…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead Eighteen years into their deafening career, Conrad K eely and Jason Reece remain true to the way they’re wired. Loud and free
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have spent the last 15 years building a legacy of volume and grandiose power. There have been defining albums (the seminal ‘Source Tags and Codes’), disappointments (‘So Divided’ is exactly that), roaring returns (the allengulfing might of ‘The Century of Self ’), logistics, geographical battles and label upheaval. But then Trail of Dead have always been fuelled by velocity and energised by a riotous ambition, happiest when simply recording, touring and “keeping on”. A post-hardcore band with apocalyptic tenacity, when they get the bombast right, the force of the feedback is of richter-scale proportions; a scintillating blaze of visceral energy that sits poised and impending, balanced
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by majestic composition and a patient anticipation for demolishing everything they build. Now eight albums in, and with an ever-burgeoning history, the trials and tribulations of the last six years have put the band in arguably a better position than ever before. Conrad Keely’s geographical displacement (he moved from the band’s Austin base to New York and currently resides in Cambodia) and the notoriously awkward split from Interscope Records seemed to push Trail to their limits, but as founding member Jason Reece notes, some bands are built to last. “It’s come with a lot of ups and downs and it’s something we’ve worked hard to maintain and keep together when it’s felt like it’s falling apart,” he muses.
“We’ve managed to make eight albums and it’s pretty crazy knowing we have so much out there, musically, to offer. Not all bands are built to last and it’s best you do your best album and you’re done. If this was our last record, we’re ending on a high note. I’m proud of what we’ve done here.” The band’s experience of being on a major (they were with Interscope from 2002 to 2006) was largely a happy one, but the commercial struggles of fifth album ‘So Divided’ seemingly exacerbated the disenchantment for both band and label. It culminated in an angry blog post from Keely blasting the Interscope management (“We finally have the artistic freedom we’ve always wanted, with no pressure to create radio music, no legal