Band Profile - AFI

[El_Shiznit]

Well, I have been wanting to do this for a while, and what better way to celebrate 1,000 posts by me, than to do a band profile on my favorite band? But I am following the rules dammit, so go re-read the rules because I don't want 1,000 "Read the rules!". And one more thing. Remember that no one cares if you think AFI sucks because I can name regulars on here that will disagree with you. Punk forum is for people who enjoy punk and if a decent amount of punk listeners enjoy AFI, then it is in fact in the correct place. Now that I have that out of the way.

A Fire Inside

Current Members
Vocals: Davey Havok
Bass: Hunter Burgan
Guitar: Jade Puget
Drums: Adam Carson
*All members do backup vocals

Past members
Guitar: Mark
Bass: Geoff Kresge


Labels
Key Lime Pie (1993-1994)
Wingnut (1994-1995)
Wedge (1995-1996)
Nitro (1996-2001)
Dreamworks (2002-2004)
*Time periods are rough
**In 1998, A Fire Inside EP was released on Adeline Records.


AFI started out in the early 1990's when Davey, Adam, and Mark picked up a short temporary bassist, named Vic, to exclusively play old Misfits covers in their garage of Ukiah, California. That didn't last very long and Vic left and was soon replaced by Geoff Kresge. After the change, AFI started to produce their own material. The Misfits influence of their original material is often misunderstood. Many people today pass the early AFI off as Misfits wannabes. But compare the Misfits to AFI in this stage and you have to be mentally ill to not see a difference. AFI at this point were a hardcore band more along the lines of Minor Threat than the Misfits.

Their own material finally resulted in their first three song release in 1993 on Key Lime Pie Records: "Dork EP". The songs "Self Pity" and "NyQuil" saw a re-release on their first album, but the song "Red Hat" remained exclusive to the EP. (Check it out though. It's got a really catchy bass line). AFI released three more EP's in the time period of 1993-1994 (Behind The Times, Heckle, and Eddie Picnic's All Wet) before their monumental year in 1995.

August 1, 1995 saw the original release of AFI's first full-lenth album, Answer That And Stay Fashionable (ATASF). The album originally featured 16 tracks when released exclusively on vinyl courtesy of Wingnut Records. The album, at the time, was barely recognized far outside the area AFI was known in. However, it did establish them a firm fanbase which was important not too long after. The band released one more EP in 1995 on Wedge Records before calling it quits. The band broke up so that select members could attend college. So that was that .............. or was it?

During breaks from school, AFI members got back together just to play some songs just for old times sake. But you know that wouldn't have stayed that way. They ended up writing original material in that short time they had together. So college plans = dead. They all quit what they were doing to concentrate on their music. The locals that followed AFI and were there for them since ATASF and before loved seeing the band back together again. The fanbase soon spread pretty rapidly by word of mouth and Nitro Records took notice. They agreed to put out an AFI full-length which became known as Very Proud Of Ya. The album featured two songs that were previously released on ATASF. The album sold remarkably well for the band's current status. However, Geoff Kresge quit the band soon after it's release to pursue other musical interests including Tiger Army.

In the first half of 1997, Nitro records decided that maybe re-releasing ATASF would be wise, and the band didn't mind. especially since they needed more time to look for a new bass player. So their first album was re-released and was now available on CD format. AFI headed towards a more heavy type of hardcore in their third album Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes (SYMAOYE). For this record, AFI's good friends, The Force, lent their bassist, Hunter, to record the album with them. This was only supposed to be temporary. The success Hunter saw in this record was nothing he had seen before. The album was highly praised in the hardcore genre. SYMAOYE is a unique record for AFI in that the abrasive hardcore style played on it was exclusive to that album only. Hunter decided to stay in AFI after it's release. In 1998, they released a turning point in their self-titled EP, A Fire Inside EP, which was released on Adeline Records. This EP contained two original songs as well as a Misfits cover (Demonomania) and a Cure cover (The Hanging Garden). The Misfits cover and the two original songs played more the style of SYMAOYE, but the Cure cover was a big step ahead for the band. It's break from power chords and standard drum beats showed a whole new side of the band. That song I consider their first slow song. While not technically slow, it's the first real emotional lyrics you actually feel by Davey which he is known for so well today. This was a new direction for the band.

However, Mark left not long after the release of that E.P. The band's friend Jade Puget sang backup for all previous AFI albums and also played guitar as well for the East Bay band Loose Change, so he seemed to be a good choice. Jade without hesitation joined the band and the band began work on their fourth full-length album, Black Sails In The Sunset, released in mid-1999. This remarkable album introduced many to the band with it's more melodic form of hardcore and the first two "technically" slow songs by the band, "Clove Smoke Catharsis" and "God Called In Sick Today". The depth of the guitar was improved through the playing style of Puget. Near the end of 1999, the band released their most popular EP, All Hallows EP. The EP had 4 songs on it, including a Misfits cover (Halloween) and the song "Totalimmortal" which The Offspring later covered.

Enter the year 2000, and the band's pinnacle in my opinion. The band's fifth album, The Art Of Drowning, was a lot more polished and modernized per se than the previous records. While still keeping the same hardcore elements, the band introduced softer melodies and breakdowns, seen in such songs as "The Lost Souls", "A Story At Three", "The Despair Factor" and more. Also introduced were more experimental songs such as 6 to 8 (First stand-out guitar solo since Very Proud Of Ya), The Nephilim, Dream Of Waking (Concentrate on short guitar licks), and Morningstar (Using other stringed instruments). The album had to break through to the public somewhere. And it did in the most poppy song on the album, "Days Of The Phoenix". That song received airplay in select radio stations across the U.S. But AFI was still relatively unheard of by the general population. But with the firm footstep of The Art Of Drowning, you had to know something big was going to happen to the band and it did.

AFI, in the years previous to The Art Of Drowning, had become the biggest band on Nitro. So, Dexter of The Offspring and head of Nitro Records called a meeting with AFI and simply told them that Nitro simply did not have the resources to give AFI the resources they needed to reach their full potential. So he gave the band some suggestions of other labels, and with AFI's consent, he set them free into the market. They received many offers in a very short time, and had interviews with many different companies before deciding Dreamworks would be the more flexible company to work with, and eventually signing with them. For the first time since 1993, the band did not release anything recorded in a year. 2001 was time off from recording for the band. They did release a small EP, Days Of The Phoenix EP, which contained one previously unreleased track that year though. But in 2002, AFI finally released a two-song EP of new original material, 336. This is a little known EP for the band for a few reasons. The main reason being that it was never released on CD format. The two songs on the EP however are important in a sense because they are pretty much the crossroads of The Art Of Drowning and their monumental upcoming release.

2003 was a year that the biggest change in the music style for the band. In their 6th album, Sing The Sorrow, the band completely dropped all their punk influences in favor of a generally slower and darker style. The closest to a genre I can call this is post-hardcore. The music itself is a lot more full and experimental, but moreso than The Art Of Drowning. But because of the decline of abrasiveness in their music, it became a lot more radio-friendly. Here is where AFI made a name for themselves in a different way than before. The album came out right when the "punk rock is cool" fad hit a high. Only problem is that a whole lot of people didn't even know what punk really was. They saw AFI in videos like "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving Song pt. II", and "Silver and Cold". And these kids assumed that was what was cool, so their popularity grew for the wrong reason. But not long after all this happened, it became really cool to hate AFI. But a lot of people hadn't listened to their music enough to actually make an informed decision, so whatever, I'm getting off topic here. This was AFI's best selling album to date. It is also the album that has the most mixed feelings about.

To capitalize on AFI's newfound success, Nitro Records released a retrospective album compiling songs from Art of Drowning all the way back to ATASF (excluding A Fire Inside EP). Now, the band is back in the studio after some time off. They have released a rare cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole". And they already wrote all the music for their next full-length album. The future is uncertain for the band's name however. It will be hard to top Sing The Sorrow, but maybe that's a good thing.

[El_Shiznit]

Each member

Davey Havok
I think that Davey is highly underappreciated in both of his duties in AFI. For one, he has written all AFI lyrics on the past few releases. Not only that, but if you look at the lyrics, you will know he is one of the best writers out there. He has the vocabulary of a motha and has taught me more words than my English teachers ever have. He uses a lot of imagery in his words and can pretty much paint a picture inside your mind with those words. The other thing I recognize him for is his singing range. He has good skills at singing low pitch (Ever And A Day), high pitch (High School Football Hero), screaming (Death Of Seasons), and talking (At A Glance). He can do it all pretty much. The man is very talented.

Jade Puget
He is one of the reasons newer AFI never really gets old. Not anytime fast if ever. He adds a whole new depth to the instrumentals of the band. Whereas Mark would play your average punk/hardcore songs consisting of mainly power chords the whole way through, Jade plays almost exclusively barre chords, small guitar licks, solos, etc. This may not seem all that impressive at first, seeing as how many other bands do similar, but you may be missing something in the songs if you only heard some a few times before. In a handful of songs, the solos are hidden under other music which seems very rewarding when you hear these solos the first time. Everything he has written for AFI has been incredibly catchy and hard-hitting at the same time.

Adam Carson
There is a reason that this is the only remaining founding member besides the frontman. He is very very talented. While the first 3 albums, his main concentration was on speed. But lately he has been more and more experimental in the drum progressions. Now in some songs, the drums are the most prominant feature which is a big step forward from the old songs with him drumming.

Hunter Burgan
Previous bassist, Geoff Kresge, is to this day one of the best bassists around. How does Hunter manage to hold his ground and still prove to be a better bassist for AFI? He is A Fire Inside and what it has become. Hunter is the driving heaviness in the band's music. While Kresge played fast catchy lines that were upbeat in a sense most of the time, Hunter played a deeper, more metal-ish sound while still keeping the signature hardcore style and speed. The first major change in AFI occurred when Hunter stepped in as bassist. Coincedence? I think not.


Discography

Dork EP - 1993
Behind The Times EP - 1993
Eddie Picnic's All Wet EP - 1994
Heckle EP - 1994
Answer That And Stay Fashionable - 1995
Fly In The Ointment EP - 1995
Very Proud Of Ya - 1996
Answer That And Stay Fashionable (re-release)- 1997
Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes - 1997
A Fire Inside EP - 1998
Black Sails EP - 1999
Black Sails In The Sunset - 1999
All Hallow's EP - 1999
The Art Of Drowning - 2000
Days Of The Phoenix EP - 2001
336 EP - 2002
Sing The Sorrow - 2003
Leaving Song Pt. II (Australian release only) - 2003
AFI (A Retrospective)- 2004


Related Bands

Tiger Army (Adam played Drums for their S/T and Early Years EP; all members have sung backup for them; Geoff Kresge went on to join them; Tiger Army provides backup vocals and music for AFI on select songs as well)
Son Of Sam (Davey Havok sings for them)
The Frisk (Hunter plays drums in this band)
Loose Change (Jade Puget once played guitar for them)
Redemption '87 (Jade Played for them as well)
The Force (Hunter once played bass for them)
Rancid (They collaborated on a version of "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing")

Recommended Downloads

Self Pity
The Despair Factor
Smile
Let It Be Broke
Coin Return
Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)
NyQuil
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
Cruise Control
No Poetic Device
The Boy Who Destroyed The World
Overexposure
Shatty Fatmas


Well that was a lot of work.
If you come in to spam my thread with "AFI sUx!!!!!1", F'uck you. At least give me a reason dammit.

[Sid]

Now that you've got 1000 posts, you're a real man. Time to go to the strip club, son.

EDIT: By the way, good work.

[El_Shiznit]

Thank you.
And I'm taking you with me by the by.

[Brain Toad]

d00d, red da rules


All kidding aside, very nice work. I have actually never gave AFI a real listen, maybe I should.

[El_Shiznit]

All the downloadable songs I mentioned are pretty varied style-wise, so I suggest taking a downloading a few of them at first before making a judgment. And thank you much.

[Excursions]

Yea i have heard aa few songs but never really listened to enough to comment on thier music but great bio intersting read for sure

[honkybrewster]

Very nice job on the profile

[TransistorKolt]

If you like hardcore you gotta get Today's lessons, The leving song Pt. 2 shows jades guitar skills

[MILF Hunter]

Wrong forum

[skankin'sophr]

good work. afi was my favorite bandn for a long time, and i think you did a great job in telling how talented the band is. also i am happy cause i learned a few things from it.

corrections:
mostly oppinionated stuff. like i think that after very proud of ya and before their latest one, they were a proper emo band (emotional punk rock).

excellent!!

[ZaaR]

I didn't read the whole thing because it was too long but very nicely done. I love Afi they're one of my top 5 bands. Some other good downloads would be Halloween which is a Misfits cover and Dancing Through Sunday.

[RetiredAt21]

That was a very good profile, very informative.

[punkster998]

Originally Posted by El_Shizzy

Well, I have been wanting to do this for a while, and what better way to celebrate 1,000 posts by me, than to do a band profile on my favorite band? But I am following the rules dammit, so go re-read the rules because I don't want 1,000 "Read the rules!". And one more thing. Remember that no one cares if you think AFI sucks because I can name regulars on here that will disagree with you. Punk forum is for people who enjoy punk and if a decent amount of punk listeners enjoy AFI, then it is in fact in the correct place. Now that I have that out of the way.

A Fire Inside

Current Members
Vocals: Davey Havok
Bass: Hunter Burgan
Guitar: Jade Puget
Drums: Adam Carson
*All members do backup vocals

Past members
Guitar: Mark
Bass: Geoff Kresge


Labels
Key Lime Pie (1993-1994)
Wingnut (1994-1995)
Wedge (1995-1996)
Nitro (1996-2001)
Dreamworks (2002-2004)
*Time periods are rough
**In 1998, A Fire Inside EP was released on Adeline Records.


Many people today pass the early AFI off as Misfits wannabes. But compare the Misfits to AFI in this stage and you have to be mentally ill to not see a difference.

That's because they WERE Misfits wannabes. Ok, they didn't sound like the MIsfits, but they basically were copying their STYLE.

[SLManifestoLove]

Nice profile.. very long but equally* good

[NuGgEt123]

good profile...

[TransistorKolt]

effort well spent

[Let's Chop Cats!]

I like them better with Jade than before him.

[Brothel_Creeper]

Originally Posted by MILF Hunter

Wrong forum

PWN3D

[Sid]

F'uck Matt is cool.