Classic Album: Twothirtyeight - Regulate the Chemicals

From 1998 to 2001 Takehold Records was releasing the best Christian hardcore/indie/emo albums and had quickly become a favorite label of mine. Takehold was the label that first grabbed Underoath (although a much different version of the band). They originally released Hopefall's classic No Wings to Speak of ep, and put out a split that featured the first tracks from Further Seems Forever. On top of all that the label released albums from FewLeftStanding, Narcissus, Stairwell, and the Operation.

But by far my favorite release from Takehold is Twothirtyeight's Regulate the Chemicals. Regulate the Chemicals saw Twothiryeight move away from the emo sound of their first two records (Missing You Dearly and Matter Has a Breaking Point) and moving into a much more interesting math rock/indie rock style.

The albums opener, Hands of Men, doesn't really set the tone for the rest of the record. It's laid back and has a strong hook. A solid song and if Regulate the Chemicals had sounded like Hands of Men, the album would've still been great. But when the guitar kicks in on There Is No Dana, things shift into high gear. The song moves from section to section, shifting and evolving. I remember the band playing this song at Purple Door and the crowd roaring the chorus so loud, that the band couldn't be heard. Coin Laundry Loser is a fun and upbeat song musically, while the lyrics are a little tongue and cheek about being poor.

This Town Will Eat You is one of the first songs I remember moving me so deeply, that every time I listened to it, no matter what was going on, I would stop what I was doing and just listen to the song. The Bastard Son and The Spoiled One was one of the first moments in my Christian music experience where I had to question what it was I was listening to. But the song is about how ungrateful we can be about what God has done for us. Songs Will Write the Words is another song like There is No Dana, just moving, evolving, catchy, and all around great.

Tooth and Nail would eventually buy Takehold Records and keep Twothirtyeight. They re-released Regulate the Chemicals with two new songs, Les Wirth and The Sticks Are Woven in the Spokes (a song that would also be on the bands next album). Tooth and Nail also changed the name of The Bastard Son and The Spoiled One to The Spoiled One so the album could be sold in Christian bookstores (although it would eventually be banned for the language in the song anyway).

Regulate the Chemicals remains a timeless album to me. It's fantastic indie rock album and was instrumental in moving my musical taste away from solely hardcore.