Review Summary: Good political commentary
Political speeches can be interesting to listen to. When they occur, this is what usually happens: the president, or some political figure stands on a podium of some sort, and starts addressing their state of the union, pointing out the good, and the bad of their designated country. Essentially providing an argument, their words were designed to make you think, feel and/or wonder in a logical, objective, or emotional manner from their perspective, hoping to convert you into their beliefs on how things should be managed. Some famous examples include the Gettysburg Address by Abe. Lincoln, and the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
I think it's fair to say that ‘For Blood and Empire’ was Anti-Flag’s personal commentary on the United States during the time of its release. If you open the album booklet to the first page, there is an immediate attack on George Bush, which writes, “George Bush says, I have nothing to SELL, but fear itself.” Anti-flag’s fifth recording features thirteen jabs of tracks that point the finger at corrupted government. And overall, it succeeds in being that tolerant political speech that they were seemingly aiming for. There is an abundance of factors that support this claim; mostly due to the variety, good rhythm section, and pleasing songwriting that could make anyone vote positively for their craft.
Lyrically, you can figure out the themes based on the album cover alone. There is a constant attack on the government, especially evident on tracks such as ‘The Press Corpse’. This particular track stands out because simply the best out the thirteen songs here. Right off the bat, walloping drums and guitars repeatedly hit for a second, then the rest of the band comes in to rock out. Lines such as, “Hype the nation for a desert storm love affair” and “While over in Iraq thousands are dead because of lies” show clear evidence of arguments against the way former president George Bush authorized his power during the War of Iraq situation. You won't find anything about breaking up with your girlfriend here!
A paragraph must be dedicated for the rhythm section throughout the album; mostly for the bass guitar. The man responsible for the bass plucking does an excellent job of making himself not only stand out, but also bridge the gap between playing lead-like parts, and playing to the song and supporting the other guys. Due to these masterfully composed parts, it adds to the band’s sound in a great way. It adds a thick, deeper layer to the sound the Loch Ness monster could drown into. This is something that is essential to all types of music, and when it's done well, you will take notice. A lot of people think of the bass as “just another part of the band”. Not in this case, it goes farther than just playing the root note.
Even though there have been much positive acclaim, it is not perfect by any means. Even though this is suppose to be an album about politics, sometimes it could feel preachy. I did say the songwriting was good, but that doesn't necessarily mean the lyrics are. Over time, it felt like the singer was singing about relatively similar topics over and over again. If you agreed about that, you should look into the album booklet. It's even more preachy, like those Christian's who constantly force you to convert you into their religion. In my opinion, thoughts and beliefs stick better when they are not forced, but developed on your own. But I could understand their point of view, as I'm sure it wasn't intended to be this way. Music is about expressing yourself, and what’s a better way of doing so in the form of punk rock?
There is nothing special about the vocals and the guitars. They do their job fairly good enough. The guitar lines are not technically impressive, and consist of typical power cords, but simplicity does not equate to ill-fated talent. Same case with the vocals; nothing special, but not something that brings the overall quality down.
Variety is definitely the spice of this album instrumentally. Besides your typical guitar/bass/drum/vocal driven songs, other instruments are prevalent throughout the record. Experimentation such as the trumpet solo in ‘Hymn For The Dead’, acoustic focused ‘1 Trillion Dollars’, and additional percussion scattered variously spread out from the album help make things less stagnant. No one wants to listen to music with an experience similar to watching grass grow. Most people don't find that entertaining.
Anti-Flag has always been a political band. You could argue that every album of theirs is a personal commentary on the politics around them. But nevertheless, this is still an album I recommend for anyone. I'd say this is Anti-Flag’s best work. If someone wanted to get into this band, with a good launching pad into their discography, I would recommend ‘For Blood and Empire’ due to its unique blend of instrumental variety, well written songs, and a good example of a proficient rhythm section. Pick this up at your own will. It may be a great asset to your collection of compact discs.
