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August 11, 2007
AFI - Decemberunderground
Decemberunderground is the latest album release from alternative rock band AFI. A fitting title considering they disappeared off the radar for three years to make it. From their East Bay Hardcore punk rock roots, the band has transformed from angry teens screaming “I wanna get a Mohawk but my mum wont let me get one” to wise-beyond-their-years 30-somethings singing about detachment and seclusion, gone through line-up changes and seem to have been mislabelled as everything from metal to goth to emo along the way. AFI returned, being pushed into a category that doesn’t fit them, into a scene that has tried to clone them, to a fan-base that worships them and they have taken it all in their stride, as they usually do. If any fans were concerned about them sounding watered-down and strung out like their prototypes, they definitely had nothing to worry about.
The opening track, “Prelude 12/21” establishes a serene feeling when it starts, followed soon by the soft vocals, finalising the scene. But AFI create no time for contentment, shocking you back to life with the next “Kill Caustic”. It revisits the AFI of the past, but with superior lyrics and extra care for the vocal chords by front man Davey Havok. This track is sure to be a favourite live by band and audience alike. Hunter Burgan then kicks off the first single, “Miss Murder”, with its distinctive bass line and they are now treading new territory by starting the song with a chorus. “Summer Shudder” starts the ballad train on this album, followed by “The Interview”, the first of the two true ballads on this release. “The Interview” is ended by a vocal harmony between Havok and guitarist Jade Puget that rivals any other the two have previously performed.
There are tracks like “The Killing Lights”, which do not actually seem to fit the album, and tracks such as “37mm”, which may be hinting toward a direction AFI could take in the future. This album demonstrates just how much these men have matured over the past three years, with more technically challenging drumming from Adam Carson than we have previously seen, Havok writing more elusive and somehow more meaningful lyrics than he has done so in the past; Hunter proving that a talented bassist knows when to hold back and when to give it his all and Jade providing more reasons for us all to believe that they will be around for a few more years.
All in all, this album is one that should be taken as a whole, seeing as there are a few tracks that would never survive when taken away from those that surround it. But I have found this to be the only downfall of Decemberunderground. AFI have produced yet another album that is set to amaze fans and confuse non-believers. You either love them or hate them; but once again they have proven that no matter how hard others may try, they can never do it like AFI.
Posted by funnelbc at August 11, 2007 08:59 AM
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