The recurring theme of “No one makes it out alive” told through the narrative of two main characters (Johnny Toxic and The Little Prince) battling in the narrator’s mind almost makes this a concept album. Perhaps it means it IS a concept album, but not in the long-winded, brow-beating version 70s rock produced, but in a concise, barely 30-minutes type of tale.

Musically, this is, by far, the most aggressive album TCG has produced thus far. While most bands start as angst-ridden hard rockers that mellow out over time, Micah Schnabel, Shane Sweeney and new drummer, David Murphy, have waited 6 albums to “degenerate” into a punk rock band filled with cynicism and downright frustration over the current state of affairs.

While the road can break down most bands and make them more docile, it appears to have filled Schnabel and Sweeney with a desire to push the sound and themes of their songs forward. Seeing the world as you mature from your late-teens to your early-30s provides a perspective most do not get. You get to see how the entire world is affected by constantly travelling from one end of it to the other. One thing TCG does a lot of is tour. When the band is on a break, Schnabel and Sweeney are normally out on solo tours, so they’ve seen a lot and been everywhere.

At first, the album sounds different, as this is the first TCG album the band recorded all by itself. They worked up the rhythm section and vocals before adding the guitars, so the sound is not as large, but, somehow, became more aggressive. It definitely took a few listens to acclimate to the production, but as you listen, the background instruments begin to stand out more than other album from the band. The vocals also stand out more than in the past.

Stand out songs are a plenty here and definitely display the band’s influences. 50s rock influence splash with punk rock distortion paints the picture in Geri, Mantle in ’56 gets almost loungy with the reverb laden guitar and piano driven sounds and Lost on the Youth touches on pop rock, which creates a cohesive, yet interesting mix of sounds to keep the album interesting.

My favorite track on the album is definitely My Friend Adam, which comes off like a follow up to No Shame from III. Instead of lamenting over the uncertainty of a musician’s life, it follows a person dealing with addiction and loneliness. The idea that we are our own worst enemies shines through with the line “We are the only ones who can’t forgive ourselves.” It follows hand in hand with trying to come to grips that it is okay to walk away in No Shame.

I genuinely believed the three album run of III, Speaking in Cursive and Sweet Saint Me could stand up to a three album run from most any band in rock history and The Death of the Self-Preservation Society keeps the momentum moving forward. While it is not as instantly accessible in sound as the others, the themes, powerful instrumentation and thoughtful/witty lyrics make it a perfect next step in TCG’s discography.

Pick it up when it is released this coming Tuesday. For now, check out the video for ‘Geri’ down below.