Review Summary: The epitome of classic punk rock with an edge all their own.
I would have given this EP a 5/5, but for the life of me, I just don't like the original Halloween very much. Polish a turd all you want, you're still left with a turd.
Fall Children was actually the first song I had ever heard from AFI. And this song is classic AFI. This is right in the transitional stage the AFI was going through replacing their old guitarist and primary song writer with Jade. And Jade my boy, you could not have made a stronger stand in the beginning. Haunting, growling slows coupled with the classic AFI chanting style (for anyone who had been to a show before Sing the Sorrow came out, very "Through our bleeding we are one-esque) makes for an instant AFI classic. Then layer on a fast-paced, energetic tune with nothing left at the end but to play a music box (NOT a xylophone... I don't know who the hell wrote that, but get your ears checked).
Halloween - I don't know, it's OK. I think the Misfits get too much credit. I respect the style they brought and the feelings, but as musicians, they just were never that impressive. Bands like that are the reason I stopped listening to punk and started listening to Metal (For the incredible musicians). And this is just a simple cover of it. I like the tones better because I think a Gibson Les Paul Studio run thru Mesa heads gives a much richer, beefier tone than ANYTHING you could even hope for from a B.C. Rich axe which is born and bread for style, not for tone. It's the only down point to the album, but its not bad, just not great like the rest of the EP.
The Boy Who Destroyed The World is a no-holds-barred fast punk rock epic that is that grasping-by-the-scruff-of-the-neck rock I look for in an album. Instantly starts out fast and catchy, and never lets up. And you can't help but want to "woah" along with every verse and chorus. I "remember when" I first heard this and "never again" would my life be the same. And Jade loves to branch out from the typical 4-chord progressions that over saturate the punk scene, and here is a perfect example. Great, fast, gripping.
Totalimmortal is amazing. If you don't like this song, there is something critically wrong with you. I don't think Dexter Holland did it justice. He is no Davey. It's just that catchy punk rock that makes you want to dance. Energy oozes out it's ears. More AFI chants that just make you want to get up and "woah" until your room mates knock on the door wondering if you are OK. Lots of energy, makes you want to sing along and dance. What else could you ask for?
A complete album that I wish was part of a bigger picture. It's sad that AFI has made such a huge departure from this era. But a band does need to progress. How many Bad Religion albums can one listen to before the phrase "Washed up" rings in your ears like a church bell? And this album does not fit that stereotypical punk rock, and it's just different enough to keep you listening for years to come.
