At The Drive-in IN TER A LI A

Delivering on almost two decades of anticipation would be a near-impossible feat for any band. In the case of post-hardcore heroes At the Drive-In, this insurmountable challenge also holds true. in ter a li a, their follow-up to 2000's classic Relationship of Command, arrives 17 years after the breathlessly intense "One Armed Scissor" and "Arcarsenal" catapulted them into the mainstream, leading to a split soon after. In the interim, bandleaders Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez established the Mars Volta, creating a discography as respectable as other number two bands like Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, or A Perfect Circle. While their musical chops developed, ATDI slowly ascended to legendary myth status. Thus, the overwhelming expectations heaped upon in ter a li a are unavoidable. Taking the album at face value, there's enough to satisfy. Bixler-Zavala's vocals benefitted from those years with the Mars Volta. He sings more often than yelps, even adopting an arena metal deliver