THIS FEELS MORE LIKE MARS VOLTA // At the Drive-In - Arcarsenal // Composer Reaction & Analysis
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Arcarsenal
ORIGINAL VIDEO // • Arcarsenal
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0:00 Intro
02:55 Reaction
05:56 Analysis - I Loved This
10:36 Analysis - Sonic Cacophony
16:31 Analysis - Unexpected Vocal Work
22:31 Analysis - Lyrical Dive
29:23 Outro
#reaction #atdi #atthedrivein #posthardcore
This album changed my life
These guys influenced so many modern post hardcore bands. You might as well react to this entire album. And In/Casino/Out
What a revolutionary album this was 23 years ago. Incredible.
This album is near-perfection.
"I don't know what this means" is a really common response to At The Drive-In's lyrics or really a lot of the things they do to be honest! This is one of my favorite tracks on Relationship of Command, but I really hope you do a deep dive on At The Drive-In because their catalogue is so great. In/Casino/Out and Vaya are similar and yet so different in ways I think you will really enjoy.
e: Cedric literally had to re-learn how to sing for The Mars Volta because he wrecked his vocal cords doing all the At The Drive-In songs, they're so emotional and raw but not really sustainable. If you go back and watch later live shows when he sings this song it's different because of the way he sings now
Check out Invalid Litter Dept. from this album please! It’s one of my favorite songs of all time.
It’s a masterpiece.
mine too!
entire album kicks complete ass, this song kicks complete ass
I am 1000% here for a post hardcore journey.
A couple seminal albums, for me:
Frodus: ...and we washed our weapons in the sea
Raft of dead Monkeys: Thoroughlev
mewithoutYou: Catch for us the Foxes
Blood Brothers: Burn, Piano Island, Burn
These Arms Are Snakes: Easter
I fucking loved The Blood Brothers Crimes. I have listened to that album 100 times.
e: I've never heard of Frodus but I am digging it so far.
e2: oh shit mewithoutYou is killing it
This is the first time I've seen somebody else recommend Frodus, And we Washed Our Weapons in the Sea is such an underrated record.
First time I've seen Frodus listed by anyone... only ever heard of them because I knew Jason at the time.
For some older bands: Drive Like Jehu, Quicksand, Handsome, Jawbox, Unwound, HUM, more Refused songs, Burning Airlines, Shudder To Think, maybe even Helmet.
Strongly second Drive Like Jehu and Burning Airlines@@andrefaria2921
This was the opening track to the album and set the tone immediately. Really need to do the whole album because not only does the quality not dip a bit throughout, but it also covers a lot of different territory song to song.
When you mentioned the soul of post-hardcore I immediately thought of a song from their previous album, Napoleon Solo. Which is an absolute banger as well as their most heartfelt song.
If you love post-hardcore you absolutely have to do a deep dive on Glassjaw.
Ape Dos Mil vs. Siberian Kiss
One of my fave albums of all time.
Drive Like Jehu for a big influence on these guys.
@@cgo7395 and June of 44 in my opinion
For your post-hardcore journey, I recommend the album "Juturna" by Circa Survive, and "The Alchemy Index" by Thrice.
or something from Translating the Name ep from Saosin
@@doomburger8433He listened to all of Translating the Name and loooooved it. You could probably find it if you searched
What a coincidence, this song came on shuffle during my morning commute. Wish I had any info on the title, it's a mystery to me as well.
Funny you bring up Hail the Sun, I know of at least one interview I listened to where Donovan Melero said he loves Deloused in the Comatorium by TMV, so it would stand to reason that he's probably into this as well.
I also like that you mention controlled chaos, I think I've come to really enjoy that sensation, and yes it is very hard to reproduce. I don't know about you, but I feel like my approach to writing music produces things that sound organized by default. I don't know if chaos is arrived at via spontaneity, but being a one man show makes that difficult. You could probably couple that with the fact that I look for melodies and takes to be pretty clean, so I probably lose out on some energy in that process.
On another note, Cedrics vocals are pretty different on this album in comparison to all the TMV stuff, he's pretty much yelling all the time. It's like he's halfway between singing and just shouting at someone, and then of course you get the unhinged screaming at the end. My favorite from this album is Cosmonaut, if you ever get around to checking out more of it.
I also have that romanticized outlook on chaotic writing -- that it more easily comes from group projects without perfectionists. I don't know if that distance that I create through that lens is a good one though; it might be true but it also makes it feel unobtainable by me. Regardless, bands like ATDI make it look so easy and I'd love to sit in on a recording session for any band making similar music and see what the actual process is.
If we go by the most common interpretation of the lyrics been about Dahmer, I could take a wild guess and say that the 'Arca' part of the name is short for arcane.
Arcane = Obscure, secret, Arsenal = collection, array of equipment in abundance. Arcane + Arsenal = Collection of secrets 🤷🏻
That's my deep dive for now 😂
This album came out when i was 20 and it changed my life. I saw ATDI twice in 2000 and the shows were super chaotic and intense. The album is so dark, there's a dissonance running throughout the whole thing for me that makes me feel uncomfortable but it blew my mind 24 years ago and it still does now. Thanks for your take on it 👍🏻
A perfect album
Arc - (in a novel, play, or movie) the development or resolution of the narrative or principal theme
Arsenal - a collection of weapons, or an array of resources available for a certain purpose.
Arcarsenal basically means "this is the narrative/our plan of attack" it's a portmanteau.
The album cover is adorned with a Trojan Horse. The album title is called the RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND (HINT, HINT)
You should be able to do the math from there. The Trojan Horse is the key to deciphering the lyrics of this album. Just ask yourself, "Who is the opposition in a metaphorical sense"?
You really should check out tracks from their earlier albums, In/Casino/Out and Vaya for more of a emo/post-hardcore vibe. Tracks like “198d”, “Napoleon Solo”, “Transatlantic Foe”, etc
And for your post-hardcore deep dive, more Fugazi is essential, as well as Hoover
YES IM SO GLAD UR ON AN ATDI KICK NOW
The whole album needs a reaction for sure. And of course I’m gonna say react to more unwound. The pinnacle of post hardcore taken to its furthest fringes
You should definitely check out the live version of their song Quarantined they did on Channel V. It's a very proggy version of the song and is the most telling of what Cedric and Omar would go onto to do :)))
I'm pretty sure I have and even made several mentions about how it felt like a prototype for what they'd do next 😄 ua-cam.com/video/DAhsTN5E0-k/v-deo.html
This album was at the forefront of albums that shaped what i listened to growing up. TMV is one of my favorite bands and i also love post hardcore like alexisonfire and everytimeidie and i love prog rock and metal. Cedric and Omar usually hit all the bases for me
would love to see a whole reaction to this album. One of my personal favorites and one of the strongest in the genre IMO
They are the present, the past, and the future. ATDI is timeless.
Beware!
Definitely need to review some FUGAZI
Absolute banger of an opening track. Might be my favorite opener ever
I’m a huge ATDI fan. I really like their Vaya EP. I think you (and us viewers) would enjoy reacting to Metronome Arthritis ! Such a good song and great lyrics.
A great album, should definitely listen to the whole album. I would also recommend listening to The Mars Volta's Tremulant EP which came out before their first album. A bit more in the Post Hardcore vein. There is a HQ Remastered version of it.
Listen to this version of "Concertina" from that EP though:
ua-cam.com/video/FFToon5Zlqs/v-deo.htmlsi=5WDL1LNAM56Ubva0
The superior recorded Concrtina and just behind the one on Scab Dates overall imo.
If you "love this", you NEED to check out DRIVE LIKE JEHU, this album's PRIMARY INFLUENCE
To quote the lead singer of ATDI... "there would be no Relationship of Command without Drive Like Jehu"
Caress, Step on Chameleon, Here Come the Rome Plows, Do You Compute, Luau...please please please, check out Jehu!!!
Please react to their song "Lopsided". One of the best songs i've ever heard.
Maybe like 13 years ago the band I was playing in was playing at a local place opening up for Dance Gavin Dance. Anyway this was one of the song we decided to cover that night and and some of the dudes from that band thought it was cool to hear someone cover ATDI. Anyway lame little story but was really cool to see what kind of music the bands we looked up too enjoyed.
Hey dont discount jim ward. He's the other special sauce that makes ATDI. They weren't the same when they same back without him. Sparta was the other fractured band.
I forgot that band's name but yeah, they were brought up last time and I added them to my personal list. I gotta check them out and see where they went after ATDI
@@CriticalReactions MV took a lot of the weirdness with them. Sparta is more along the lines of an angry jimmy eats world. But once you listen you'll see how the 2 halves make a whole atdi. I would suggest either mye or taking back control as a first listen. And hey you DO exist! Great stuff. Cheers.
Hi there.
I have some recommandations.
Amenra - Razoreater
Toundra - Cielo Negro
Psychonaut - All Your Gods Have Gone
O'Brother - Burn
Bossk - I
Russian Circles - Atackla
Cheers :)
Hail the Sun gives me strong Circa Survive/Anthony Green vibes.
I think I said my piece on ATDI on the last reaction. I think this definitely shows off how much more they leaned into the aggressive punk attitude than TMV did, but also shows off their burgeoning psychedelic influences in the weird sonic experimental. I should definitely revisit them soon as it's been way too long since I heard them. I basically checked them out after falling in love with TMV and never got back to them.
need to check out deloused in the comatorium start to finish. i think you will appreciate it alot. really enjoy your reviews and analysis mate. cheers!
Btw, there would be no Relationship of Command without Drive Like Jehu. Listen to Yankcrime if you want to see where this specific style of Post Hardcore originated.
2000s post-hardcore was an incredible time of innovation. Really, if the record industry hadn't collapsed a lot more of those bands would have been household names. Blood Brothers immediately come to mind, especially for taking chaotic dissonance, polyrhythms, and screamed vocals and making it all sound catchy.
Great album
Should also check out Antemasque same band basically haha
I hadn't heard of them before. I've added them to the list.
Post-hardcore has always been a soup of a genre especially because the hardcore punk genre was always evolving right alongside post-hardcore (from the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag to 90s beatdown hXc)! I'd say the genre is born in the 80s in response to hardcore punk (my picks: Nomeansno and Fugazi), branches off into its own autonomous genre throughout the 90s (my picks: Drive Like Jehu and AtDI), and then in the '00s starts to incorporate elements from 90s hardcore (my picks: Glassjaw and Thrice)
Also: it's sorta funny how we can say there's a "proto" post-hardcore without saying it's just hardcore punk (I'm thinkng of a band like the Wipers).
A Post Hardcore classic.
Arcarsenal is just a word Cedric pilled from his Dyslexicon
I just asked you to check this out and you did! Of course, I assume it is just a coincidence but one I will gladly accept!
Edit: You saying "this is a weird analysis for me. It's just a lot of controlled noise" is just so perfect. I have a good friend who is now some sort of sound/music engineer. I introduced this band to him and he hated them at first because nothing made sense. Cedric and Omar just make weird noises that shouldn't fit. It didn't take long for him to absolutely love them, though, and I think you may have just been hooked by the ol' gruesome twosome of Omar and Cedric.
Not to take anything away from the rest of the band. Once again, check out Sparta. It's the other guitarist/back up vocalist (except on that one track on In/Casino/Out), drummer, and bassist that make up that band.
Last edit: this was their opening track to their concerts once they made the song and it blows every other acts opening out of the f-bombing water.
Your comment from a couple days ago is exactly why I chose this song today. Fantastic recommendation! Sparta is on my list, especially after hearing two ATDI tracks now
@@CriticalReactions Hell yeah, that's fun! I look forward to your reaction specifically in light of knowing what TMV became and having now heard ATDI.
What a goddamn way to open an album. Talk about making a fucking statement.
Yup you definitely should try the whole album. Lots of great tracks beyond these 2, very consistent.
The Mars Volta's first album is like this but more drawn out with Progressive and Psychedelic elements
Please review some tracks from Cursive's Domestica. Thinkl you would enjoy them
I always interpreted the title as "Arc arsenal," like Archangel. Could be wrong, of course.
Oh FUCK YES!!!!
While not quite the post hardcore that most are familiar with, you should definitely start at the routes of the genre with bands like Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, and Big Black before moving to the more obvious bands like Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, The Jesus Lizard, and Unwound.
you really should listen to either one armed scissor or cosmonaut next
Oh man, if you look at post hardcore I hope you check out some Glassjaw.
How come, with all these discussions of ATDI/Mars Volta, post-HD/post-rock etc., I've never seen anyone mention Golden?
They were a great instrumental band with Jon Theodor on drums and the 12" with Rhythm-Beat Jazz is an absolute classic:
ua-cam.com/video/avXHotktSSE/v-deo.html
The answer appears to be two fold. First, while I can hear some similarities in compositional devices the two styles are drastically different in approach. You might be able to get some Mars Volta fans to enjoy Golden but, at least that song you linked, shares very little with the middle of the post-hardcore bell curve. You might get some more post-rock fans onto Golden but I think the jazzier elements might turn them off. The second reason they're not brought up enough, and probably the more important reason, is simply exposure. 300 monthly Spotify listens is very low. I'd wager there simply isn't anyone in the community who know about them.
@@CriticalReactionsI was wondering in this context because the drummer, Jon Theodor, was the original Mars Volta drummer... as for their music, they were mostly more in the post-rock direction -- the Rhythm-Beat Jazz collaboration is where they went in a more jazz/afrobeat direction.
If you are interested in good new hardcore I really like to recommend you the british band maruja and their song one hand behind the devil.
I truly believe that if ATDI had continued they would have been a much more important band than Mars Volta. They were simply better, more energetic, original and accessible. Music didn't need another noodling prog rock band like Mars Volta. That type of music was done to death years ago.
lyrically it’s surrealism in literature put to use
For me the title is Arcane + Arsenal but maybe I’m playing too much RPGs
As much as I love the mars volta, I really dislike Cedric’s vocals for ATDI and there’s nothing I can really do about it. but this band is groundbreaking in so many ways
Hourglass by ATDI is one of the saddest songs ever.
Such an amazing album and band... so good live. I knew them first so I never appreciated the mars volta as much
dude please return to the appreciation of the also post-hardcoreish Closure in Moscow content
I need to. Especially since I didn't get to listen to their 2023 album in time for my upcoming "favorites of 2023" video. :(
@@CriticalReactions may I suggest the 2023 tune Keeper of the Lake
i love The Mars Volta, but I've never been able to get into At The Drive In despite trying; Cedric's screaming vocals are just so offputting to me. The Mars Volta all the way!
Yeah you're right on point. I feel like this is trying a little too hard to be something that's already been done. Because of this fact I wouldn't necessarily gravitate towards listening to something like this however I don't think it's bad meaning modern rap is not bad either. I would give modern rap & something like this a grade of C+but while I'm really looking for the A+ band & not just looking for bands or songs with passing grades of C+. Great honest reaction. 👌
This IMO is the weakest song on the album
Enfilade and Cosmonaut are the best songs on the ROC album, no diggity. Pattern against user is also sick.
i'm not a fan of Ross Robinson's production style at all... so yeah