Straight from the first track, you can feel the emotion evident in this excellent offering from punkmeisters AFI. And it's powerful emotion. The fact that they rely on a mix of belting a tune out as loudly as possible and doing so more quietly (but more tunefully) makes it all the better. I must admit to being a little apprehensive when i bought this album - it's the first AFI album i've bought, and i only did so based on the few songs i've heard (only one actually from this album) before. The apprehension dissipated along with my resolve to get some work done RIGHT NOW when i stuck the cd in and pressed play (i really should have waited until i'd done some work first. Oh well)
This is truly involving music - it's not as blunt and pointless as the "I hate everyone and everything" screamers, and it's not as uninvolved as much of the more popular rock of present. It's music, in every sense of the word.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Jon, you conveyed it very well.
2 - Jonathan
I used to be very much into metal and "I hate everything" music.
I got off it before AFI sort of came to power, but now all my buddies who are still into metal music wear AFI TShirts everywhere, and at my college everyone and everything is wearing some sort of AFI apparel. That's kind've turned me off them, but maybe I should give them a solid listen.
3 - jadester
as i said, they are a step above that kind of metal. I'd generally call that kind "hate metal" i suppose, which includes most (if not all) death metal for sure. The problem i have with all that is not so much the music, of which there is enough which is good (i've listened to a few Deicide tracks and, ignoring the lyrics, the music is awesome - screaming guitars and thundering drums), but the fact that
1) what i have heard of other metal (i know AFI are lumped into the metal section of high street music stores, but tbh i'm more inclined to call them punk. Altho this isn't emant to be an argument about music classification which could go on forever =+) does not really have any kind of variation, i.e. it always relies on loudness/thrashiness for its emotion. AFI, at least with this album, have a good mix, not just from song to song but also within most songs, of using volume and actual melody
2) there's not nearly so much of the "hate for the sake of hate" here, it's a little more personal (or seems to be) and a little more involving.
Truly, i should've taken up listening to them earlier. I shall definitely be trying some of their other stuff
4 - Brown Boognish
Sing the Sorrow is by far the worst AFI album to date. Earlier in their career, AFI released some solid punk rock records. This new major label release is almost like they are trying to imitate their old style while selling themselves to the general public.
5 - Patricia
Sing the sorrow is the best afi album ive heard its different from the rest of the punk music i listen to. I LOVE IT!!
6 - brown_boognish
Its definetly their worst album so far. I don't think its because they are on a major label, they have been pointed in this direction for a while now. Its mostly just an extension of the Art of Drowning, but nothing new.
7 - Patrick
[personal attack deleted] Just because AFI decided to adopt a sophisticated advanced sound and didnt decide to sound shitty to stay "real" does not mean that they sold out. if u like the band u should be happy with their success. dont [call] everyone sellouts and conformists. [edited to remove personal attack]