Trio + One = V

Split records have always given buyers one thing -- two bands on one album. Never really giving Alkaline Trio a chance and having never heard One Man Army, I thought this was all this record had to offer. After listening, I began to see why Alkaline Trio has risen to be one of the biggest bands in punk and how One Man Army's adherence to old-school punk is nothing but refreshing.\nTypical pop-punk comes off as happy and playful. Alkaline Trio wails beyond this genre stereotype as their horror-punk appearance seeps through in their painful and dark melody. "Dead and Broken" and "Sadie" roll through tales of death and loss as the mood picks up with a cover of "Wait for the Blackout" by the Damned. The '77 punk classic segues perfectly into One Man Army and their tight, San Francisco sound. Thick, abrasive vocals drive the classic-punk inspired anthems reminiscent of Stiff Little Fingers and recent groups: US Bombs and Swingin' Utters. "The Hemophiliac" sounds like an outtake from SLF's essential 1979 album Inflammable Material, and that's nothing but praise.\nBeyond the music, this split's interesting yet complimentary pairing (pop-punk vs. evolved street-punk) sets in stone that this record offers much more than two bands for the price of one.