| Show MH H M AFIs new album should be buried Underground Amanda Chamberlain Arts Editor Every bands band's quality of sound manages to cap at some point in their career usually around the fourth or fifth album which can bring a depressing reality to the bands band's most loyal fans And for fans of the atypically popular popular popular pop pop- ular rock alt-rock band AFI the news of the bands band's recent capping capping capping cap cap- ping will undoubtedly shatter their Davey poster covered worlds Whenever we start covering covering covering cover cover- ing territory weve we've covered before we just get bored drummer Adam Carson told The California natives' natives long-awaited long release will finally be released June 6 2006 6 06 But dont don't let the release date fool you Gone are the days of the AFI that once contained the tough-goth tough version of vocalist Davey lyrics about burning bodies dripping with darkness and vagabond melodies that ran rampant and rough with no intention of apologizing Fans looking forward to a resurgence resurgence resurgence gence of the bands band's 2004 release wont won't be satiated either even though once again enlisted the same Sing the Sorrow expertise of producer producer producer pro pro- ducer Jerry Finn With shockingly fewer like Danzig-like whoa that once tailed the end of sentences the band has changed a few things around They replaced Carson with a drum machine and experimented experimented experimented with pro machine sound effects AFI has released an archetype anti-archetype an album that shatters expectations expectations expectations while still offering sparse gasps of familiarity which sound more like death rattles than tiny hopes that AFI can somehow still be bethe bethe bethe the same Good thing D ec em b cru nd s intro prepares listeners for the disappointment Not that Prelude 12 21 is of bad quality in fact it is very eerie and captivating but the progressive progressive progressive pro pro- track carries few similarities similarities similarities sim sim- to prior intros like Initiation or Miseria and acts as a suspenseful suspenseful sus- sus transition to an album that no fan has yet pre pre- At least the album contains two outstanding tracks that let letone letone letone one drift into the fantasy world that AFI once conjured conjured conjured con con- through their music The drum-and-bass drum style 37 mm could reign in as the title song on The Crow soundtrack evoking mysticism created by rhythmic phonetics and a dark and ethereal background background background back back- ground melody Passionate and almost wrenching heart Endlessly She Said is also a winner abducting the emotions emotions emotions emo emo- of the listener and emitting emitting emitting emit emit- ting them back through the speakers creating a sort of sympathy for a conviction- conviction voiced who epically and throatily raw-throatily sings I will wait for you during the cho cho- rus D ec em b also manages to squeeze in some adequate rock tracks complete with tenor-pitched tenor screams and moody guitars Affliction Kill Caustic and Kiss and Control all fit this bill providing a little littlemore littlemore littlemore more validation to the purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase of the CD Miss Murder the single that AFI fans have already experienced via radio waves is also an ear- ear saving addition to the album though a definite black sheep to the rest of the track listing And I again apologize in advance to those who wish to hear no evil about their beloved AFI but the band apparently spent their talent recording these aforementioned aforementioned aforementioned tracks and horribly neglected the rest of the record The neglected songs are uncomfortably bad due to various various various var var- ious indulgent emo-indulgent lyrics and vocals that resonated amidst the excruciatingly boring melodies that hold no promise of salvation The Interview is the most boring of the lot Its low tune leaves your finger itching for the next button while The Missing Frame draws one in with a somewhat catchy guitar riff that then dissolves into a startling startling startling star star- Jimmy Eat World-esque World pop song The sad part is that I would much rather listen to either cither of those than The Killing Lights where a femi femi- voiced sings an emo tune tunc with lyrics like am I beautiful am I usable its killing time Plan-like Plan again A Simple melody appropriately and disappointedly disappointedly disappointedly dis dis- dis- dis accompanies these horrific details One last thing dont don't get all hyped for any cool hidden track either The untitled of D ec em sounds like the static-infused static drum machine was left running running running run run- ning from predeceasing Endlessly She Said and proves interrupted only by the slurring muffled speech of a drunk bum who apparently found her way into the studio tell Just listen to it and then me Im I'm exaggerating In a nutshell those who love hard rock tracks complete with screaming over heavy stop-and-go stop breakdown segments segments segments seg seg- ments and infuriated versus one you'll sadly only quarter of this album For those who love poppy anticlimactic anticlimactic like emo songs you will love at least half of this album And those who love catchy infused industrial-infused beats amongst melancholy sometimes boring singing you will love at least three quarters of this album And for those who are trying trying trying try try- ing to dry their heavily eye- eye lined eyes after reading this review please know that I also mourn the loss of the once pioneering entrancing and infallible AFI AF of old And if youve you've scathed me the entire length of this review for saying saying saying say say- ing such things about I will admit that the album proves more enjoyable with each replay Except for that damn Killing Lights song |
