…And you will know us By the trail of Dead The Secret Of Elena’s Tomb (Interscope) Rating: NN Rating: NN
It’s a good thing And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have their apocalyptic live performances to fall back on. A recording studio is a poor substitute for a demolished stage, but that’s no excuse for turning into a weepy emo band on disc. They’re still stuck in that nasty phase of writing actual songs that marred their Source Tags & Codes disc, and the five songs on The Secrets Of Elena’s Tomb are muddled and meandering, drifting between attempts at a pop crossover and more straightforward though equally bland emo rock. It’s admirable that Trail of Dead would want to keep their fans in the loop about the band’s progress, but maybe they should have saved the Nine Inch Nails homage for the greatest hits package.
