15 Greatest Pop Punk Albums Of The 2000s

Though Crimson officially bummed out the lot of diehard Alkaline Trio fans who hoped the band would recoil from the polished sound they presented on their previous offering, Good Mourning, anyone with two ears and the willingness to block out their pretentious friends should be able to appreciate Crimson as one of the most consistently catchy and rock solid album to come out of the genre in years.

It's the kind of album other horror punk imitators like My Chemical Romance could only have dreamt of having when they released Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.

Crimson captures Alkaline Trio's transition from rugged, gothic punk rockers to more theatrical, self-aware craftsmen. They've kept the visceral cathartics of old while incorporating more complex guitar riffs and more overt thematic references to New Order and The Cure.

Songs like "Mercy Me" and "The Poison" may not be as gritty or raw as some fans would prefer, but when the results are this spirited, who cares?