Alkaline Trio - 'Remains'

Rarities records suffer from the same problem as greatest hits compilations — fans don’t get anything new. However, a rarities record does usually gather together a ton of hard-to-get material and assemble it all in one place. Such is the case with Alkaline Trio’s Remains, which is actually the band’s second rarities disc, after 2000’s Alkaline Trio. While Remains consists mostly of previously released material (and three new live cuts taken from the band’s recent “Occult Roots” tour), its convenient packaging makes it a solid purchase for Alka-holics (I am clever).

Remains kicks off its 23-song track list with “Hell Yes,” originally from the now-out-of-print Lookout! Records seven-inch of the same name, and follows up with its B-side, “My Standard Break From Life.” The first has guitarist Matt Skiba on lead vocals and bassist Dan Andriano takes over on the second. Both brilliantly display the Alkaline Trio formula. Skiba’s song combines Satanism with Chicago pop punk for maximum effect. Andriano aims for something less dark (getting old and sucking at life), but provides just as catchy of a tune. Both continue to be popular Trio songs to this day, as proven when “My Standard Break From Life” shows up again later on Remains, this time in acoustic form.

But while Andriano is a great songwriter, the equally talented Skiba dominates a great deal of this album. He turns in a solid cover of Berlin’s “Metro” (aka – the only other Berlin song people can reasonably be expected to know). It’s second only to the System of a Down version (r.e. – Dracula 2000 soundtrack, dude) in terms of giddy rocking. Then comes one of the band’s strongest, but rarely played, numbers, “Jaked on Green Beers.”

Originally released on the first Atticus: Dragging the Lake compilation, “Jaked on Green Beers” reveals that Alkaline Trio don’t always put their best songs on their full-lengths. Clocking in at just under three-and-a-half minutes, it pummels the listener with its rolling bass line and quick, punchy drumming. “Jaked on Green Beers” is one heck of a kiss-off song, delaying the full effect of its chorus (“I hope this is goodbye”) until the very end, at which point listeners get treated to some of the most intense vocals from Skiba and Andriano since… well, ever.

Alkaline Trio have put out two split EPs in the past few years. One, with Hot Water Music, is amazing from start to finish. The other, with One Man Army, was only half-good. Luckily, the good half was provided by the Trio. Both are fully represented on Remains. “Queen of Pain” pulls the same trick as “Jaked on Green Beers.” It’s an awesome pop song throughout, but Skiba doesn’t really rock out the chorus until the last minute of the song. “While You’re Waiting” and the HWM cover “Rooftops” are similarly rocking.

All six of the songs from the band’s One Man Army split show up here, effectively making that BYO release obsolete. These tracks are interesting, and reveal how good the lackluster Crimson, which followed not long after the split’s release, could’ve been had the band not spread itself so thin with OMA. The Alk3 formula is so standardized-in-a-good-rock-way that the simplest of changes, like adding castanets to “Fine Without You,” shifts the focus of the song entirely. In this case, it means focusing less on the ho-hum “Meh, I don’t need you, meh” lyrics and more on how cool castanets sound in a punk song. Seriously, castanets rule.

A few more B-sides and compilation tracks appear on Remains as well. Crimson’s “Time to Waste” B-sides, “We Can Never Break Up” and “Don’t Say You Won’t,” are catchy, new wave-y ditties. “Don’t Say You Won’t,” in particular, stands out as a great, Cure-inspired tune. The use of synths, galloping bass and, of course, catchy hooks give it the same feel as such Robert Smithian tunes as “Just Like Heaven” or “Punish Me With Kisses.”

Also included are the B-side “Buried” and compilation tracks “Warbrain” from Rock Against Bush and “Old School Reasons” off of Oil. Finishing off the disc are live versions of “Dethbed,” “My Standard Break From Life” and “I’m Dying Tomorrow.” They’re all decently recorded, but are still inferior to their studio-made counterparts.

Remains also comes with a DVD, which is stuffed mostly with forgettable tour footage (how many shots of Skiba warming up his voice and screaming in German do we need?). But, it does contain all of the band’s videos from “Stupid Kid” up through “Burn” (aka – now), which is a nice visual addition.

Alkaline Trio have done little to switch up their gloomy pop-punk style during their 10 years of rocking. But for the most part, this dedication to similarity has served the band well. At least the song they keep rewriting is a good one. Remains, though it offers nothing new in terms of songs or artistic risks, is still a worthy purchase for punk fans.