AFI Album: “Decemberunderground”

I'm beginning to wonder about all the people who say that they're "hardcore AFI fans" before trashing this album.

I've been a fan since 2002; I was introduced via Black Sails in the Sunset and Art of Drowning. I love Very Proud of Ya, Shut Your Mouth, and Answer That for the punky aspects, I love Black Sails for the raw energy it has, I love Art of Drowning for the exceptional lyrics, I love Sing the Sorrow for the beauty of the music, and I love Decemberunderground because someone finally got the 'modernizing the 80s' sound right.

I'm not just an AFI fan, I'm a music fan. If you box yourself into one category (punk, goth, whatever; most of you think labels are stupid anyway), you're going to miss out on a lot of stuff this band has to offer. If you're really that one-dimsenional, where you only like one certain type of music, then you're not going to like AFI. Period. They change as people as life progresses, so their music changes to reflect that. You like their old stuff better? That's great, but don't say you want another Black Sails, or another Very Proud of Ya, or whatever. Bands that can't evolve don't make it. If Davey and the rest of the guys were still singing about not being able to get mohawks or how people don't understand them, you'd hate it, and I'd hate it. That's like Blink 182 still bitching about high school on their last album when they should be going to their high school reunions and taking care of their kids.

Miss Murder is definitely catchy, and gets me pumped up like only Days of the Phoenix could do. Prelude 12/21 is beautiful, and really shows that Davey knows how to control his voice to get the sound he wants. The Missing Frame is definitely full of that 80s pop sound I love (you know you like it, too, don't deny it), and Affliction is fun to (try to) scream along to, not to mention the last minute or so of it really shows a different side of AFI. 37mm, musically, reminds me that Davey is into NIN, but is still obviously AFI. Love Like Winter is possibly my favorite song on the album, and I can't wait to see the video for it. The only song I don't love is Kill Caustic, and that's only because I can't scream to sing along with it.

So yes. Five stars for Decemberunderground. All you "hardcore punks" or whatever need to get over yourselves and grow up, because AFI isn't going to slow down and stagnate for your sake.

AFI still manages to create an album unlike anything on their previous records.

I've been a fan for almost seven years, and I'll admit, when I first listened to Decemberunderground, I was a little skeptical. I wasn't mentally prepared for it. Miss Murder and Kill Caustic (the previously released tracks) are nothing like the other ten tracks on the album, except for Affliction, and even that's stretching it. But after my second listen, I was in love, and the deluge of genuine emotion on this album touched me in the most poignant, eloquent of ways.

The lyrics are intense and gripping, despondent and devastatingly real. Some melodies are beautiful and gracefully tragic, while some are reminiscent of AFI's rapid, raw adrenaline past. Quite simply, Decemberunderground dug deeply into my heart, and refuses to let go.

For those who were expecting an imitation of Sing The Sorrow, or a remake of Black Sails In The Sunset, you'll be disappointed. There are references to AFI's older works on this album, but they're not painfully apparent. You can't compare Decemberunderground to their other records, or base it on a premediated standard, and I imagine if you did, you'd miss the expressiveness that this album has to offer. They've never repeated themselves, and are constantly changing their sound, so holding a grudge against them because you want AFI to musically go back 10 years is just stupid. In a nut shell, enjoy Decemberunderground for what it is - a masterpiece - and leave your preconcieved notions (or desires) that this was going to be the next Answer That And Stay Fashionable at home.

Here's a small track by track digest:

1) Prelude 12/21 - A nice opener to the album, and the beat's pretty infectuous.

2) Kill Caustic - The first example of the fast-paced parts on this album. Very straight-forward, no-nonsense, and catchy, with grating vocals and dissonant guitar.

3) Miss Murder - Reminds me vaguely of a hybrid between the Art Of Drowning and Black Sails In The Sunset, with group "Hey's" that've been basically non-existent, but dutifully missed by fans, in AFI's songs since 2000. And it's in three, which gives it an interesting, bouncy feel.

4) Summer Shudder - The melody is dance-worthy and kind of bubbly, and lends hindsight to the album's later electronic feel. The use of effects is awesome.

5) The Interview - I honestly don't know why everyone's been giving this song such a bad rep. I think the lyrics are gorgeous, like "For a change, I'll refrain from hiding all of me from you," and "Today, this small favor I'm asking. Hold me - you may drop me tomorrow." And the ending is perfect - the dual vocals coupled with the organ is absolutely stunning.

6) Love Like Winter - To put it bluntly, the chorus to this song is effing snazzy. There's more hints to Decemberunderground's electronic aspects here, too. I never thought I'd see the day that AFI would use happy synthesizers - but it's a nice change, nonetheless.

7) Affliction - Haunting, and the chord progression is done extremely well. The lyrics are sad, and when Davey sings, "So stay sweetly numb. Remain lifeless, love. Stay sweetly numb. Maintain lifeless love," not only does it break your heart, it shows just how much his voice has matured.

8) The Missing Frame - I like this song, and I can't really explain why. It's just awesome - like an early eighties pop song, but in a good way, and it's still kind of dark.

9) Kiss And Control - Wow. This song is beautiful, exquisite, magnificient, insert amazed adjectives here. The chorus is dramatic and downright heartwrenching.

10) The Killing Lights - I think it sounds like something off of Sing The Sorrw, but that's probably because of the "Oh!" at the beginning. Overall, it's melodic, but maintains a wee bit of darkness.

11) 37mm - Almost entirely electronic, and feels like a seducitve mixture of VNV Nation and Clan Of Xymox, which isn't surprising, considering that Ronan Harris helped produce this album.

12) Endlessly, She Said - A pristine closing track. Its sadness is drawn out to infinite lengths, and is remarkably epic. The last chorus, with the dueling group and single vocals is brillant. As if that weren't enough, the lyrics are fantastic, as well.

Yes folks, AFI finally decided "hey, maybe we should stop all of the childish punk, and annoying songs with pointless screaming and make actual music." If some people honestly think a track like "I Wanna Get A Mohawk (But Mom Won't Let Me Get One)" is better then a track like "Summer Shudder" then they have to be on crack. Some people have to stop coming into this thread, and pissing and moaning about the same thing countless others have. "AFI isn't the same anymore! I liked them before! Why did they have to go mainstream? They suck now! I like their old stuff better!" Stop crying about the same BS over and over! Everyone has got to accept something, they're grown men and they're never going back to their annoying, teenage, punkish ways about how they're so much better then everyone.

Folks, everything before Sing the Sorrow was pure BAD, despite what all of those "longtime fans" may tell you. Answer That & Stay Fashionable all the way through The Art Of Drowning had maybe 2-3 decent songs on all of those albums combined.

Then came Sing The Sorrow, which was decent but still had a little bit of tracks where Davey was yelling really fast and you couldn't tell what he was saying. But there were a few good tracks, like Silver and Cold which was great.

And then Decemberunderground. Folks, AFI finally comes through with a great album and in the process gets rid of those immature punk addicts and gets some real music fans.

So can we stop all of the "I Hate AFI Now And They Were Better Before" because it's getting a little old.

WARNING: In all, this cd does not sound at all like anything they have ever done. But at the same time it is a killer new album. THe intro to the album is done in same AFI fasion, then Kill Caustic kicks in which is the best song on the cd in my opinion. Then the rest of the tracks just take you further deeper into the oh-so experimental AFI. There are lots of new instrumentations on here which just prove of how just great of musicians these guys are. Davey's voice is beautiful throughout the whole thing. There are weird techno samples that also spice everything up and make it even more weird. New fans of AFI (like the ones that think Sing the Sorrow was the first record) will dig this. Long Term fans (like myself) may dig it depending on how open your mind is.

I got into AFI with the release of Art of Drowning, which is a fantastic album. My girlfriend at the time had Black Sails in the Sunset and even though I didn't really get into it then, I now think it rivals AOD. AFI has always been a band to look towards the future and embrace a sense of progress (this is highly commendable). These two albums, which formed my introduction to AFI, now stand as the mid-part of their career.

The band has always refused to simply fall into the groove of what's cool. They've always been unique. Their first two albums came out of their intense interest in the 80's and early 90's hardcore punk scene. Davey Havoc may have summarized the roots of the albums best when he says, "Ever since I can remember I wanted to be in a hardcore band," at the beginning of the "He Who Laughs Last" video. These albums are full of the intensity of the early hardcore scene. When the band emerged into this middle era the music was totally fresh and delightfully dark (it was there in the early days, though, in songs like Brownie Bottom Sundae). These middle albums (haloween ep and self-titled included) also had an intensity and an energy that blew away their old sound. Moreover, I've yet to hear a band in the world of punk (past and present) who's music rivals this intensity.

I appreciate the two newer albums on an artistic level; they continue to break the mold (the goth glam influence is pretty cool). Besides, who can say they didn't see them foreshadowed in certain moments on Black Sails and AOD. But, personally, it's pretty difficult to listen to Decemberunderground. AFI deserves all the respect in the world but I don't feel much of the fire of the old days.