A.F.I. Explicit Lyrics

To give some perspective to my review, I've been a die-hard AFI fan since 2000 - literally on the exact day when 'The Art Of Drowning' was released. A buddy of mine, who was already a huge fan, picked up that album the day it was released - he'd give me a ride to High School in the morning, and he told me I had to hear this new album. He popped that album in, and we skipped that entire day of school, just driving around listening to that album over and over again. It blew my mind. After that I was hooked, and picked up AFI's previous records, and as much rarities I could find. When 'Sing The Sorrow' was released three years later, they exceeded my already high expectations, blew my mind yet again, and solidified their status as my favorite band. When 'Decemberunderground' was released, however, it was the first time where I felt the band took a dip in quality. The intro ("Prelude") felt weak, and many of the songs seemed half-baked. With respect to the album's lyrics, the words didn't feel like they were coming from the heart and they seemed uninspired - coming off to me like an amateur wrote them in an attempt to emulate the intricate lyrics and powerful punch of Havok's own previous writing. With 'Crash Love', except for two or three songs, this is where the band officially lost me for quite a few years. In 2013 when 'Burials' was released, I was far from blown away, but I did find it to be a huge improvement from 'Crash Love'. It gave me the gut-feeling that a possible return-to-form was around the corner - that at least it was possible. Now, with 'A Fire Inside (The Blood Album)', I can say confidently after numerous listens, that AFI are back and they are in full form. 'The Blood Album' has AFI once-again embracing their status as no-F's given group of artists. Many folks here will try to tie this album, and certain tracks, back to previous albums - clutching onto and being compared to 'classic' remnants from the past releases of Black Sails, TAOD, and STS. That's the wrong approach. Make no mistake about it, in reality, 'The Blood Album' is its own work in the fullest, and it is excellent. AFI have put many of their former selves to rest with each new album over the last 20 years, only to rise again with a different guise. Over the last 10 years, in my opinion, they lost a bit of themselves, and a bit of the fire inside that had made them produce music without any peers. This album brings them back - as fierce and firey as ever. Even though 'The Blood Album' is flecked with much more raw punk and hardcore hues than anything they've released in the last 10 years, there is a lot to chew on here with lush keys and many extra layers to the music which makes this album their most serious and mature that they have ever released - and that makes sense. And it works tremendously. Rather than trying to outrun those 'classic years', or re-enter them, as they have tried to do both in the last decade, they are now more focused on their own craft and presenting themselves as they are now. The 'Blood Album' ignores nostalgia, and brainless regurgitation, or playing to expectations and instead focuses on a time and place. It's a complex album - and it will take a few listens for everything to click in its entirety. What you get is a brilliant new AFI - with the classic AFI 'vibe', but with an evolution in songwriting, such that I've never heard from them before, with near math-rock at times ("Pink Eyes"), to blues ("The Wind That Carries Me Away"), to lush electronic euphoria ("Dark Snow"), and the list goes on. Last but not least, lyrically, this is easily the best writing Davey Havok has done since 'Sing The Sorrow'. With 'Burials' I saw a glimpse of hope that my favorite band was getting back into form, even though the promise surrounding that album could not overcome that album’s overall sense of stasis, though. Conversely, on 'A Fire Inside (The Blood Album), they throw caution to the wind and embrace themselves as they once did when they released their classics, such as Black sails and Sing The Sorrow. I think, unlike in previous years, the band not having too much time in the studio has actually helped them to focus, and with Puget as producer it has allowed them the continuity and a sense of self which produced an album that isn't distracted with the anxiousness and self-concious eye toward the charts that 'Crash Love' and 'Burials' had. Finally, this is the return of AFI. There is not one bad song on this album. This album is brutality, romanticism, unity, drama, and alienation that we haven't truly seen, in full, since 'Sing The Sorrow' - but don't try and compare to the past. This album is its own. Just throw it on, and let it take you. Some key songs: Dark Snow, Snow Cats, Dumb Kids, Feed From The Floor, Pink Eye, She Speaks The Language My True Rating: 4.6 / 5

I enjoyed the sound of this album but it had more of a "Blaqk Audio" vibe to it. It wasn't half hardcore AFI. It sounded a bit electronica like the Blaqk Audio albums. I do have to say that my favorite song would have to be White Offerings. There are several other good songs. Just wish it would have sounded more like Sing the Sorrow or December Underground. Hell, even sounding like Crash Love or Burials would have been great. It's not a total waste of money if you're also a Blaqk Audio fan so if you like that sound, you will enjoy this album.

I've been a fan of AFI since probably around 2001 and can say this album sounds like a mix of their previous albums Sing the Sorrow and Crash Love. There's some slower and some fast paced songs which makes it easy for every type of AFI fan to find a song to their liking. In my opinion this is one of their better albums that came out most recently and can recommend it to anyone who likes or liked the band. Pick it up If you are on the fence you won't regret it.

I got into AFI around the Black Sails era. I bought that album because I thought that the artwork looked cool, and I ended up just absolutely loving their music. I went back and purchased their previous albums, and then Art of Drowning came out not too much longer after that. Aside from the Misfits, AFI was my "Halloween" and "autumn" go-to band. I really enjoyed their gothic imagery and the way they combined a gothic mood with punk rock. And, I was living in a small town with it's own southern-gothic thing going on, and the music just felt like the soundtrack to my life for a very long time. I loved Sing The Sorrow as well, although I could tell that they were definitely being more commercially accessible. Still, the music was great, and the band evolved their sound even further, and that's kinda when I started seeing lots of other people get into the band - not just the people who go to punk clubs, but general rock music fans who didn't walk in punk circles. When Decemberunderground came out, I felt betrayed by the band. Of course, AFI are their own band, and it's not their problem if I felt alienated at the time. AFI were clearly doing something different. The music was still good, but their were definitely way more pop-oriented songs. It was much lighter on punk and hardcore, and a lot heavier on new wave and pop. That said, I can look back at that album and appreciate it now. It's still a damn good album. I actually really enjoyed Crash Love, because it felt like they were no longer trying to please both older and newer fans, and just decided to be honest about fully becoming a more pop-oriented rock band instead of hanging onto their last underground, hardcore threads. No, they were hardly a heavier band anymore, but it seems like they were saying "Hey. This is what we are now. Enjoy it or move on." Yet, I was still hoping and crossing my fingers for them to release a heavier, gothic-flavored album again. Years later, they released Burials, and still I am not sure what to make of that album. It's certainly good, and it took a darker turn, but the album seemed to lack cohesion between the tracks. I was still glad to hear Davey's scream on full in some parts, as well as hearing the band sound more "garage" than they had in years. Come last week I purchased The Blood Album on here. Like Burials, I'm still not what sure to make of this album. It's very good, and it seems to combine all of AFI's previous styles into one package. Much of the album sounds like it followed right after Sing The Sorrow, especially with Snow Cats and White Offerings. They also seem to switch between eras not track by track, but in between the songs themselves. "So Beneath You"'s intro sounds like it hearkens all the way back to the "Answer That.." album. Then it sounds more like something off of Sing The Sorrow. "Dumb Kids" seems to do the same thing. But all in all, it seems like AFI have come to make a more cohesive, if not better, album than Burials. There's less jolt in between each track, and the whole album seems to flow pretty well. Where to me Crash Love felt like a tribute album to the band's less-punk influences (more Cure and less Misfits or Danzig), and Decemberunderground felt more like a collection of good songs, this album feels like...an album. Another thing I like about this album is that it is track-for-track faster than any album they've done in a long time. Yes, adding all tracks together, there is a noticeable increase in beats per minute - There are a few truly slow songs on the album, mostly near the end, and a few mid-tempo ones. The other tracks seem to clock in at least 140 bpm's through most of the track. It's still not the heaviest album - not even remotely so, but it is quick. The musicianship is really good on this album. Jade's guitar is practically bouncing of the walls with unique chords, flourishes, and solos thrown about artfully. Hunter and Adam hold down the rhythm section as usual, and it's nice to hear them so well - The bass is almost right up there with the guitar, giving Jade plenty of room to fill in the higher notes with whatever he wants. Most importantly, there are plenty of great songs on the album. I can't decide a favorite yet, as the album is still sinking in. I do not personally feel like this album has many stand-out singles for those who preferred their Decemberunderground and Crash Love eras. This more of a cohesive album and it seems to focus on being solid from beginning to end instead of having huge anthem-like standouts like Decemberunderground's Miss Murder or Love Like Winter. It doesn't sound like the band it trying to fetch a Billboard Top 10 single at all, even if they truly never cared to. Anyway, the overall sound is distinctly AFI and you can tell this from any single track by itself. But overall, it's dark, gothic, and moody, and well worth the purchase. I'm glad that AFI are still kicking it, and if this were to be the last album, it would be a great way to end on a high note. But I don't see these guys quitting anytime soon.

Epico

para amantes del buen hardcore de los años 90s, un buen pasa tiempo y buenas condiciones, pero es un grandidismo disco, excelente

A great album I'm more of a DecemberUnderground and Crash Love kinda AFI fan....at first but once I bought the album after drifting from the band for awhile. I couldn't believe I didnt give this and Burials a chance. The Blood Album is an album that just hits from the opening track. Snow Cats, White Offerings, Aurilea and Hidden Knives are the singles but every album not a single (who's name escape me as I write this sorry) are worth the price of admission. Overall a great comeback after Burials and I cant wait for Bodies its gonna be a great 2021 for Davey and the boys.

Alles Top!

The album is an absolute masterpiece and can be compared to their earlier work with a hint of the new sound coming off of Burials. The vinyl record's colour is extraordinary and beautiful. The only complaint I have is that there is too much space in the sleeve, so the record moves around an awful lot.