Echoes and dust

So, one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the last few years has finally arrived. Three years in the making and much hyped, will it live up to the weight of expectation?

‘Emancipated’ from the perceived restrictions they felt were imposed on them by the process of recording their last two albums for an unhelpful record company, have they set out in a radical new direction? Have they returned to the raw sound of their roots? Have they disappeared in to their own navels in a self-indulgent manner? Frankly, ‘no’ to all of those.

‘Century Of Self’ opens in a very familiar manner, the theatrical instrumental track ‘Giant Causeway’  is first up and not entirely dissimilar to the openings of their last three albums, especially ‘Ode To Isis’ that prefaces ‘Worlds Apart’ and much like that album it then slams the listener in to a massive slice of rock in ‘Far Pavillions’.

And this is a theme that persists, ‘Century Of Self’ is a great rock record, that is beyond question, but all the way through there remains the feeling that you’ve heard it before. The stand out track of the record ‘Bells Of Creation’ is so similar in its construction to ‘Let It Dive’, also on ‘Worlds Apart’, that the two could be swapped and I’m not even sure the band would notice.

However, this should not detract from the quality of this record. Put simply, it’s a belter!

Trail of Dead have always been the acceptable face of Emo, but since their last record the world has witnessed the rise and rise of the likes of Funeral For A Friend, My Chemical Romance and Sunday Boys Die In Hot Cars (I might have made that one up). ‘Century Of Self’ sticks all of them firmly back in their boxes! The intelligence, musicality and sheer talent of Keely and the boys sets them apart from the rest of the field.

Tracks like ‘Isis Unveiled’ and ‘Ascending’ leave their many imitators gasping for oxygen in their wake, the ideas are just bursting out, changes of tempo, key and mood leap around like a box of angry frogs.

So, to go back to my opening question, does it live up to expectation? I think it’s a qualified ‘yes’, it certainly is a great rock record, it certainly keeps the listener enthralled from beginning to end and it’s certainly way ahead of the competition, but at the back of my mind I can’t help feeling that it could be more but maybe I expect to much? Ah well, there’s always next time.

Top Tracks: 'Isis Unveiled', ‘Bells Of Creation’.

Released Febuary 23 on RSK Entertainment