Fall is upon us, dear readers. The leaves are starting to descend and envelope suburban neighborhoods with their desiccated forms, autumnal breezes are bringing their bitter sting to the extremities of all in their path, and AFI is back with a brand new album.
For decades now the California kings of creepy cool have made an art of keeping fans off balance. From the melodic hardcore roots of Answer That And Stay Fashionable, to the horror infused poetics of The Art of Drowning and on through the arena rock bombast of Crash Love and beyond, the only thing you can expect from A Fire Inside is that they will inevitably shed the skin of their previous endeavors with every new turn of the page. Following their experimental, if a bit disjointed 2021 release Bodies, it was near impossible to predict which avenue the band would wander down next. Then in August of this year we got our first glimpse into the next phase, and once again all expectations were shattered.
“Behind The Clock” lifted the blinds, giving us all a furtive glance into the grime and glamour of the forthcoming collection, like peering between the upturned shades of a seedy neon lit motel room. It’s dark Lynchian lyrics, delivered in a dynamic maniacal baritone, danced playfully around a pulsing rhythm and grinding bass line, laying the foundation for the ethereal swirling guitars to sweep in and out of focus and culminating in an atmospheric cloud of reverb and distortion unlike anything in the band’s catalog to date. Both jarring and hypnotic, this brutal beauty of a tune set the stage perfectly for what was to come.
Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, the twelfth installment in AFI’s stunning discography is an unapologetic love letter to the dark post punk that has influenced and guided the band for years, although never as prominently as with this compendium. Tribal drums and chorus drenched acoustics swell to bursting on tracks like album opener “Bird of Prey” and “Blasphemy & Excess”, bringing to mind seminal acts like Echo and The Bunnymen or dark trilogy era Cure. Singles “Holy Visions” and “Ash Speck In A Green Eye” dip into more groove oriented territory that would make Andrew Eldritch blush with envy. The instrumentation throughout the record, while sparse, leaves space for the songs to breathe, providing dynamic tension and a cohesive spirit that makes it all feel of a piece, rather than a collection of disparate sonic ideas. It’s purposeful, powerful, and expertly executed.
The surprises continue with the Morricone flavored dark western vibes of “Spear of Truth”, one of the most interesting and unexpected songs in the band’s storied history. The soft marching drumbeat, rhythmic acoustic guitar, triumphant synth blasts and ambient whistling add depth to an uncharacteristically mellow and haunting track. Frontman Davey Havok’s lyrics throughout this album paint a bleak and desperate picture of life in a brutal and hedonistic post truth world, making for some of his finest poetry in years. Guitarist and musical mastermind Jade Puget understood his assignment with this album and carried it out with precision and care, rounded out by one of the strongest rhythm sections in rock music. Bassist Hunter Burgan and founding drummer Adam Carson both brought tight grooves and distressed rhythms that form the glue of this sonic masterpiece.
The album closes with an intense explosion of death rock perfection. “Nooneunderground” could have been ripped straight out of the Only Theatre Of Pain tapes. Traditional melody is forsaken in exchange for raw, brutal aggression, breaking the spell cast by the preceding tunes and ending the record with an earth shattering bang. Rozz Williams, eat your heart out.
Overall, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…is the most complete and well thought out record I’ve heard this year, and a shining black jewel in the crown of one of the most influential bands of my lifetime. Each track blends seamlessly to create a singular work of art that may in time find itself sharing the same rarified air as post punk classics like Pornography, Ocean Rain, Violator and In The Flat Fields. I can’t speak for the entire fanbase, but my little black heart is filled with awe and admiration for this monumental achievement. I recommend grabbing yourself one of the many gorgeous vinyl variants from Run For Cover Records, dimming the lights, and letting this wave of post punk perfection wash over you like cool autumn rain. You can thank me later.