Relationship of Command

Relationship of Command
Studio album by At the Drive-In
Released	September 12, 2000
Recorded	Indigo Ranch Studios (Malibu, California, U.S) Early 2000
Genre	Post-hardcore
Length	45:31 53:41 (2004 re-release)
Label	Grand Royal Records Fearless Records
Producer	Ross Robinson
At the Drive-In chronology
ATDI / Sunshine (2000) Relationship of Command (2000) This Station Is Non-Operational (2005)

Relationship of Command is the third and most recent studio album by the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, and was released in September 2000. The band reached mainstream success through the album, if only for a short time before their 11 year break-up from 2001 to 2012.

The album combines a hardcore aggressive edge with a melodic drive and harmonious, emotive and surreal vocals and lyrics. While the album continues in the alternative style of At the Drive-In's previous albums, Relationship of Command is seen as a more well-rounded album than its predecessors. Initially, the album was received positively by critics, and the album is now seen as one of the most influential post-hardcore, if not rock albums of the decade. Relationship of Command was voted 12th out of 50 in the Albums of the Decade by NME and the 37th most influential album of all time by Kerrang.

Iggy Pop performs back-up vocals on "Rolodex Propaganda", and also appears as the kidnapper in the beginning of "Enfilade".

Background

Relationship of Command was recorded over a seven week period starting on January 17, 2000, following a tour supporting Rage Against the Machine. The album was recorded at the Indigo Ranch Studios, in Malibu, California, and was produced by Ross Robinson and mixer Andy Wallace.

The album's cover artwork (including the covers for the singles "One Armed Scissor," "Invalid Litter Dept." and "Rolodex Propaganda"), illustrated by Damon Locks, all revolve around imagery of the Trojan War, and the Trojan Horse in particular.

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	(97%)
Allmusic
CMJ
Drowned in Sound	(10/10)
NME	(9/10)
Pitchfork Media	(6.1/10)
Robert Christgau	A−
Rolling Stone
Stylus Magazine	(B)
Tiny Mix Tapes

The album initially received generally positive reviews, with Metacritic giving the album a score of 77. The album is now seen as one of the most influential rock albums of the decade, with it being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st century in Kerrang!, number 83 on Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005, 6th in State magazine's 100 albums of the decade, 3rd in JustPressPlay's Top 100 Albums of the 2000s, 52nd in Decibel magazine's Greatest 100 albums of the decade, 117th in Uncut magazine's 150 Albums of the decade, as well as being ranked at number 90 on MTV2's greatest albums ever list. A retrospective BBC music review hailed the significance of Relationship of Command's uniqueness, calling the album "mesmerising" and a "statement of grand intent that could never be followed."

The album is also seen as an influential guitar album, being ranked number 94 on the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time.

Legacy

Following the release of the album, At the Drive-In gained brief mainstream critical and commercial success, with the album being the only At the Drive-In album to reach the Billboard 200 (U.S.), and also appearing in critics' end-of-year lists such as the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone, as well as making appearances on shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman. However despite this success, the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, with the members splitting to form The Mars Volta and Sparta.

In an interview with Alternative Press in September 2010 (in an article praising the album 10 years later) Rodriguez was asked "What's your least favorite thing about the album?" He replied – "In a heartbeat I could tell you, one of my only regrets out of everything I've ever done is the way that record was mixed. People think that was a raw and energetic record, but what they're hearing is nothing compared to what it truly was before it was glossed over and sent through the mixing mill that was Andy Wallace, who is a wonderful person and a very talented mixing engineer and has done great albums – I'm not trying to offend him....and I understand he had the pressure of the label and all the people who had dreams of it being this grandioise thing, and being played on the radio, which it was, (but) that record is ruined by the mix. I just find it the most passive, plastic....It's the one record I still to this day cannot listen to."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by At The Drive-In. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Arcarsenal"	2:55
2.	"Pattern Against User"	3:17
3.	"One Armed Scissor"	4:19
4.	"Sleepwalk Capsules"	3:27
5.	"Invalid Litter Dept."	6:05
6.	"Mannequin Republic"	3:02
7.	"Enfilade"	5:01
8.	"Rolodex Propaganda"	2:55
9.	"Quarantined"	5:24
10.	"Cosmonaut"	3:23
11.	"Non-Zero Possibility"	5:36

Re-release bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Extracurricular"	3:59
13.	""Catacombs" (Originally appeared on a Thick Records split 7" with Burning Airlines' The Deluxe War Baby.)	4:14

Personnel

• Cedric Bixler – Lead vocals, Guitar on "Arcarsenal" and "Rolodex Propaganda", Melodica on "Enfilade"
• Jim Ward – Guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
• Omar Rodríguez – Guitar, backing vocals
• Paul Hinojos – Bass
• Tony Hajjar – Drums

• Iggy Pop – Guest vocals on "Rolodex Propaganda" and "Enfilade"
• Ross Robinson – Producer
• Chuck Johnson – Engineer
• Zak Girdis – Assistant engineer
• Kevin Bosley – Assistant engineer
• Andy Wallace – Mixing
• Eddy Schreyer – Mastering
• Damon Locks – Illustrations
• Jason Farrell – Layout design

Charts

Year	Country	Position
2000	UK Albums Chart	33
2000	Billboard 200 (U.S.)	116
2000	Billboard Heatseekers (U.S)	1
2000	Australian Albums Chart	25