The band’s sixth studio album, its first full-length following the end of a contract with Interscope Records, finds the Austinites retooling their sound. “The Century of Self” sounds like what one would expect from a Trail of Dead record: epic arrangement, creepy album artwork, a lot of guitar effects and feedback, and a whole mess of rocking out to be done before the album’s end.

The record feels a lot like the band’s last effort, 2007’s “So Divided” right from the opening track, “The Giants Causeway.” The song is completely instrumental, driven mostly by haunting piano (similar to a Nine Inch Nails “Fragile”-era progression) and the constant underlying feeling that things are about to get pretty heavy. They do, and it hardly ever lets up.

This time around, Trail of Dead members abandoned recording to a click track and layering tracks, opting to play songs all at once in a full-band environment. It’s hard to tell the difference as the music holds some serious craftsmanship and expertise – these guys are some real musicians.

“The Century of Self” is reminiscent of the band’s stellar 2002 release, “Source Tags and Codes,” but with a more developed and progressive feel. However, it’s not too progressive; songs clock in at relatively medium lengths (save a couple which are around six minutes, but it’s worth it). Still, the band is known for breaking the typical mold of writing songs, utilizing everything from delay pedals to a plethora of percussion instruments in unorthodox time signatures (which seldom stay the same throughout a song).

…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead prove that a little ingenuity goes a long way, and that sometimes doing things yourself is for the best. Bravo, gents.

Final Rating: 7.5