| Biography
Alkaline Trio is a punk rock band from Chicago consisting of Matt Skiba on guitar/vocals, Dan Andriano on bass/vocals, and Derek Grant on drums. Their music is characterized by morbid lyrics, catchy hooks, fast tempos and recurring themes of alcoholism, heartbreak, boredom, and death.
 The band formed in December of 1996, originally consisting of Matt Skiba (guitar/lead vocals), Rob Doran (bass/vocals), and Glenn Porter (drums/vocals). 1997 saw the release of the band's first EP, Sundials. This was followed shortly after by the departure of Rob Doran. After the departure, Dan Andriano, former singer of Asian Man Records band Tuesday and bassist for Slapstick, took his place and they began recording afresh. The band released their second EP, entitled For Your Lungs Only, in 1998, which began to build them a sizable fanbase in the American Midwest. Later on that year, the band released their first full length album, Goddamnit, followed by Maybe I'll Catch Fire in 2000 (both on Asian Man Records). Also in 2000, the band released a collection of their previously released EPs on their self-titled album.
Soon after, Alkaline Trio was signed up by Vagrant Records, a record label much larger and more renowned than their previous label, Asian Man Records. Joined by new drummer Mike Felumlee (previously of the Smoking Popes, now of Squirtgun), From Here to Infirmary was released in 2001 on Vagrant Records. Recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio, this was their first album to see any interest from alternative radio and the mainstream media, with the semi-hit punk single "Stupid Kid" and the inclusion of the song "Armageddon" on the Tony Hawk's Underground video game. Their cover version of "Over at the Frankenstein Place" was included in the compilation "The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show", an album made to pay tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
After the release, Mike Felumlee left the band, to be replaced by drummer Derek Grant, previously of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, and Broken Spoke.
Their next full-length album was Good Mourning, released in 2003, with the album's launch single "We've Had Enough" seeing much the same success as the previous single "Stupid Kid." The album was a significant departure from earlier works, featuring greater production value and a move toward the mainstream.
The band has also appeared on various compilation albums, notably Plea for Peace Vol. 1 & 2, Vagrant Records: Another Year on the Streets Vol. 1, 2, and 3, and Rock Against Bush Vol. 1. Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano have both independently recorded split records on Asian Man Records, Skiba with Kevin Seconds and Andriano with Mike Felumlee, as well as jointly performing backing vocal duties on the album This is Unity Music by Common Rider. They have also recorded 2 split EPs, one with Hot Water Music in 2000 and the other with the now defunct One Man Army in 2004.
Alkaline Trio released their fifth album on Vagrant Records, titled Crimson (originally titled Church & Destroy), on May 24th, 2005, which featured the single "Time to Waste." The single for this song also included bonus tracks produced by Common Rider bassist Mass Giorgini. The tracks "Mercy Me" and "Burn" have also been released as singles off the album.
In December of 2005, a dual-disc special edition re-release of Crimson hit store shelves. This album features the original cut of Crimson released earlier in the year, while the 2nd disc has demo and acoustic/live versions of some of the songs from Crimson. Additionally, an enhanced version of the lyrics and liner notes are available for download with personal messages from the band members on the history and/or inspiration(s) behind the songs.
(Source: wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com)
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