afi - sing the sorrow

you could never accuse afi of being a band afraid of change. this is a band that have evolved a hell of a lot since their original hardcore punk beginnings, and this, their 6th album, is definitely no exception. on 'sing the sorrow' the band have moved on from previous album 'the art of drowning', in about 5 directions all at once.

its pretty hard to describe afi these days - dark punk, hardcore, or even (shudder) goth-rock, all coming to mind. after the dark and dramatic intro 'miseria cantare', the cd kicks off proper, with 'the leaving song pt.II'. with it's melodic hardcore feel, it reminds me of a boysetsfire song. next track 'bleed black' see's the return of the patented afi anthem chorus, and the following 'silver and cold' is probably as close to emo-rock (yes, you heard right!) as afi have ever been. gladly, they manage to pull it off. you have to wait till the 5th track 'dancing through sunday' before you can recognise the older afi punk sound (though the chorus has got a definite poppy edge). next track and single, 'girl's not grey', is probably the most straight-forward song so far, but still a solid punk tune.

davey havok's vocals are a lot more adventurous on this album, his range expanding in both directions; more aggressive (hardcore shouts + screams), and also more delicate and melodic. just see 'death of seasons'; starting like a song off 'the art of drowning', the same track also shows the band making use of production a lot more - check out the impressive electronic part. it's an explosive and superb track, and definitely contender for song of the album. though a challenge to the title comes in the form of singalong 'this celluloid dream' ("cinematic!"). what's pretty evident on this album, is that jade puget has been given a license to roam; his guitar work is a lot more inventive and diverse than ever before. the 2 last tracks showcase further sides of this band, with the gentleness of 'the leaving song' and the epic ender '...but home is nowhere'.

happily, the move to a major label hasn't seemed to have harmed this band at all. this is their most diverse album yet, and a lot more experimental. the slick production may mean this album is lacking a little of the rawness of the older material, but it makes up for it in the songwriting, and a more refined, powerful sound. above all 'sing the sorrow' shows off all the aspects of the band afi were and have become, and in effect, is the complete album.

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