No Place Like Home for Marianas Trench

It all starts with a crescendo, a soft sound. That's all music begins with, but nothing can compare to the harmonies that the four punk-rockers, known as Marianas Trench, or just Josh Ramsay, Matt Webb, Mike Ayley, and Ian Casselman, can make.

With Fix Me, it was raw and edgy. Its a common joke to make up stories about the band name's origin (they actually picked it probably cause there was no other names left, but that's this writer's personal opnion), and it began with the release of the punky single Say Anything. The video features lead singer, Ramsay, being sort of a .. stalker.. if you would ask me. (Its a joke within the Marianas Trench fanbase to accuse Josh of being a stalker, but its a innocent joke.) He is then kicked out at the end of the video. Next single released was Decided to Break It, a very athletic video where an elusive Chariots of Fire-reference filled version exists. Next was Shake Tramp, and the first part of oooh and ahhs shows the perfect harmonies these four Vancouver rockers can make.

Next came, Masterpiece Theatre, the title itself was a bit daunting, calling an album that was still in the process of making. This was the one that Marianas Trench to date has had the most singles from. Cross my Heart was a big, daunting video, as it features lead singer, Ramsay, chasing a girl down a street, then building to a huge parade following him, with other members, Ayley, Casselman,and Webb on a float. It has few performance shots, as this video was supposed to somehow have a storyline. Then came the video that was supposed to look cheaply made, All To Myself, its sort of a double-life, what with Ramsay playing a double role, in a way, the office dork, and then the cute rockstar. Beside You was the next, a hard video to interpet. Some people wrote stories of it being that Josh had passed away, but some interpeted it as a breakup. You can basically think of the video any way you want, honestly. Its a sweet and slow song. Next came one of the most hillarious MT music videos of all time, Celebrity Status. It features several TV parodies, most noticably "Copz", "Trench Court" , and a whole lot more. The last single, a alternate version than the one on the album which was with Kate Voegele, Good To You featuring Jessica Lee. The music video features Ramsay being a bartender, and trying to defend girl from her /supposedly/ jerk boyfriend. This one is sort of done in a 50s style. The track listing is: Masterpiece Theatre I, All To Myself, Cross My Heart, Beside You, Masterpiece Theatre II (includes elements from the four songs before), Good To You, Celebrity Status, Perfect, Lover Dearest, and then Masterpiece Theatre III (with a nod to past single pre-Masterpiece era Say Anything). The bonus edition features the version of Good To You with Jessica Lee, And So It Goes, a previously unrecorded cover of a Billy Joel song, acoustic versions of Celebrity Status, and Cross My Heart. Also a DVD of behind the scenes and music videos is included with the director's cut edition.

Finally, but not the last album, Ever After. It was released on November 21st, 2011 after a week move up, announced by the band via a video on their youtube channel. Tracks that are well known include: Fallout, Haven't Had Enough, Stutter, Truth or Dare, Porcelain, Ever After, By Now, So Soon, No Place Like Home, and Desperate Measures. Yes, that's the whole album track list, but they are well known. This album was widely good in reviews from critics. First video, Haven't Had Enough, features the band getting lured into the Toyland of the Ever After story, the ruthless Queen Carolina being played by Darla Taylor, and Ramsay is the subject of several of her tricks, going through 50s, Pirates, French ,and several others before getting finally trapped as a 'Josh-in-the-box". Second video, Fallout, is abstract, but the key is the key from the story, and Darla plays in it again. This album will be the one they are currently touring as of today, but not on tour at the moment. They are on tour in the US in April and May.

Overall, Marianas Trench is a great pop-punk band who deserves a listen. Two of the bandmembers, Josh and Mike, as a fun fact, like My Chemical Romance, for all you MCrmy out there that are looking at this article and considering MT.