Relationship of Command

Album released September 12, 2000 by El Paso punk band At The Drive-In. It is their first release on the Grand Royal label. “One Armed Scissor” was the first single, followed by “Invalid Litter Dept..” Tracklisting and credits:

1. Arc Arsenal
2. Pattern Against User
3. One Armed Scissor
4. Sleepwalk Capsules
5. Invalid Litter Dept.
6. Mannequin Republic
7. Enfilade
8. Rolodex Propaganda
9. Quarantined
10. Cosmonaut
11. Non-Zero Possibility
12. Catacombs (European version only)

Produced by Ross Robinson
Mixed by Andy Wallace
Mastered by Eddy Schreyer
Engineered by Chuck Johnson
Assisted by Kevin Bosley, Zak Girdis
Magnetically documented winter 2000 at Indigo Ranch Studios Malibu, CA
Mixed at Soundtrack NY, NY
Mastered at Oasis Mastering Los Angeles, CA

This album completely blew me away. Anytime I hear someone complaining that music is dead, devoid of emotion and feeling, I calmly point them to At the Drive-In. After listening a few times, read the lyrics (printed in the liner notes). This scream of consciousness flow is the most unique lyrical style in rock today (fuck rap-metal, with a couple exceptions...). Here we see rock. In all its glory. A little punk, a little metal, all solid and unique. This is one of those rare albums that you know you will keep around for awhile, not just another giggly pop rehash single.

Speaking of commercialism and price fixing (I did mention pop, didn’t I?), I bought this CD at my local Target store for $7. That’s right. $7. I buy a lot of music, but nothing drives me back to Napster like little slivers of plastic for $18. Or even worse, an album like Pink Floyd’s The Wall for $40. Not a bad album, but when comparing the dollars-to-enjoyment ratio, Relationship of Command can’t be beat.

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Thanks to Dave Gibb for pointing out the euro bonus track.