AFI - Crash Love

I was lucky enough to get my pawz on the new AFI record, Crash Love, the other day (Did anyone else know that Hot Topic puts CDs out early?) and I gave it 2 days to sink into my veins. I've been an AFI fanboy for close to a decade now, so my opinion is fairly biased, but after a few spins around the block I can already rank it above Decemberunderground. While there are a handful of upbeat and somewhat "pretty" sounding songs, ie "Veronica Sawyer Smokes," a good chunk of the album has that glam-rocky feel that "Miss Murder" had. Just listen to "I'm Trying Very Hard to be Here" or the first single "Medicate" and tell me they don't make you want to strut down the street and slap the sweat off some joker's face who just doesn't quite understand why you are strutting down the street. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think "Sacrilege" may be the first song they've blatantly written about religion since "Prayer Position."

While I know they'll probably never write another Black Sails in the Sunset (personal fave), I'm totally down with their desire to challenge themselves as musicians and explore the realms of songwriting. At this point fan backlash is almost a given when AFI does something new. They got shit for Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes in '97 (too heavy), Black Sails in the Sunset in '99(too Goth), Art of Drowning in 2000 (still Goth), Sing The Sorrow in '03 (too Mainstream), and Decemberunderground in '06 (too WTF?). It's funny because the same people twisting their testes for changing their sound, are the same people saying stuff like "Oh Pennywise has put out the same record for 15 years...BORING!" Unbelievable. I guess you just can't win.

In any case, Crash Love, will be playing on my iPod for a few weeks and yes, I'm going out tomorrow to get the "Deluxe Edition" AND I will be getting it on vinyl as well when I see it. Can't wait to see them at the Starland Ballroom in a few weeks. Woot Woot!

Apparently there is a new Hatebreed record coming out tomorrow too. The songs I heard on their MySpace page sound BRUTAL. Gotta get that too.

Cheers!