The Magnum Opus, Masterpiece Theatre - A Marianas Trench Retrospective
Man... this is a HARD review to write. Masterpiece was my formal introduction to Trench, the album that made me a fan and made me hooked on them for more than half my life. It's always stuck with me and has become of my most listened albums of all time. This guy was on repeat SO MUCH that my original copy sadly has a error occur on Good To You xD But yeah, to get back to the title of this piece, what is a magnum opus? It means a large and important work of art... usually seen as the most important work of an artist or writer. And that certainly fits this album. This is where Josh opted to lean more into the pop side of rock, and wasn't afraid to get experimental. This album consist of a protagonist getting ready to perform after breaking it big, and reflecting on both his past and his present while he does so.
Masterpiece Threate I eases you into this universe, talking about how the actor puts on a performance for the audience, and he worries it might slowly drain him and make him lose who he is. (This will be touched on a lot more during the second portion of the album) We then oddly head into a trio that can only be described as the Honeymoon phase of a relationship, our protag pleading with a girl that he wants to commit to her fully, that he'll do anything for her, and that he misses her when he's on the road performing like crazy. All To Myself is punchy and aggressive, Cross My Heart is catchy as fuck (the CLAPS as percussion is what sells the song for me) & Beside You is a more somber and orchestral ballad that shows the bands love for those elements. We then have our first look into the past of the actor, reminiscing about his childhood home and the memories he made there, but also how it's all gone now... even if he sometimes reminisces about the nostalgia. Acadia is one of those songs where I feel like Josh gets shocked fans love it to much, but it's such a deep, emotional track... everyone gushes about childhood memories like that, even if they were REALLY DUMB in hindsight. Our Intermission Track is all about the fears and worries that come with fame. Not wanting to deal with the media, wishing he could hide himself and also not wanting to hurt his love... scared that they'll hurt her as much as they attempt to hurt him if she's in the limelight. Then we get to my personal favourite song off the record, Sing Sing. I've gushed about this track in a personal piece, but man... every time I play it, I see how it's both a reflection of the media telling him to shut up and sing... but also how singing was his coping mechanism during his stint in rehab. You can see how Still Angr evolved into this... while that was more a track about a bitter breakup and wanting revenge on the girl, this track is just UNFF to my ears. Then... we have a return to the Relationship stuff with Good To You, which feels so OUT OF PLACE here. Don't get me wrong, I love this song (if anything, seek out the demo dueted by Tania Hancheroff, it's a more stripped down version of the tune and it's brilliant), but I wonder if swapping it and Acadia for one another would've been a smart decision. Celebrity Status and Perfect are a great duo of tracks talking all about fame and how it eats at you. Being a perfectionist, Josh wants to make sure his stuff is as good as possible, but also know that if he isn't careful, this industry will chew you up and spit you out. Also, gotta love the callback to Sicker Things... such a good line, repurposed here brilliantly. Now, it's confession time: For the longest time, I didn't get Lover Dearest, but that was because I didn't know about Josh's heroin addiction. When I learned about it... holy cow did this song grow on me so much. Talking about his addiction like a toxic relationship... but knowing it needs to end for the best of the two of them... it's literally made me cry a few times. And lastly, our final crescendo, Masterpiece Theatre III. And what can I say about this song that hasn't been said by so many others before me? Seriously. This... is just magical. People call it a Bohemian Rhaposdy of the modern age, and while it is in many aspects, it's also it's own thing that showcases where the band was headed... leaning more into theatrics, harmonies and showcasing Josh's vocal range. Of course, Josh leaned into that hard.. going into a phase full of magic and whimsy. And what better way to tell that than a fairytale?
