Rating: NNN
If the album’s title refers to the head-butting between members of the Texas-based post-punk band during the writing of album number five, that would make a lot of sense. Released a year and some after the slightly disappointing and equally fractured Worlds Apart, So Divided, like their other albums, exhibits the band’s songwriting talent without presenting a complete-sounding record. While Trail of Dead continue to veer further from any particular formula, Divided sees them playing some new cards, like the roadhouse bluesy vibe on Naked Sun, the Beatles-tinged explosion on Eight Day Hell and, weirdly, a tasteful Guided by Voices cover that doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. While they may never reach the heights of their Source Tags & Codes, the band can still push boundaries.
Trail of Dead lay waste to the Phoenix Sunday (November 5).
