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Preface… A
few years back, I went to a Sick of it All/Hot Water Music/AFI
show at the Trocadero in Philadelphia. Knowing full well that
SOIA and Hot Water Music would not disappoint, I was caught off
guard by AFI’s goth-inspired, Tim Burton-esque punk.
Fifteen-year-old girls shrieked when the Berkeley,
California natives took the stage. Jack-o-lanterns adorned their
amps, and I ended up being thoroughly impressed. Fast forward to
the present… the band with the ardent underground following has a
Butch Vig (ϋber-producer, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Garbage,
etc…) produced album and a heavy rotation single on modern
rock radio (not always the best indicator of success, but
nonetheless…)
Sing the Sorrow is a moody, explosive gem.
From the medieval chant opener, “Miseria Cantare – The Beginning”
all the way through to the urgent lament of “…but home is nowhere”
vocalist Davey Havok wrings every ounce of disenchanted ire out of
his schizophrenic vocal range. One minute he’s crooning melodic
(“Silver and Gold”), and the next he’s shrieking like a hardcore
frontman (“Dancing through Sunday”). Therein lies the strength of
this album— its ability to flip-flop from aggressive to passive
and menacing to hopeful all while keeping the listener’s
attention. Forget the fact that Havok’s lyrics remind me at times
of my college English professor’s required course reading.
Most bands wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but AFI’s dark themes
aren’t hokey; they’re sincere, and that makes all the difference.
Musically, AFI doesn’t shy away from experimenting with odd breaks
(“Death of Season’s” techno bombast, “The Great Disappointment’s”
simmering intro.) This varied range of sounds adds depth to
Sing the Sorrow and keeps it from becoming a mindless bore.
Ironically enough, one of the darker, more cerebral
rock albums out now just might end up becoming one of this
summer’s bigger hits…anyone for Halloween in June??
-Wade
Peters
Links:
www.afireinside.net
www.dreamworksrecords.com |
The Atticus clothing company has released its second compilation
of various hardcore, punk and thinking-man’s metal songs and
decided to start the thing off with Rocket from the Crypt.
That’s it, end of story, best comp ever!!! Oh wait…I guess I
should take the rest of the album into account, not just the track
by (in my humble opinion) one of the best rock bands around today.
After listening to tracks by such artists as Hot Water
Music, Taking Back Sunday, Sparta, Jets to Brazil, Hot Rod Circuit
and Alkaline Trio, I assumed someone had raided my CD collection
and recorded this comp with yours truly in mind.
The boys from Rocket from the Crypt tear through “I’m
Not Invisible” from their latest release Live From Camp X-Ray,
which leads right into Hot Water Music’s “Remedy”, a one-two punch
that blends seamlessly and sets the tone for things to come.
Up-and-comers Finch contribute “Worms of the Universe,” a melodic
heavy-hitting unreleased track that had me wondering why they
didn’t include it on their latest release What It Is To Burn.
The compilation’s most promising
band, Sparta, contributes the slow burning “Vacant Skies” which
reaffirms their ability to craft songs that can be at the same
time dreamy and urgent. Further Seems Forever’s “Pride War,”
Jet’s to Brazil’s “William Tell Override,” and Box Car Racer’s
“All Systems Go” are Dragging the
Lake’s
keystone, holding together some otherwise stagnant tracks by
Slick Shoes, The Suicide Machines and Transplants. The album’s
notable second-half tracks are the sarcastic rant “You’re So Last Summer” by Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against’s
emotional “Heaven Knows”, Hot Rod Circuit’s poppy “Misled,” and
Bane’s metal rant “Some Came Running”. Alkaline Trio’s “Crawl” is
the compilation’s last song and also the lone live track. If I
were them, I would’ve picked a different track off of “From Here
to Infirmary,” but all things considered, they could’ve done
worse.
While there are some rough spots (Dropkick Murphy’s
boring Irish anthem “Fields of Athenry” and Blink 182’s unreleased
retread “Don’t Tell Me It’s Over), the album could easily serve as
a mix tape intended for road trips or to be blared over speakers
at your neighborhood Hot Topic boutique.
-Wade
Peters
Links: www.sideonedummy.com
www.atticusclothing.com |
For 6 years, Autopilot
Off have been delivering great music to the punk scene. Following
2000's Slick Shoes Split, 1998's Looking Up, and their
independent release All Bets Off in 1996, they have joined the Island
Records family with a brand new EP. Although it is not as fast paced
and up-tempo as their previous albums, the record shows that they do have
the ability to write better songs, as well as become a better band all
around. Some people think that some songs on the CD are lacking, but
releasing a CD that is almost the same as their previous one would have been
unsatisfactory to most people. This record stands out and provides us
examples of the good music
the band has to offer.
The EP starts off with "Long Way To Fall," which is a
very classic style APO song. Lyrics like "You can only see so much
when you're relying on your eyes / There's an instinct inside everyone /
It's the engine and the drive" have proven the fact that they have improved
their writing. The track "Indebted" similarly shows off their
new-found lyrical maturity: "Under the strain I had to watch you struggle /
Your spirit just refused to break / And the quiet strength sings like a
thousand voices / I always knew that we'd be safe." Tracks like
"Indebted" and "Nothing Frequency" may have the new "pop-punk" sound, as
described by many people, but compared to older songs, the band has shown
they can put more into the song rather than the same chords and drum beats
over and over again.
I have been a fan of this band for almost four years
now, and this is by far their best work, in terms of both music and lyrics.
If you're a long time fan, or even a newcomer, you will be satisfied with
the music, lyrics, and amount of energy the band has to offer on this
record. -Tim SwallowLinks:
www.autopilotoff.com
www.islandrecords.com
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