Review Summary: Middle of the Road Emo
Judging by the over-the-top stadium gothic rock theatre of opening track ‘Prelude 12/21’, AFI have made their statement for the album: “No way are we going back to our punk routes, we are now all in on this gothic, emo, screamo post hardcore adventure that we flirted with on ‘Sing The Sorrow’.
They have really turned their back on their old selves, as inspiration is provided from Marylin Manson, The Cure and Depeche Mode, as well as more contemporary emo artists like My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday…even The Killers can be heard towards the end of this album.
The single ‘Miss Murder’ is a cheesy goth rock singalong. Davey Havoks voice has somehow evolved yet again and added another layer of versatility to his craft. He sounds like the complete 80s understated Robert Smith Goth star in his monotone glory. It’s clear why this is AFI’s most popular song by along way; it appeals to the mainstream rock audience whilst also featuring a slither of screamo for good measure, making the more hardcore fan comfortable with this shift in sound. This is about where the compliments end.
The difference between ‘DecemberUnderground’ and its predecessor is that ‘Sing The Sorrow’ took many unpredictable musical twists and turns that made sense. They chucked in many leftfield ideas and soundscapes that flashed by very briefly, not enough to make the song too absract, but frequently enough to pique interest. Despite the overall evolution for the band not being to everyones taste, it was still easy for fans to find at least a handful of songs they enjoyed.
‘DecemberUnderground’ is the opposite. It barely takes any intriguing left turns that catch you off guard. Its predictable. The songs remain in the same style throughout, which can work if the songs are exciting from beginning to end, but these songs aren’t exciting or captivating in any way. The choruses are incredibly cheesy throughout. Gone are the days of the ‘mob vocal anthems in the pit’ old AFI that made them so appealing.
It doesn’t help that ‘DecemberUnderground’ is having to follow ‘Sing The Sorrow’. The expectations are high on the new album as they should be from a band of this talent, but they are simply not met. The lyrics are what ChatGPT would come out with if you typed in ‘generic gothic emo angst’, nothing to really capture the imagination. The vocal melody line is pretty much identical in songs like ‘Summer Shudder’, ‘The Interview’ and ‘Love Like Winter’, they all follow on from each other and don’t stand out. Similar key, similar tempo, similar bland vibe and similar vocal cadence that does nothing to make the recording stand out or have any replay value.
The whole album was really disappointing. It was middle of the road, generic, dull, too samey. Boring. There were too many filler songs on the album. This is the first AFI review I have done where I wasn’t particularly blown away by the bands musicianship or Davey Havoks vocals (I know I stated he was versatile on Miss Murder, but that’s about where it began and ended). I do still commend them for trying something new after all these years of being a hardcore punk band and sticking to their guns and going against the grain, but they missed the mark on this one. It’s just there. It just exists. Dull.
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