At the Drive-In

Right from the beginning of Arcanasel, with it's velocity like sound effects, this album takes you on a ride that transcends more than the ability to rock out. At The Drive-In was easily one of the most unique bands to ever come out of that damn post-hardcore label, but you can't label this band. This album is chockful of track after track of melodic, gorgeous dissonance, breakdowns, intense pounding rhythms, anti-guitar work at times, terriflying consistent, topped off with lyrics that can easily be drawn into their own interpretation. This is Relationship of Command. End of the line.

9/10

This is a good album. Being a big Mars Volta fan, I find a lot to like about it. Its no MV though. Its like being in the car on the way to the beach when you really want to be at the beach.

Although not my favorite ATDI album, this is the first one I ever heard. The intensity of Cedric's vocals can be grating at times, but these guys are amazingly tight considering the punk quality of the music. Find some live footage of them on the web. So sloppy yet so inspiring. Better than the Mars Volta, better than Sparta, ATDI was the one-night stand you never saw again (but won't ever forget).

1) Arcarsenal - My favorite tune kicks off the album. Don't f with ATDI. Cedric's just shouting his head off. Vampires? Cannibals? Like most of their songs, I have no idea.
2) Pattern Against User - A fan fave, but I could do without. It's got some bounce to it, but after the wake of destruction left by the previous song, this just peeters along.
3) One Armed Scissor - I know, I'm supposed to like this one too, but it's unfortunately not what I'm looking for. It's not dynamic enough for me. There are better songs elsewhere.
4) Sleepwalk Capsules - Just blasting out of the gates into the top 3, this one's purely to melt your face. Great chorus and a tight, tight breakdown. "Pacifier pacifies."
5) Invalid Litter Dept. - The longest track is about famous murders near the band's hometown. Another great chorus, but not much else. Until...BAM! 2 songs in 1! And it rrrocks!!!
6) Mannequin Republic - These guys don't let up. Maybe the hardest rocker here. "They call it a wasteland, baby!!" I'm screaming the ending every time.
7) Enfilade - Creepy phone call from Iggy Pop to start, 2nd best song to follow. The drums sound like electric garbage cans. The freight-train's comin' and it makes me wanna dance.
8) Rolodex Propaganda - OMG, just terrible. Iggy picked a horrible song to appear on. When he warbles "Manuscript replica" I just laugh. Goofy effects to boot.
9) Quarantined - A slower song. The bass intro sounds like Rage, but the chorus shout-along is all Drive-In. The bridge really trips me out. A little long, but a strong track.
10) Cosmonaut - Cedric's vocals are a little much for me on this one. Not the worst, but by this time in the album it's getting hard to concentrate. kk-kk-kk-kk kow!!
11) Non Zero Possibility - So I've usually moved on to something else by this point, saving myself from this song. Bow down to the emo gods. Sorry, no good.

Relationship of Command was the last album by At the Drive-In before they split up, the singer and a guitarist leaving to form The Mars Volta, the bassist, drummer, and other guitarist creating Sparta. You can definitely see elements of both bands in Drive-In, although they're closer to Sparta in general sound. Drive-In is like a combination of both bands that has the best parts of neither. They don't have the more accessible catchiness of Sparta or eccentric creativity of Volta. It doesn't mean they're worse than either though, just different. They have a similar punk rock vibe, with more chaos and creativity in place of choruses and standard progression. The singer is definitely better than Sparta's, although he's more prone to just shouting. They're a loud, aggressive band, with a penchant for lyrics that don't make a lot of sense. It can sound a little too much like the average modern punk band, but they have enough flourishes and good ideas to elevate them.

"Arcarsenal" gets things going with a flurry of drums and diddling guitar that explode into the song proper. "Pattern Against User" is a solid rock song with a pleasant interlude stuffed in the middle. "One Armed Scissor" is probably the most radio-friendly long song the album, which could explain why it was on the radio. "Invalid Litter Dept." is the longest track, and is pretty good, with spoken verses over nice guitars and a catchy chorus. "Enfilade" starts with a creepy phone call and is one of the more out-there songs, with warbled vocals and a unique sounding refrain. "Quarantined" is another good track with a stately pace and many enjoyable elements. "Non-Zero Possibility" is the mellowest song and does some nice things, and is followed by two bonus tracks that keep bringing the off-kilter, loud sound they've been making the whole way through. I'm not as into this kind of thing as I used to be, but it's still a very enjoyable album thanks to its less common elements.

Before there was the Mars Volta there was At The Drive In. The singer and guitarist went on to form the more famous band. Since I hadn't heard of At The Drive In until after they went their own ways, I first heard the CD in comparison to the Mars Volta. There are a lot of similarities, the singing and guitar are of course coming from the same place. The songs are very dramatic, and some of the intros hint at the later noise experiments of the Mars Volta.

This is a very listenable CD, because the songs are a reasonable length, and they rock out. There's very little extraneous, and everything on the CD is good.

2 1/2

I can only really respect ATDI's final release. The other two, while certainly having their share of unique, head-turning moments, especially for those steeped in the punk scene seeking fresher approaches, overall feel strained and sometimes even silly. It is a pleasure then, when we can see the band shaping their primal dual ingredients of melody and aggression to full effect on a few tracks throughout the noisy, jagged release.

Once again, ATDI outdid themselves. From start to finish, this album will rock your face off!!! I believe they are one of the most underrated and unknown bands that should go down in history as one of the best!!! I want more!!

At The Drive In have long been praised as one of the most innovative and extraordinary groups in music. However there was a time in their career when they were just finding their footing and growing into the monster they would become. The trial stage was "Acrobatic Tenement", but with this, their sophomore album "In/Casino/Out", At The Drive In displayed what they have been known for, for years now : Amazing song-writing. If you're not familiar with the early stages that the band went through to get to where they were, then this is of the utmost importance to listen to. Not just that, but it is even more evidence as to why At The Drive In was easily one of the best bands of the last 10 years, and one of the most inspirational and original groups to emerge in music.

"Alpha Centauri" opens the album in dizzying fashion, giving way to shattering guitar chords, frantic drumming, and a soulful performance by front man Cedric. Jim and Omar play off one another with interesting (and most impressive) guitar structures and progressions, that at most times will leave your jaw on the floor. However they are only complimented by Paul's rumbling bass lines and Tony's outlandish drumming. And this is just the first song. Don't get comfortable, because as quickly as "Alpha Centauri" ends, the jarring, schizophrenic "Chanbara" kicks in showcasing its wild yells, interesting drumming and excellent lyrics. You can hear a bit of Mars-Volta-ish style vocals during the verse, which was a sign of things that would come in the future after At The Drive In's break-up. But just as quickly as the band can floor you with the powerful tracks, driving numbers like "Napoleon Solo" and "Hourglass" show how diverse they can get at the drop of a hat. However I wouldn't say this is a difficult listen at all. "Hulahoop Wounds", "For Now.. We Toast" and "Transatlantic Foe" are all upbeat and accessible, but they are easily balanced out by more aggressive pieces like "Shaking Hand Incision" and "A Devil Among The Tailors." There's such a wide range of dynamics and writing on here, it's hard to get bored with anything the band presents.

Of all the 11 tracks to be found on the album though, "Lopsided" has got to be the absolute best. I will go as far as to say it's the best song the band has ever written. Now of course I hold a certain bias since it is both the first song I ever heard by the band and my personal favorite. Like all the songs found on the disc, the lyrics are absolutely stunning (Cedric is really one of the greatest writers in music) and the musicianship is unparalleled. Furthermore it's probably the most strikingly different tune that the band has ever recorded. While every song on the record is an instant classic in and of itself, "Lopsided" truly set the standard for what I held At The Drive In too.

After all is said and done, there is not a single moment on this cd that is anything less than enjoyable. While this album is not considered as great as their final album "Relationship Of Command", (I have no idea why though) "In/Casino/Out" is really a necessary purchase for all fans of the band, and indie-rock/post-hardcore in general. It was really the biggest stepping stone in the band's discography, and if it lead to great products like "Vaya" and "Relationship Of Command," it would seem like there is little to complain about. While "Acrobatic Tenement" was a bit pre-mature, "In/Casino/Out" was truly when this band become one of the innovators in modern music. Easily deserves the endless mass of praise.

Most ATDI fans I meet say that this album or relationship of command are their best albums. I would have to say this is, in my opinion, their best album. The energy and emotion throughout each and every song is clearly heard. Acrobatic Tenement was a good start and it had the energy and emotion but what that album lacked was the abstract lyrical content of Cedric and some polish on the music. The production quality is better, the music is cleaner or more focused and it is obvious at how much the band matured from the Hell Paso ep in '94 to this album in '98. The music and lyrics are not as basic on this album as they were on previous work. El Gran Orgo was not a bad ep but you can tell with a couple members leaving after the first full length there was not as much that could have stood out on that effort. I think this is what they were looking to do. Relationship maybe a bit more accessible and the music shows even more talent for them than this album but this album just captures the essence of what this band was for me. This is the album that really got me into ATDI. To me there is not one bad track on this album. If you are new to ATDI definitely pick this one up, it will be worth it. And to the reviewer below me, some of the greatest voices over the years have sung way out of tune. Bob Dylan, Lou Reed....just to name a couple, and they are heavy influences on lots of people. Out of tune adds to the effect of this band cause it was not meant to be a flawless album. This band was not meant to be polished, they displayed the raw energy,confusion,emotion of youth. I really don't think people care how Cedric's voice sounds, its the emotion behind it. Plus you should go pick up a Mars Volta album and hear Cedric wail on those albums. Than tell me he is not a good front man.

Well I've heard their other two major cds and this one never really stood out to me before. I saw they had releases a greatest hits compilation and listened to one of the songs on it from In-Casino-Out and found it to be very good. So I gave the rest of the cd a try and was just blown away by the incredibleness of it. Evey song has that tight sound to it, its just rock thats perfectly crafted. It's fun to listen to, I hear they had an amazing live show and the energy the music itself makes just lends to it. I feel like I'm right there watching them while listening to this masterpiece. My favorite songs are Hulahoop wounds and Lopsided. Overall though the cd doesn't have a bad song on it and is well worth the listen.

...most people would think of RoC instantly when referring to the now broken up At the Drive-In...I would then be of the minority group that thought of this small ep...that reminded me of what ATDI truly had...

...I had always ignored ATDI for a very long time even though I heard One Armed Scissor alot of times and how they were very original they just didn't click with me...later on I discovered The Mars Volta and became amazed at what I had discovered...they remain one of my favourite bands of all time...

...and this encouraged me to explore a little more...but I didn't want to start where everyone else did so I did a little research and settled on this ep...is it good? The only word for it would be...yes (I'm not big on clever puns today)...

...what I find nice about the music is that it's structure is surprisingly progressive in comparison to other hardcore bands that ATDI were compared to...they were able flicker between quiet whisperings of Cedrics confusing lyrics to nice heavy guitar tones...

...if you are discovering and backtracking via Mars Volta I would recommend this ep...chocked full of progression and emotion...you can't really go wrong...

Vaya is one of those EP's that should have been an full length album. Aside from the debut record, Vaya is ATDI's most emotionally intense records due to the choatic nature of all those involved. That compiled with the ametuer like musicianship make Vaya that much more intense.

Though the album open's up with a slightly subdue song, the rest of the disc picks up from there. Just about every song is comes at you full force and without inhibition, evening the slower ones. However, the songs are well written and fully formed. This is ATDI's most sophisticated album before they decided to take it a notch up on the slightly overrated Relationship of Command. Prime cuts include Ursa Minor and Heliotrope, though all seven songs are worth listening to.

Put this one on if you're going to have a quick drive. The intense beginning and slightly subdued ending will have an effect on your mind so that you will feel angry and then feel calmed. By far, this is one the best EP's you can get. If you are a fan of ATDI, then do yourself a favor and get this. You will listen to it nonstop.

Welll.... Yea.. This band in general si.. SO FRIGGIN GREAT.. lol.. I notice I dont usually say much about the musci itself.. becuase I dont know much about those things.. but I DO know what sounds good.. and what has great lyrics.. adn THIS MY FRIENDS... falls under that category.

From the first lo-fi beats of Rascuache, to the spine-tingling vocal finale on 198d, this album is seriously compelling. I got this EP after I got hooked on The Mars Volta. The lyrics are compelling.

/What if forensics find the answer
/What if they stole my fingerprints
/Where did I leave my book of matches
/We'll find you

Get this EP. If you only get one ATDI cd, get this one. If I hadn't got this one first, I probably would not like ATDI. If you got some of their earlier cd's, and can't get into it, trust me and get this one. It will put them in a new perspective.

They say that EP's are always good because it takes 4-7 of the band's best songs at the time and puts them out. That is very true for this EP. Released before their hit "Relationship of Command," this EP captures 7 of At The Drive-In's best songs. Every song is has it's own character it seems. They don't sound too alike as other songs may. If you are a first time ATDI buyer, this would be a definite good start. It isn't as edgy and hard as "Relationship," but not as "emo" as "in/casino/out." A definite way to be sure that you will like all of their music. Surely, the best of thier material

This album is a must for any ATDI fan or anyone just wanting to hear some of the best music ever!!! I would recommend this to almost anyone, no matter what they listen to. This is music that you feel, not just hear.

Perhaps it's a little bit refreshing for a normal album to significantly overshadow a greatest hits compilation, but that doesn't mean it should happen.

Simply put, Relationship of Command is a far better, and far more listenable, cd than this greatest hits compilation. There's just something missing from most of the songs on this cd (save the ones from Relationship of Command); that edge and distinctive sound that's so prevalent with the mars volta and (to a significantly lesser degree) sparta just isn't there with most of these "hits."

Do yourself a favor if you're just getting into these guys: Pick up relationship of command, then forget this hits compilation ever existed. Repeat if neccesary.

If you were a radio sucker like I was back in the 90's, you more than likely missed out on great bands like Modest Mouse, At the drive in, among countless others on the indie scene. Well ATDI is now Sparta and The Mars Volta (for the music noobs). This is an outstanding tribute which holds some of their best elements that helped them craft their relentless sound. Any fan or introductee of ATDI should pick up this prverbial aural encyclopedia of the silohuette of one of the best things that ever happened to rock.

With the brain-melting lyrical overload, elongated musical style and impenetrable concepts of The Mars Volta getting more overwhelming with each album, it's getting harder and harder to conceive that Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez once fronted an inciting and insightful punk outfit that generally got to the point in three minutes bursts. Back in the late 1990s before At The Drive-In splintered into the divisive acts The Mars Volta and Sparta, the El Paso outfit acted as a saving musical grace amongst a sea of scripted popstars and nu-metal lunks. While short on proper `hits', This Station Is Non-Operational contains At The Drive-In's explosive peak in the form of One Armed Scissor, rarities such as the quiet moments of Doorman's Placebo and cover versions including Pink Floyd (the Syd Barrett tune Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk) and The Smiths (This Night Has Opened My Eyes). Unsure specifically want it wants to be, This Station Is Non-Operational teeters between rarities round-up and record company cash-in, although the sea shanty sounds of Napoleon Solo, the ghostly Relocator and the Suzanne Vega-tackles-reggae sounds of Rascuache show an interesting flipside to the normal At The Drive-In twists. The final ATDI studio album, Relationship Of Command, saw the flashpoint of insurrection serendipitously cause their musical formula to fall into place, with three of the album's tracks and some video clips from the record also making it to the DVD included here as a bonus. Varied and atmospheric, This Station Is Non-Operational is an ominous yet fascinating (final?) addition to the defunct Texans' back catalogue.

First of all, I think it's important that you sepperate the fact that yes, At The Drive-In has split into two different bands. If you have heard either Sparta or The Mars Volta's work, you should regard At The Drive-In as a complete and seperate band, because it is. While it's important to know that they started with ATD-I, it's hard to hear it as a new sound if you've already heard the new work.

I think "This Station is Non-Operational" is great for people just getting into ATD-I or that want to learn about a band that inspired another band or if you want to hear previous works from members of Sparta or The Mars Volta. Everybody says "Relaionship of Command" is their best work, but I disagree. It's just a continuation of their previous album, "in/CASINO/OUT".

All and all, this album is great and a good listen. It DOES leave out some of the best songs and tracks from other albums like "Acrobatic Tenement" (except for the BBC session of Iniatiation), but I think it's worth it - especially if you're a first time listener of the band.

I first heard of At the Drive-in because of the band The Mars Volta. They are such a talented group that I had to hear the music they produced in their old band At the Drive-in. This has since become, along with Deloused in the Comatorium, one of my favorite albums. Buy this album, you won't regret it!

AN EXCELLENT ALBUM. THE PUNK INFLUENCE IS OBVIOUS WHILE RETAINING THE SUBSTANCE AND STYLE OF LATER ATDI ALBUMS. THE PRODUCTION IS MORE RAW THAN MOST OF THE REST OF THE ALBUMS, BUT SEEMS TO ENHANCE THE WIDE RANGE OF EMOTION DISPLAYED IN THE CHAOTIC GUITAR RIFFS AND DUELING VOCALS OF THE TWO SINGERS.

I am sad to say that I didnt discover At the Drive In until about a year ago. After hearing their single One Armed Scissor, I fell in love with the band and their great energy and went out and bought all their CDs, but I went backwards starting with Relationship of Command. Acrobatic Tenement is very different from their other 2 CDs. It has a very underproduced, raw, emotional sound that I love. This CD has a fun, fast-paced, make you wanna sing and dance feeling to it, and it starts off right away with Starslight, a quick warmer-upper. My favorite song from this album is Ticklish, Cedric's voice is just so mesmorizing. It amazes me how Omar and Cedric went from this sound to the sound and styles of The Mars Volta, my other favorite band that I cant stop listening to. Its too bad ATDI broke up because I would have loved to see their amazing live shows Ive heard about, but at least Cedric and Omar still decided to create amazing music in the form of TMV.

This is an interesting album. When I first got into At The Drive-In a little over a year ago I didn't really care that much for this album. Over time though, this album has grown and grown on me until now when oddly enough it is now my favorite ATDI album.

The first spin of this album was a strange experience for me since I was used to ATDI's later material (ROC, Vaya) and The Mars Volta. I remember my initial thoughts being (1) it wasn't anywhere near as experimental or interesting and (2) it was a bit to emo for my tastes.

Over time though, I began to realize that even though it's not ATDI's most diverse or experimental album it is (to me) their best in terms of raw emotion and really showcases the bands talent behind all the effects. I became so infatuated with the album that I rarely put on any At The Drive-In album other than this one. Just listen to track like "Star Slight", "Initiation", "Ticklish", or "Portfolio Diaz" and tell me that this album isn't amazing.

You just have to listen to it in a different way than most other Cedric and Omar material because no, it's not really an experimental album and it doesn't rely so much on effects and the electronic side of their musical exploration. This album is a straight-ahead, no gimmicks, garage record with real emotion just bursting throughout the record.

Now, let me ask you: Is there anything more beautiful than that?

There are many merits to the [De Facto]At The Drive-In/TMV/Sparta legacy, and if you are reading this review, you know the history. You know the sounds.

Acrobatic Tenament is quite a nice look into not just Omar and Cedric's musical past, but the whole bands'. At points of the cd, I didn't exactly like the music, but that is the trial of musically growing. The sounds that this band has been putting out on this album could be described as punk, yet there are undertones of deep messages and phrasing in a punk-ridden era of music. So, in closing, (without being too much of an over-analyst) I would suggest this album to those who love raw, loud, and unrefined sound that these bands have created (i.e Vaya E.P, Sparta (new and old), Tremulent E.P, ect.).

good band.

I honestly don't think I can put into words how great this album truly is. Its truly one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. Although, it took me awhile to feel that way. At the Drive In takes awhile to set in, Omars voice is at first a bit disrupting and rough around the edges, but you gradually grow to love it, as you do with everything else about this band. At the Drive In is in your face with funky and crazy riffs that are accompanied with Omar's unique voice. You really can't describe their sound, you just have to experience it for yourself. But let me tell you, they are one of the most creative and unique bands I've ever experienced. They are truly one of the most influential bands of the post/hardcore punk scene. Many bands have been influenced by ATDI that are popular today. And this album delivers what ATDI do best, and thats rock your socks off. And you keep coming back to get your socks rocked off again and again. Its raw, emotional, intense and emotional. I love the unique guitar riffs and sounds the band produces. Its a very complex album, you hear piano's in some songs, and other little atmospheric effects are littered throughout.

This is by far the strongest ATDI album. 2nd in my book would probably be Vaya, which has some great tracks on it. Its too bad that this is the last ATDI album, it would of been nice to see where these guys could have gone had they stayed togeather. Altough you now have 3/5ths of them in the Mars Volta. While The Mars Volta and Sparta are great bands in their own right, they have branched off into different directions and don't quite match the energy and magic that makes up ATDI. Some bands just have that chemistry, that cohesive nature too them that makes them something special. ATDI had this and this album epitomizes what makes them great.

Lyrically, this album is great. Some of the lyrics are out there and funky, like: "Yes this is the campaign slithered entrails in the cargo bay, A neutered is the vastness Hallow vacuum check the Oxygen tanks." How can you not love lyrics like that? The lyrics fit perfectly with the style of the music being played.

There is really not a bad song on the album, Enfilade is one of my favorites, as is One Armed Scissor and Quarantined. But the real gem of this cd for me is Non-Zero Possibility. Its easily one of the most amazing and songs I've ever heard. I can't get enough of it. Its different from most of the tracks on the album and it sounds almost like a pre-Mars Volta song. Sometimes I use that song to fall asleep, or at least listen too it right before I go to sleep, and has very moody atmosphere and almost puts you in a trance. Truly unbelievable. If you like Sparta or The Mars Volta, try ATDI and see where they started. You really can't go wrong with this album. Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now and go buy this Relationship of Command.

Omar and Cedric must have figured out some black magic before they recorded this one with the boys. From the opening distorted and processed squalls materializing from Omar's guitar on "Arc Arsenal," every time a listener rides ATDI's wave on this one it is a mysteriously thrilling experience. One can only say this about a release or two every year. I mean, really, I got this when it came out six years ago (the hyperkinetic video to "One-Armed Scissor" prompted me [see it on _This Station Is Non-Operational_]) and I've never looked back. While I no longer play it three times a day like I did then (never been bored listening after literally hundreds of listenings), I think it's something more like once a month that I listen to it these days. And it's right back into the headbanging, the chills, singing/screaming along with lyrics that still don't make perfect sense to me ("intravenously polite/ it was the walkie-talkies that knocked the pins down/ as her shoes gripped the dirt floor/ in the silhouette of dying"--"Invalid Litter Dept."), but will nonetheless grow with me for the rest of my life, like Joyce's _Finnegans Wake_ or poems by Celan.

Really, this is as good as anything Mars Volta has done (MV is my favorite operating band followed closely by Radiohead and Wilco--hallowed company!). _Relationship of Command_ is really the leaping board to the heights unknown they have reached with MV. It is also the culmination of the considerable accomplishments of ATDI, while representing a quantum leap from their nonetheless excellent preceding LP, _In/Casino Out_. What makes it a diving board to MV is the fact that we hear more of the stratospheric guitar from Omar than we had heard on previous ATDI releases and the song-writing and lyrics are leaning more towards byzantine prog tendencies. What makes it still ATDI and the culmination of everything they did is that it is still just punk, except it is refined by Andy Wallace's huge production skills and the band's (especially Omar's and Cedric's) relentlessly visionary drive. To put it in a nutshell, this rocks you on every level: emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, and mostly your BODY: Cedric and Omar didn't thrash around on-stage like possessed dervishes for the show of it (it's that black magic)!

This is to say that _Relationship of Command_ is the best "punk" CD of this decade and I would be stunned (and delighted) to see anyone come to this level by the end of 2009. Really, as far as pure punk CDs go, I can really only think of Patti Smith, the Clash, and a few other stalwarts who created a product this uniformly mind-shattering. If ATDI had stayed together, they may have been able to top this, but, then again, CDs this brilliant only seem to emanate from the kinds of rough straits that the ATDI members were in at this time, and the impending break-up energy must have had everything to do with the manic surge that crackles from every second of the 45 minutes of this CD. Instead, ATDI broke up and Cedric and Omar chose to infuse their punk roots with prog and in turn came up with something different altogether (prunk?).

Everyone who has any sort of sincere love for extreme music of any sort has to own this one. And if you're not a lover of extreme music? ATDI may just expand your mind with their William Burroughs-style lyrical approach and unceasingly energetic performance/compositional approach. Put this one in a time capsule with a few other CDs to help define what both "punk" and "rock" meant in the first thirty odd years of its existence.

I became aware of the work of At the Drive-In after I heard the album "Frances the Mute" by The Mars Volta, one of the bands that derived from At the Drive-In. Upon hearing "Relationship of Command" the first time, I thought I was in front of one-more-of-those-neo-punk-albums out there, but then I sat back and listened to it a few more times and realized too that this album came in late 2000, before the neo-punk movement started taking shape. It was then that the brilliance of this album started to strike me.

The work by At the Drive-In is not for everyone, nor is The Mars Volta. Just like bands of the caliber of King Crimson, these are musicians that are in it for the art, not the fame, and as a result, they pour their hearts into their music. At the Drive-In will pose striking changes in tempo and a few challenging moments that you will need to go through in order to fully immerse yourself in the musical proposition they have to offer. The best example there is of the type of work they put together is the song "Enfilade", where they even drop in a few beats of fresh congas, right in the midst of a powerful track that brings to mind Rage Against the Machine and the likes.

Once you listen to the album, you will be glad you did. My advice, quite simply is: get it.

Sounds more like a rhetorical question to me...
An energy driven experimental post-hardcore/alternative gem of an album that brings the sweet sting of nostalgia to my nostrils. I love this album and band, enough said.

This is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. There is nothing more to say.

Noisy, ugly, and mostly amateurish early punk release from the great band is seen hardly beginning to spread their wings on this adolescent outing. Short of a few interesting ideas the release is a throwaway for greater things to come.

This is some of the first work produced by the greatest rock act in history. Of course this is my opinion. Cedric and Omar need to leave "The Mars Volta" and come back to thier roots. If this is your first time listening to ATDI, I recommend starting with "Relationship of Command" and working your way back.

Dont listen to those people. This is an excellent album.

Being an At The Drive-In fan for lord knows how long, I recently decided to try and seek out El Gran Orgo. Having all their other albums, I expected this to perhaps be "decent" or "sub-par" compared to all their other amazing albums. However, I was proven wrong. This is a fantastic album and you can hear their sound just devoloping into something unique. It took me at least 3 spins to truly get a feel for the album, but I grew attached to it. Songs like "Speechless" and "Honest to a Fault" truly are classics in my mind. If you love ATDI and are unsure about buying this album, trust me you won't be dissapointed. It was sad to see ATDI go, but they left behind a number of great albums, this being the beginning of the path.

This EP is a classic at the drive-in number in its 1997 release. All seven tracks blasted an enrgetic emo-core melody that was pure brilliance.This cd is definantley worth buying.

I heard "Streamlined" in the movie Blair Witch II, and I had to have it. It wasn't on the soundtrack, of course, so I had to really search for it. I really love this CD, because its one of the best albums of this genre. You don't have to be die hard fans of either bands to like this cd, but you WILL be a die hard fan after hearing it.

Reading the other reviews reminds me of how elitist a lot of music fans feel a need to be, but their reviews still do the music justice. I'm thankful I watched that silly movie and found this music! LOL

At the drive is the best thing to happen to music since the electric guitar. This being from Austin is obviously daft. Anyone who hums along to n sync is not a fan of music, they are a fan of flashy idiocy.

At The Drive-In is one of my favorite bands ever. EVER. they are one the most original bands ive heard and although im only 14 ive heard alot. im convinced that cedric bixler is a genious with his work from At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta. i prefer ATDI cause they rock harder but TMV is great as well. so back to this moron in Portland...i for one have never heard any bands on earth that can match ATDI with their great sound and lyrics. this guy in portland just likes different music. dont put others music down just cause you dont like it. i dont no what you listen to and i dont care at all. but i love At The Drive-In and it doesn't get much better than them.

I registered with this site simply to put that moron from portland in his place. He obviously has no clue what in the hell hes talking about. At the drive in is one of the most unique break through bands that ever existed. Part of their talent was their abilty to be extremely versatile. In my opinion they showed how simple music of their day was by throwing a few songs in that sounded vaguely like something familiar, but then completely blowing your mind away with a song like autorelocator. In order to really appreciate the music, you need to get past your small minded views of "This band needs to sound This way in EVERY song" Need I remind your insignificant opinion of Pink Floyd? But judging from your idiotic comment you probably dont even recognize the significance of the breakthrough Pink Floyd made in the music spectrum. In conclusion YOUR A MORON AND I HOPE PORTLAND SINKS INTO THE SEA. Oh and PS. they never played more than one ATDI song on the radio, and they still got booed when they played shows that idiots like you were at. DIE

This cd was amazing. I picked it up on a whim at Best Buy. Extracurricular is kind of an average ATDI song, nothing special about it. However, Autorelocator is an amazing song, I cannot begin to state the awesomeness of this song. It is moody electronic music that is just brilliant. Nobody really gets into Sunshine that much. I thought they were great. It may be the same song in 3 different versions but it is well done. The drums are different, the guitars are mostly different, and the lyrics are mostly different. It seems the only thing holding these three as the same song is a weird sort of mood. All in all this cd is a winner except extracurricular which is kind of average and doesnt go with the rest of the flow of this album.

Many people know At the Drive In are not the best musicians around. For a band with great musicians, one would do well to look elsewhere. However, At the Drive In make this up by putting all their emotion and raw power into each record they make. Their debut is no exception. Acrobatic Tenement is At the Drive In's strongest record because they are able to convey such power even over bad production. Opener Starslight is roughly over a minute, but it sets the tone for the rest of the album by focusing on the intense delivery of the vocals and instruments.

There is not one bad track on this album. You can listen to this one without skipping over anything because each song conveys its own message and maintains its own power. That is to say, each is powerful. A particular favorite of mine is Paid Vacation Time, as it matches beautifully with sensation of driving at night through open space, such as California's Central Valley. However, the other songs are just as compelling.

I found this album to be a bit difficult to get into, but of all of At the Drive-In's albums, it is the most rewarding. The emotionally charged music is enough to make listeners put the repeat button on again and again. Not to compare this album to Punk, but I can understand now why fans enjoy Punk music. The emotion coming from the speakers speaks directly to the listener, much like this one. Acrobatic Tenement is a modern classic, much like Kyuss's Welcome to Sky Valley or even Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger.

You might know ATDI from their last studio album relationship of command or for bieng the mars volta's and sparta's roots, but if you dont know this album you're missing a great era on Omar Rodriguez and Cedric Bixler's musical ride, this is how it all began, 5 guys from latin america and United States met at El Paso, TX and recorded this garage gem, which goes...

1. Star Slight: it takes you away from reality and lets you in ATDI's dimenssion

2. Schaffino: great guitars intro and lyrics...TO BE ALIVE!!!

3. Ebroglio: a tribute to Julio Venegas that makes you admire him without even having known him...BUT NOTHING REALLY MATTERS!!

4. Initiation: amazing melody, great song to sing along and yell your lungs out

5. Communication Drive-In: listen at it a few times and you'll get it

6. Skips on the record: great composing, not just another punk band

7. Paid Vacation Time: great vocals n lyrics...A TANK FULL OF FUEL

8. Ticklish: best song on the album, a preview of In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command

9. Blue Tag: strange but great...like Omar and Cedric, reminds me of 70's shows and movies

10. Coating of arms: loud, disorganized, mess, good...punk

11. Porfirio Diaz: Punk-Rock, Flamenco and melody...what else can you ask for?

I'm torn between giving this album 2 or 3 stars; one minute I feel like giving it three, the next I can't quite do it.

I got into ATDI after they had already gone their separate ways via their Relationship of Command album, which from what I understand from some of the die-hards wasn't very true to their sound. This should come as no surprise since the album was created under the direction of uber-producer Andy Wallace, who took the originality of their raw sound and added considerable polish (and I'll leave it to you to decide how you feel about said "polish" -- I happen to like it).

As a disclaimer I will say that I've never seen ATDI's live show in person, although I've watched plenty of video. Which is my loss as they certainly had an incredible energy that would have been quite a spectacle to see in person. I have seen The Mars Volta (and am a huge fan) and the energy is still there, although Omar has calmed down a lot.

Enough digression. True to their sound or not, I loved Relationship of Command and set about adding Acrobatic Tenement, Vaya and In Casino Out to round out my ATDI collection. I have to say that, IMO, Acrobatic Tenement is the weakest and most musically immature of their albums. Unlike some, I don't have a problem with the garage-quality sound and out-of-tune guitars as I think they lend a sense of immediacy and character to the music. I just don't think this is their strongest material. From what I've read in interviews with Cedric and Omar, they don't hold this album (or much of the music made in ATDI) in very high esteem. Not that they denigrate it, but they regard this music as beginning steps in their musical evolution to The Mars Volta.

Having said all that, this album does have its moments. And it's kind of fun to play armchair quarterback noticing the seeds of divergence between Mike's and Cedric/Omar's stylings which would eventually lead to their split into two very different bands.

I would recommend this album mainly for ATDI completists. If you're new to the band, check out Relationship of Command for starters.

All the songs this CD encompasses have a true identity; this gives them a surreal power, specially when you account for the low recording budget. This low-budget production-feel also gives the CD an endearing charm to the band; who contended with all their hardships and made a gem of an album who has the most heart and passion that I've heard in a band of this genre.
If you just gives the songs a chance you will come to the conclusion that this is a perfect album (you can neither add nor subtract to the overall experience, to emerge with a better result).

What has happened in todays world of musical bull-sh*t. Why cant a band come along and offer genuine intensity, poetic lyrics , and a lead singer whos voice echoes down from the heavens. ATDI combined rage, anger, love, emotion, raw talent beyond anything I had ever heard. Along with In Casino Out we see cedric hit pitches unbeknownst to mere mortals like ourselves (the audience). If you are a true music lover and can appreciate poetry, intensity and raw emotion/honesty combined with cedric's gift to captivate your soul through the gift of voice......i beg you buy, this album!

I honestly don't think I can put into words how great this album truly is. Its truly one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. Although, it took me awhile to feel that way. At the Drive In takes awhile to set in, Omars voice is at first a bit disrupting and rough around the edges, but you gradually grow to love it, as you do with everything else about this band. At the Drive In is in your face with funky and crazy riffs that are accompanied with Omar's unique voice. You really can't describe their sound, you just have to experience it for yourself. But let me tell you, they are one of the most creative and unique bands I've ever experienced. They are truly one of the most influential bands of the post/hardcore punk scene. Many bands have been influenced by ATDI that are popular today. And this album delivers what ATDI do best, and thats rock your socks off. And you keep coming back to get your socks rocked off again and again. Its raw, emotional, intense and emotional. I love the unique guitar riffs and sounds the band produces. Its a very complex album, you hear piano's in some songs, and other little atmospheric effects are littered throughout.

This is by far the strongest ATDI album. 2nd in my book would probably be Vaya, which has some great tracks on it. Its too bad that this is the last ATDI album, it would of been nice to see where these guys could have gone had they stayed togeather. Altough you now have 3/5ths of them in the Mars Volta. While The Mars Volta and Sparta are great bands in their own right, they have branched off into different directions and don't quite match the energy and magic that makes up ATDI. Some bands just have that chemistry, that cohesive nature too them that makes them something special. ATDI had this and this album epitomizes what makes them great.

Lyrically, this album is great. Some of the lyrics are out there and funky, like: "Yes this is the campaign slithered entrails in the cargo bay, A neutered is the vastness Hallow vacuum check the Oxygen tanks." How can you not love lyrics like that? The lyrics fit perfectly with the style of the music being played.

There is really not a bad song on the album, Enfilade is one of my favorites, as is One Armed Scissor and Quarantined. But the real gem of this cd for me is Non-Zero Possibility. Its easily one of the most amazing and songs I've ever heard. I can't get enough of it. Its different from most of the tracks on the album and it sounds almost like a pre-Mars Volta song. Sometimes I use that song to fall asleep, or at least listen too it right before I go to sleep, and has very moody atmosphere and almost puts you in a trance. Truly unbelievable. If you like Sparta or The Mars Volta, try ATDI and see where they started. You really can't go wrong with this album. Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now and go buy this Relationship of Command.

Omar and Cedric must have figured out some black magic before they recorded this one with the boys. From the opening distorted and processed squalls materializing from Omar's guitar on "Arc Arsenal," every time a listener rides ATDI's wave on this one it is a mysteriously thrilling experience. One can only say this about a release or two every year. I mean, really, I got this when it came out six years ago (the hyperkinetic video to "One-Armed Scissor" prompted me [see it on _This Station Is Non-Operational_]) and I've never looked back. While I no longer play it three times a day like I did then (never been bored listening after literally hundreds of listenings), I think it's something more like once a month that I listen to it these days. And it's right back into the headbanging, the chills, singing/screaming along with lyrics that still don't make perfect sense to me ("intravenously polite/ it was the walkie-talkies that knocked the pins down/ as her shoes gripped the dirt floor/ in the silhouette of dying"--"Invalid Litter Dept."), but will nonetheless grow with me for the rest of my life, like Joyce's _Finnegans Wake_ or poems by Celan.

Really, this is as good as anything Mars Volta has done (MV is my favorite operating band followed closely by Radiohead and Wilco--hallowed company!). _Relationship of Command_ is really the leaping board to the heights unknown they have reached with MV. It is also the culmination of the considerable accomplishments of ATDI, while representing a quantum leap from their nonetheless excellent preceding LP, _In/Casino Out_. What makes it a diving board to MV is the fact that we hear more of the stratospheric guitar from Omar than we had heard on previous ATDI releases and the song-writing and lyrics are leaning more towards byzantine prog tendencies. What makes it still ATDI and the culmination of everything they did is that it is still just punk, except it is refined by Andy Wallace's huge production skills and the band's (especially Omar's and Cedric's) relentlessly visionary drive. To put it in a nutshell, this rocks you on every level: emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, and mostly your BODY: Cedric and Omar didn't thrash around on-stage like possessed dervishes for the show of it (it's that black magic)!

This is to say that _Relationship of Command_ is the best "punk" CD of this decade and I would be stunned (and delighted) to see anyone come to this level by the end of 2009. Really, as far as pure punk CDs go, I can really only think of Patti Smith, the Clash, and a few other stalwarts who created a product this uniformly mind-shattering. If ATDI had stayed together, they may have been able to top this, but, then again, CDs this brilliant only seem to emanate from the kinds of rough straits that the ATDI members were in at this time, and the impending break-up energy must have had everything to do with the manic surge that crackles from every second of the 45 minutes of this CD. Instead, ATDI broke up and Cedric and Omar chose to infuse their punk roots with prog and in turn came up with something different altogether (prunk?).

Everyone who has any sort of sincere love for extreme music of any sort has to own this one. And if you're not a lover of extreme music? ATDI may just expand your mind with their William Burroughs-style lyrical approach and unceasingly energetic performance/compositional approach. Put this one in a time capsule with a few other CDs to help define what both "punk" and "rock" meant in the first thirty odd years of its existence.

I became aware of the work of At the Drive-In after I heard the album "Frances the Mute" by The Mars Volta, one of the bands that derived from At the Drive-In. Upon hearing "Relationship of Command" the first time, I thought I was in front of one-more-of-those-neo-punk-albums out there, but then I sat back and listened to it a few more times and realized too that this album came in late 2000, before the neo-punk movement started taking shape. It was then that the brilliance of this album started to strike me.

The work by At the Drive-In is not for everyone, nor is The Mars Volta. Just like bands of the caliber of King Crimson, these are musicians that are in it for the art, not the fame, and as a result, they pour their hearts into their music. At the Drive-In will pose striking changes in tempo and a few challenging moments that you will need to go through in order to fully immerse yourself in the musical proposition they have to offer. The best example there is of the type of work they put together is the song "Enfilade", where they even drop in a few beats of fresh congas, right in the midst of a powerful track that brings to mind Rage Against the Machine and the likes.

Once you listen to the album, you will be glad you did. My advice, quite simply is: get it.

Sounds more like a rhetorical question to me...
An energy driven experimental post-hardcore/alternative gem of an album that brings the sweet sting of nostalgia to my nostrils. I love this album and band, enough said.

This is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. There is nothing more to say.