Album Review
AFI - Crash LoveAFI – Crash Love

I was with the thousands of people who was really disappointed with the last AFI album ‘December Underground’, I would even go to the extreme stage to say that the album was pure and utter shit and an album that AFI should be ashamed of releasing, for example the lead single ‘Miss Murder’ was 4 minutes of repetitive unlistenable rubbish which gave myself a bad first impression anyway but sadly the rest of the album didn’t really get any better, well AFI are now back with the follow up album ‘Crash Love’ and I can reveal that AFI have reclaimed themselves to be that big gothic looking punk band that everyone has loved for years.

‘Crash Love’ is an album that you can listen to from start to finish without getting bored or annoyed at all, the album features 12 songs and runs well into the 40minute mark, it opens with ‘Torch Song’ a song that’s a bit slow off the mark to start with but then suddenly something magical happens as a massive crashing guitar riff brings the song alive as the band follow it up with massive chant-a-long group vocals in-between the clear and loveable vocals of frontman Davey Havock, the drum beats towards the later part of the song are also well worth waiting out for as they pack a bog old noise.

‘Beautiful Thieves’ is going to be the first song on the album that die hard AFI fans fall in love with, the song is bound to be a fan favourite on the live circuit and that is due to the massive sounding explosive chorus where Davey Havock takes us on one of those classic AFI hooky chorus journeys, the song is huge sounding and after a few listens you will find yourself singing along the following lyrics “If we run this light, take a little right, No one will care at all, We can burn it and leave, for we are the beautiful thieves, No one suspects at all”.

‘End Transmission’ is just as good as the previous song, it starts off on a bit of a slow pace but like true AFI style the song picks up as it goes on and becomes a real sing-a-long journey and features the biggest and best chorus on the album and possible the best chorus AFI have ever unleashed on us, seriously give the song a listen and I bet you won’t be able to keep your mouth shut as you instantly find yourself picking up the lyrics and singing along.

The instrumental introduction of ‘Too Shy To Scream’ is fantastic, it features some banging drum beats and some classic fast paced guitar riffs and bouncy basslines, and as soon as Davey’s vocals come in the song become even more catchy to the point of you wanting to get up and jump about in your own one person mini mosh pit to just show how much you love the song.

‘Veronica Sawyer Smokes’ is very different sounding for an AFI song, it is written about Winona Ryder and features some great layer work with the vocals which really help make the song shine.

The lead single for the album was ‘Medicate’ the song is really good, quite fierce sounding yet quite catchy at the same time with Davey’s vocals becoming the key part of the song that you fall in love with, but after listen to the whole album I have realised that ‘Medicate’ is actually one of the weakest tracks on the album and that is actually a positive point as I think ‘Medicate’ is a great song but there are so many better song’s on the album which just shows what a solid release ‘Crash Love’ is.

Like normal the lyrical content within the album are the usual deep and dark lyrics of hurt, death and anything black and depressing, as AFI like to turn a depressing story melodic to show their fan’s that no matter what happens there is always a positive side to everything or should I say nearly everything.

If you wrote AFI off after ‘December Underground’ then I think it is time for you to give them another chance and check ‘Crash Love’ out as it really is an massive improvement on the previous album, AFI are back to their best and there is no doubt about it that ‘Crash Love’ is going to do AFI well and bring them closer to the mainstream.

4/5

Review by Trigger
 Band Members
AFI - Band
Davey Havok
Adam Carson
Hunter Burgan
Jade Puget
 Track Listing
1. Torch Song
2. Beautiful Thieves
3. End Transmission
4. Too Shy To Scream
5. Veronica Sawyer Smokes
6. Okay, I Feel Better Now
7. Medicate
8. I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here
9. Sacrilege
10. Darling, I Want To Destroy You
11. Cold Hands
12. It Was Mine
 Band Related Links
AFI Myspace
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?