 |
| The flip side is an American soldier covered with the flower |
For instance, Die For the Government is a very fast tempo, erratic, gritty version of the Anti-Flag that is heard on American Spring which is mostly moderato, polished guitars, and stylized more as a series of punk anthems opposed to violent and destructive hardcore. A lot of bands mellow out a bit as they get older and Anti-Flag is no exception as this album definitely brings it down a bit.
Now, one tradition that Anti-Flag has kept constant over their lifespan is the incredibly packed lyrics booklet that comes included with each album. I always purchase hard copies of albums opposed to digital downloads and part of it is because sometimes the lyrics booklets can include some interesting material. Whether it's the interesting artwork in Smashing Pumpkin's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness or the stylized writing itself like in many of the Rancid albums, they can be pretty interesting to look at. Anti-Flag takes it their own direction and not only has the lyrics for their songs but also the inspiration or explanation of each song which can prove to be an interesting read.
 |
| Inspiration for "Fabled World" |
As far as the actual music on this album? It's pretty good. You won't really find tracks that kick your ass like Die For the Government but the songs are still well-written and make their points clear.
Anti-Flag seems to have a knack for coming up with great album starters. "I'd Tell You But..." from For Blood and Empire sets the tone of the album rather nicely by giving a voice to Iraqi civilian casualties. Of course there is also the fan favorite "Turncoat" from The Terror State, an accusatory piece that points its finger directly at the current president of the time George W. Bush. Joining the list is "Fabled World," a piece about how wealthy corporate leaders use their power to increase their wealth as the other economic classes continue to suffer and how past and present racism and classism bear a correlation. The song, like the other album starters, uses a catchy guitar lead and very clearly sets the tone for how the rest of the album is going to be. The Terror State is accusatory, For Blood and Empire is exclamatory, and American Spring is mainly a proclamation.
For those of you who only like faster punk songs, "The Great Divide" is about the only faster song on this album. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't like this album.
As far as which songs are great, it's mainly the singles. "Fabled World" is really good along with "Brandenburg Gate" and "Sky is Falling." "Sky is Falling" is one of my favorites on the album as it really captures the hopeless feeling tied with the civilian perspective of war. It also has a fantastic lead guitar part which amplifies the angry-depressive nature of the song.
A lot of the rest of the album are pretty general Anti-Flag songs. Anti-Flag fans will enjoy all of them but other punk fans will probably shrug their shoulders, especially ones that do not particularly care for politically-driven punk music. I think that "Without End" is a pretty great listen though. I think it's about the lives that war ruins; the civilians, the soldiers with PTSD, the families whose father never comes home, etc.
Overall, a solid album, especially for Anti-Flag fans. For those unfamiliar with Anti-Flag's music, I would check out the singles and then give The Terror State a listen first as it is their best album.
Cover: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Spring_(Anti-Flag_album)#/media/File:Antiflagamericanspring.jpg
Lyric booklet picture is from my phone camera.
No comments:
Post a Comment