Review Summary: It's really cold.
Have you ever felt cold inside? Not cold from the temperature, but that weird empty feeling we sometimes get when something horrible happens? A parent dies, a friend dies or just something in general that isn’t good occurs. And we’re left with that dull chill in our stomachs that keeps us up at night. I searched for years looking for a term to sum up this feeling and the word I’d like to settle on is Decemberunderground.
Decemberunderground is the artistic representation of this feeling and all the social and cultural ideals surrounding it. It’s cold, it’s painful, it’s sterile, lifeless and lacking that vibrant energy we feel in the warmer times. And yet for many this would be a bad thing, were it not the intention of AFI for Decemberunderground to be perceived this way I could find myself agreeing. But I don’t. AFI are quite intelligent when it comes to crafting albums that follow a set idea. They revolve around a sound that is solely designed for the single album and genuinely would be inapplicable for other releases.
Such is the case with Decemberunderground, every track is dense, heavily layered; creating an atmosphere that pushes the concept of such a cold feeling to the utmost extent. Jade Puget has traded in his energetic riffs in favour of well structured synth sections, combing these with his restrained and complementary guitar licks he offers us a fresh outlook on AFI’s sound; a catchy new-wave influenced sound that not only serves the purpose of making interesting and accessible music but also furthers the concept of the album.
From an instrumental perspective Decemberunderground works perfectly, Hunter Burgan’s basslines are often the backbone of numerous tracks. Arguably some of his best work can be found here, notably “The Interview” which aside from being one of the major standout tracks on the album is Burgan’s best showing. Similarly Adam Carson puts forth a performance that further cements is status as the most impressive member of the group. Contributing electric drums, drum loops and standard drumming to the album Adam succeeds at usurping Puget’s role as the driving force behind the songs.
One may find themselves questioning just how these two represent the arid feeling the album strives for but you only need listen, the bass is your heartbeat; speeding up and slowing down in an instant as the sickening cold rushes over you, the drums are the pounding in your head, in this regard Burgan and Carson are the pain you go through. Finally, we find ourselves meeting the voice of the cold; Davey Havok.
On Decemberunderground we are presented with a very interesting display of vocal stylings from Mr. Havok. His harsh vocals have greatly altered from his mildly raspy yell, in place is an ear piercing shriek that to some may seem more annoying than enjoyable, alternately his cleans are constantly on key and make use of a wide range and distinctive tone. Havok’s vocals are but another way to emphasize the duality of the cold; on the one hand it’s painful and bitter, on the other it’s soothing and fresh.
All in all Decemberunderground is not a revolutionary piece of art nor is it some life changing experience waiting to happen. Decemberundeground is simply a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation. And to be honest I wouldn’t have it any other way.
