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Relationship Of Command

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 88 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Grand Royal/Virgin
Release Date: 12 September 2000
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Indie, Alternative, Punk
Summary
This is the final release for At The Drive-In, who later split to form groups Sparta and The Mars Volta.
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Sparta: Porcelain Sparta: Threes Sparta: Wiretap Scars The Mars Volta: Amputechture The Mars Volta: De-Loused In The Comatorium The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Drowned In Sound
The new album, Relationship of Command, is one of the most amazing collections of music I have ever heard.
Read Full Review >Tiny Mix Tapes
RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND IS THE GREATEST ROCK ALBUM I HAVE HEARD IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
Read Full Review >Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
In a bad time for young guitar bands, including many barely forgettable ones lumped under the trade name "emo," these ambitious yowlers are reason for hope.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
ATDI's latest album has its amps cranked to the hilt from start to finish. Far from being another in a long line of sanitised American punk rock albums, 'Relationship Of Command' sounds REAL.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
The music roars along, occasionally slowing to build tension, then letting loose with a corrosive guitar assault.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
On this 11-track masterpiece, so full of adrenaline and swarming moods, ATDI has created one of the most infecting and mind-blowing rock albums in a long time. While most of the tracks are of the more aggressive edge, this is undeniably the band's most focused and well put together and, therefore, best all-around album yet.
Read Full Review >CDNow
When a band amasses most of its fan base from constant touring, as ATDI has, creating an album that captures the rawness of live shows is paramount. This natural ingredient in its sound is captured beautifully on Relationship of Command.
Read Full Review >L.A. Weekly
Producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Deftones, Slipknot, etc.) brings a degree of alt-rock punch to the proceedings, but there's more than enough garage grit left in the grooves to keep the indie kids smirking. There's certainly some downtime on Relationship of Command, but when it hits you'll be smarting, and smiling.
Read Full Review >Mojo
They deliver breathless, urgent rifferama, elements of which can be traced to RATM, The Stooges and Placebo.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
The album's only weakness is its awful track sequence. At times it can be uncomfortable to listen to. The songs don't seem to fit together in the order they have been laid out for the listener.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
While Relationship of Command doesn't quite compare to seeing this group live, you'll surely want to mosh-dance in your bedroom when you listen to this recording.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
This is bound to be praised to the hilt as the Next Big Thing, but rock outfit At The Drive In have only one thing going in their favour - the absence of competition. It's so close to being something beautiful, something to cling on to in these aurally barren times, but it's just so not quite.
Read Full Review >Checkout.com
At the Drive-In (from El Paso, Texas) picks up where Jane's Addiction leaves off, emitting that thin, distinctive Perry Farrell upper register vocal amid a post-punk apocalyptic guitar/bass/drums detonation. Good for the Addiction, not so good for the Drive-In.
Rolling Stone
Producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Slipknot) adds some arena sheen, true. But it's not enough to smooth the edges off "Arc Arsenal," a primal tantrum against rebels "robbed . . . of their cause," or to homogenize the ragged beats and mind-bending guitar flurries of "Enfilade."
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.7 (out of 10) based on 88 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
fionn k gave it a10:
One of the last bands that had something to say and the music was un-edged as if fighting for it life to be played
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This album is perfection for this style of music. Personally I am glad they broke up, there is no improving on relationship of command and they were right not to try.
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Amazing... one of the best albums out there.
David F. gave it a9:
Surprised the Metacritic score isn't higher.
Matt P gave it a10:
By far my favorite band and this is their best album, shame they broke up.
lol rofl lmao 0.o gave it a10:
What an album. What a band.
nrvs gave it a10:
Superb, utterly flawless album. One of the most important steps in the evolution of rock music. Probably one of the biggest dissapointments of my life that they couldn't put together another two albums before breaking up. Pity Mars Volta sucks so much ass.
