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Texas-sized Rock from At the Drive-In
By: Yomiuri Shimbun
January 24th 2001 2:23pm
At the Drive-In Jan. 17, Shibuya AX, Tokyo Maybe it's the screechy innocence in Cedric Bixler's voice, or maybe El Paso really is the irritating scab of Texas desert they say it is. Then again, maybe it's just those afros. Whatever the case, something undeniably honest and unspoiled comes through in the music of current rock darlings At the Drive-In that seems missing from most of the current hard-rock fraternity. It was enough to convince punk god Iggy Pop to lend his voice to the El Paso quintet's major-label debut, and it was enough to pack Tokyo's Shibuya AX on Wednesday last week. ATDI's jaw-dropping set delivered on all the hype surrounding the band and made opening act The Locust seem absolutely amateurish by comparison (not that that was very difficult). ATDI has established itself as a must-see act with a relentless touring schedule and a reputation for performing with the same intensity whether playing for 10 people in a small club or opening arena shows for Rage Against the Machine (which they were invited to do despite having never released a major-label album). They build on the energy of their metal forefathers, but with a refreshingly unpretentious air about them. From the opening strains of "Arcarsenal" through the finale, ATDI belched out a mix of crunchy guitars and relentless drums that would have been a little too much if not for Bixler's ability to rein it all in with a very unmetal-like melodic sensibility. True, he sounds much, much younger than his 26 years, but if his voice had any of the gruff and gravel typical of hard rock, it would never escape the gravity of the music. Bixler's lyrics are more stream of consciousness and less cultural vindictiveness than what most of ATDI's contemporaries put forth. And, truth be told, the metaphors and literary allusions are, at times, overwrought to the point of being silly, as in the following verse from "Catacombs:" This gravity is a quadriplegic horse and carriage Pendulum swing through tantrum slits This scalpel's gaze untamed won't feel romantic What's that sound? Caskets floating. Of course, ATDI's performance style meant the lyrics were largely indecipherable anyway. But that didn't stop Bixler from throwing every bit of his wiry frame behind each song. He and lead guitarist Omar Rodriguez are well over 1.8 meters tall, but the two looked like they would each weigh only 50 kilograms soaking wet. Both also sport massive afros and a very spindly lack of grace that, as they flailed their way through song after song, made them look like two angry dandelions battling hurricane winds. But they never promised choreography, just intense music. And they delivered. ATDI is not quite ready to assume the mantle of hard-rock savior, but they have the tools; they are genuine, controlled and lavish without being self-indulgent. Anyone who thinks all hard-rock acts sound alike need only to have sat through The Locust to appreciate ATDI's range and focus. Ah yes, The Locust. The San Diego quartet played what sounded like a dozen versions of the same completely uncreative song, but they still postured between each one as if playing diminished chords meant they were all serious musicians. Not that the band needed any help turning the performance into a farce, but an announcer even came on stage at one point to prod the audience into applauding. Yes, it was that bad, one of those uncomfortable situations where people in the audience were looking down at their feet in empathetic embarrassment. Hopefully, The Locust was paying attention when At the Drive-In came out a few minutes later and proved a fundamental truth of live music: Intensity is about more than mere volume and tempo. To see more of The Daily Yomiuri On-Line, go to http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/daily.
The Yomiuri Shimbun. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2001
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