''Crimson'' is the fifth album by Alkaline Trio, released May 23, 2005. The record is produced by Jerry Finn.

A 'Deluxe Edition' was released on November 28, 2005. The first disc contains the original album, while the added second disc features the album as demos, home demos and acoustic songs. It is presented in a color slipcase based on original artwork. - Wikipedia

The word "mature" used to be a kiss of death in a punk review, translating as "a bunch of boring, irrelevant geezers playing loud and fast to revisit their youth." But punk as a musical force is approaching its 30th birthday and-regardless of the youth of its proponents-the genre grew up a long time ago. In that sense, Chicago's Alkaline Trio has been mature for the duration of its eight-year history. Guitarist Matt Skiba has always used the melodic and textural subtleties that heighten punk's drama to great effect, especially on the band's last album, 2003's stellar Good Mourning. On Crimson, Alkaline Trio is charged with the unenviable task of following up Good Mourning's commercial success and critical acclaim. But Skiba and the Trio (rounded out by bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano, drummer Derek Grant) create the proper atmosphere for their anthemic three-minute epics-highlights include the whispered piano intro on the raucous "Time to Waste," the hooky propulsion of "The Poison," and the Oingo Boingo-channeled pop-punk abandon of "Mercy Me," a heartbreak ode where Skiba reflects on life's turbulence ("Oh mercy me/God bless catastrophe"). Veteran producer Jerry Finn polishes the chrome a little too effectively, thinning out the Trio's signature bottom end, but the power of the band's presentation is equal to the studio shine.