Suds on Bleeker

If my math is correct (and it usually is), legendary El Paso alt-punkers At the Drive-in would have been putting the finishing touches on one of the finest records of the last decade; if not of all time, at this time ten years ago. So with that (and a little coincidence too, as you’ll see) in mind, I decided to write this little piece about it.

Last week, I was growing a little tired of playing (fantastic) ‘Kezia’ by Protest the Hero on repeat, and looked for the nearest CD to switch into my stereo. Due to my laziness and a recent change of address, that CD was ‘Relationship of Command’. Instantly memories of this fantastic record came flooding back. The summer of 2001, just a few months after my first foray into nu-metal, was dominated by ROC. I’d played the CD so much that it was scratched beyond belief and I was given a new copy that Christmas by my surprisingly hip parents. I remember being at that stage in life where you can’t help but feel frustrated – feeling like an adult but still just a kid – and something about ROC’s raw intensity and hypnotic lyrics helped me feel connected to something at a time when I felt apart from everything. So I immersed myself in its ferocity, its cryptic imagery, its fleeting moments of beauty. And despite my young age, I’d like to think that I really understood the album; and that’s what made it so important to me. continue reading