Records)
By: John Schietinger - ModernRock.com
This new EP from Austin's …Trail of Dead finds the group in transition. Their first release since 2002's acclaimed Source Tags and Codes, Elena's Tomb is a five-song set that harkens back to that album, as well as looking toward …Trail of Dead's future.
"Mach Shau" and "All St. Day" are textbook …Trail of Dead rockers, combining the group's propulsive guitar-driven energy and vocal screams that are equal parts melodic and intense. These songs would not be far out of place on Source Tags and Codes, which is definitely a good thing. "Crowning of a Heart" signals a change of direction: it is a mellow (by…Trail of Dead standards), mid-tempo track with a stunningly catchy and pretty chorus. Amidst the maelstrom of shrieking guitars and pounding rhythm, …Trail of Dead have a great knack for simply writing gorgeous songs. The final two tracks on the EP do not go over as well as the first three. "Counting off the Days" sounds like an unfinished demo. Singer Conrad Keely does his best Dashboard Confession impersonation on a stripped-down song that tries far too hard to be emotional. "Intelligence" is a failed experiment of crossing …Trail of Dead's guitar sound with a heavy dance beat: it ends up sounding like a Prodigy B-side.
Overall, diehard …Trail of Dead fans will love this set, especially for the first three songs. For those unfamiliar with the band, it is best to start with Source Tags and Codes and their first two albums, while anxiously looking forward to their next long player.
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