Artist:
Anti-Flag
Formed In:
1994 in Pittsburgh, PA
Band Bio:
Making their debut at a local Pittsburgh radio station in 1993, Anti-Flag got together for the sake of responding to their disgust at religion, nationalism, and fascism. Justin Sane (vocals/guitar), Andy Flag (bass/vocals), and Pat Thetic (drums) bopped around their hometown much to the dismay of skinheads while recruiting a following who proudly wore torn-up upside-down flags as patches. In 1997, after releasing a handful of singles, opening for their idols the U.K. Subs, the Exploited, and the Circle Jerks, and briefly touring the East Coast -- which led to the departure of Andy Flag -- Die for the Government was released, and 20,000 copies, four bassists, and four North American tours later, Anti-Flag gained their reputation for recapturing the old-school ethics of punk: fast, loud, obnoxious, and anti-everything that ends with an "ism."
Chris Head was added to the lineup in 1997 and two years later Chris #2 joined on as well to complete the four-piece. Their System Doesn't Work for You, a reissue of their out of print EP North America Sucks along with additional previously unreleased songs, followed in 1998 on the band's newly founded A-F Records. They released A New Kind of Army in 1999 on Go Kart Records, hoping not only to push their beliefs to a wider audience but, more importantly, just to play out around the world while flipping two fingers in the air to everyone they're against. A summer stint on the Warped Tour brought an expanded audience and new friends, including NOFX's Fat Mike over at Fat Wreck Chords. The label put out 2001's Underground Network, recorded with the help of Mass Girorgini (Screeching Weasel, Common Rider). Half of the tracks for their next effort, Mobilize, were recorded live in their hometown in December 2001; the disc came out in February 2002, and it fittingly also contained many songs, most explicitly "911 for Peace," that reflected the recent World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
Anti-Flag's contribution to the BYO Split Series came out in fall 2002 with their split with the Bouncing Souls, and a year later they issued their next full-length, The Terror State, on Fat Wreck. The four-song EP Live at Fireside Bowl also appeared on Liberation. Released in 2004, the live eath of a Nation DVD chronicled the band's U.S. tour in support of The Terror State, and that same year, A-F reissued A New Kind of Army. Not surprisingly, the band also became involved with Punk Voter, a coalition of punk bands and artists who worked to raise voter awareness and participation -- namely against George W. Bush -- for the 2004 election, and headlined the Rock Against Bush tour. In a somewhat unexpected move, Anti-Flag next signed to RCA in April 2005; they issued For Blood and Empire the following March.
Album:
Mobilize 2 Discs
Tracks:
1. 911 For Peace - Anti-Flag
2. Mumia's Song - Anti-Flag
3. That's The Difference? - Anti-Flag
4. We Want To Be Free - Anti-Flag
5. N.B.C. (No Blood-Thirsty Corporations) - Anti-Flag
6. Right To Choose - Anti-Flag
7. We Don't Need It! - Anti-Flag
8. Anatomy Of Your Enemy - Anti-Flag
9. Underground Network - Anti-Flag
10. Tearing Everyone Down - Anti-Flag
11. Bring Out Your Dead - Anti-Flag
12. A New Kind Of Army - Anti-Flag
13. Their System Dosen't Work For You - Anti-Flag
14. Free Nation - Anti-Flag
15. Spaz's House Destruction Party - Anti-Flag
16. Die For The Government - Anti-Flag
17. Alert, Aware Involved - The Code
18. Risen Up - Pipedown
19. The Dark - Pipedown
20. 77 Threat - Virus Nine
21. Us And Them - Virus Nine
22. Save The Humans - Thought Riot
23. Sign Of The Times - Thought Riot
24. Solitude - The Methadones
25. Whole Lot Of Nothing - The Methadones
26. Big Bang - Modey Lemon
27. It's Hard - Modey Lemon
28. Green Light, Yellow Light, Stop - Whatever It Takes
29. Erase The Days - Whatever It Takes
30. We Found A Place - Justin Shane
31. The Critical Writing Assignment - Justin Sane
32. Are We Dead Yet? - The Unseen
33. Goodbye America - The Unseen
34. 911 For Peace - Anti-Flag
35. I Can't Stand Being With You - Anti-Flag
36. I Don't Want To - The Voids
37. I Still Love You Julie - Against Me
Review:
Though adamantly anti-major-label at one point in their career, Anti-Flag finally decided to emerge from the underground and make the leap from the indie world to the realms of RCA in April 2005. Thus, after being together for over ten years and boasting almost as many releases, For Blood and Empire marks Anti-Flag's entry into the big leagues. Fans and naysayers alike couldn't help but question the band's new label status leading up to the album's release. Could a group with such a brash, heated political agenda and in-your-face leftist politics actually -- and believably -- fit alongside Kelly Clarkson and the Strokes with their credibility intact? At the very least, the band's outrage and frustration hadn't been tempered. Anti-Flag was conceived pissed-off at the government (among other subjects), and things sure hadn't cooled down with George W and crew comfortably residing in the White House throughout the early 2000s. As would be expected then, For Blood and Empire is boiling over with vehement anti-Bush attacks and confrontational lyrics that overwhelmingly target the war in Iraq -- from war profiteering to consequences of depleted uranium to omnipresent propaganda to casualties on both sides of the fight. With all of the singalong, fist-in-the-air anthems still present (and more than enough background "woahs"
, fans should at least be happy to hear that their beloved Anti-Flag hasn't compromised its grasp of the surging chorus. After all, the scrappiness and raw rage of earlier efforts gave way to the more pop-oriented and melodic nature of later work a few albums back, and this effort is no different. Even the opening notes of "I'd Tell You But..." are comfortingly familiar, as there's always been something about their guitar work that makes a song utterly Anti-Flag even before Justin Sane's distinctive vocals kick in. There's a sort of a ska-ish feel to "The Press Corpse" and "The W.T.O. Kills Farmers," while "This Is the End (For You My Friend)," could just as easily fit on a Good Charlotte record. And though the slight ramble of the acoustic-driven "1 Trillion Dollar$" sounds like Sane's solo work, it gets as close to country balladry as Anti-Flag is probably ever going to get. The album is a tad clean and subdued, but this doesn't necessarily detract from Anti-Flag's message, which comes across as loud and clear as it always does. Kids picking this up won't necessarily have to figure politics out on their own, as Anti-Flag tells them exactly what to think and the liner notes brim with quotes and explanations backing their ideas up further. So with a new home on RCA, the band is now kind of like the Hot Topic version of Propagandhi. Leftist beliefs with rounded edges that are accessibly packaged yet still offensive enough to some to be "punk." And while their convictions are assuredly sincere -- and the topics brought up important to discuss -- something about the band can't help to cause one to step back and raise an eyebrow a bit. Overall, and despite its major label status, For Blood and Empire is through and through another Anti-Flag album. Thus, those who enjoy the guys' political snottiness will find plenty to like here, but the album won't do anything to convert those who have always found them slightly annoying.
Rating (Stars Out Of 5):
8
Release Date:
Feb 19, 2002
Label:
A-F
Genre:
* Rock
Styles:
* Punk Revival
* Punk-Pop
Bitrate:
* 320kbps
File format:
* mp3
File size:
* 77.7 MB
Similar Artists
* Unseen
* The Casualties
* Propagandhi
* Born Against
* Chaos UK
* Youth Brigade
* Reagan Squad
* Jello Biafra
* SNFU
* The Dictators
See Also:
Justin Sane
Influenced By
* U.K. Subs
* Black Flag
* Dead Kennedys
* The Clash
* The Exploited
* The Business
* Crass
* The Circle Jerks
* Aus-Rotten
* Generation X
* Billy Bragg
Followers:
Rise Against
Trackers
http://www.h33t.com/announce.php
