A.F.I. - Sing the Sorrow
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Free Music Notes for Sing the Sorrow
Free Music Review: Ha Ha! Ridiculous Reviews!!
Hit: 5 Stars
It's really pathetic how many followers are out there. "I'm such an AFI fan! Davey is God!" Non of you really seem to understand them at all. And for you kids who think you're punk; Black Sails is no more or less punk than Sing the Sorrow. Do you know why? AFI was never a punk band, and never claimed to be a punk band! They had punk INFLUENCES, like The Misfits, or Filth. I have to say that this is by far my favorite AFI record. I havn't heard any new albums this original. Every song is flawless and I love the song writing quality. I would call this album "poppy" if it actually resembled the pop music out in the world today, which it doesn't. Most of the pop music out there is trying to bring back the 60's and 70's and has no dynamic, or catch to it at all. The fact that this music is catchy and has an almost familiar sound to it actually seperates it from pop-music. The fact that a song sounds familiar doesn't mean that you've heard it before. It just means that it has a catch to it, and was written in a theatrical manner (like music from an old movie). Why does everybody think Davey is a homosexual? He has never implied that he was in a relationship with a man, or a woman for that manner. I think the "hardcore kids" who are that quick to judge Davey's lifestyle (as if it's their business), have a little secret of their own. Wouldn't you think? Sorry. I got of track. I should just rate the individual songs. I however, have a very different opinion on what songs are best and what songs aren't.
Here they are
Miseria Cantera: 10/10 A perfect introduction.Beautiful vocals(lead & background). The first thing I thought of... ...Terminator 2: Judgment Day! (Bye the way, I'm not under 13. I just didn't want to give out my E-mail, like that other kid. I actually grew up on mostly 90's music. Sigh. The good old days. sorry. Back to the music.)
The Leaving song: Part 2:10/10 In the same key as the first song, so they connect very nicely. I love the build-up on all of these songs. Build up is something that Sing the Sorrow had alot more of than the other albums. Excellent guitar introduction, great chorus, very lovely bridge, good ending.
Bleed Black: 10/10 One of my favorites. Jade's voice is beautiful on the chorus. I also love the acoustic break down. It doesn't sound like most acoustic parts. It changes time-signature, and sounds almost... ...classical! Anyway. Beautiful song.
Silver and Cold: 10/10 I love this song. It's in 3/4 timing (like the bridge on Bleed Black), which AFI never used until this album. I love the guitar parts, but Davey's voice sounded a little raspy on this one. That still doesn't change the great song-writing.
Dancing Through Sunday: 10/10 Wow! This had to be one of the most fun songs on the album! I love Davey's voice on the chorus! It's so clear and beautiful. I think people make a mistake in saying that this song had the best guitar parts on the album. Don't get me wrong. I love the pre-solo, and the solo itself, but AFI has done plenty of guitar solos on their earlier works. Listen to Very Proud of Ya' (the most under-rated AFI record to date), and you'll see what I mean. But the over-all song was great!
Girls Not Grey: 10/10 Very under-rated song! The vocals were superb! This song was perfectly written. The fact that it sounded so catchy and pretty made it seem like AFI was rubbing it in the "hardcore kids" faces. I love it!
Death of Seasons: 9.999/10 Ok. It's a ten. I just think you guys over-rate it too much. It has a perfect chorus, and a great ending. People just say that they like it more because they think that they'll look more hardcore. It is a wonderfull song , though. But one thing still puzzles me. After the "punk" kids heard this song, they freaked out, because it had a short electronic breakout. AFI has already done that before, though. Have any of you heard the intro. to Despair Factor?! How about the bridge for The Last Kiss?! Hypocrites, I tell you!!
The Great Dissapointment: 12/10 Once again, under-rated! This song had beatiful guitar riffs, and a very cool, and constant base-line! The chorus is a beautiful change into... you guessed it! 3/4 timing! I love the backwards guitar effects and the feedback techniques! One of the best songs on the Album.
Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings): 9.999/10 Once again, over-rated! Perfect song. I just don't like how people say it's better than the Great Dissapointment. It's in the same key, you know. It does, however, have some of the best guitar parts on the album. Especially during the verses. I love the singing and the song-writing, too!
This Celluloid Dream: 10/10 I love this song!! The melody sounds so sarcastic! It has great guitar/bass harmony. Davey's voice doesn't sound quite as good, but still beatiful!
The Leaving Song: 25/10 (speachless)!!! I fell in love with this song when I first heard it. The singing is so beautiful. This was by far, the best song that has singing. Also, at the end, you hear the most beautiful, and creative guitar solo ever written!! Bye the way, this song is NOT ACOUSTIC!!!!!! I'm a musician myself. Trust me. I know the difference. I LOVE THIS SONG!!!
...but Home is Nowhere: 12/10 This is one of the darkest songs on the album. It is filled with despair. The verses, prechoruses, and chorus, have beautiful vocals. Especially the "To this nature, so unnatural". The bridge is so vicious!! The chord progression that jade used went off of the music scale that the song was in to give it a darker effect. At the end of this song, if you listen carefully, Davey actually hits the highest note ever reached in an AFI song! It gives me chills.
Untitled Hidden Track: 1000/10 Wait about 30 seconds after But Home is Nowhere, and you will hear the most beautiful, artistic, and creative AFI song ever written!!!! Everyone tends to under-rate this song. It's obviously the saddest and most emotional point on the album! Very Haunting!
This Time Imperfect: 12/10 This song is a great way to end the album! It ends in the same key that the album started in. This song is dark, mainly because of the introduction and the very long ending. The overall melody is more positive and happier than the last 3 songs, but it still has a very beautiful sound to it. I love the way it ends, with the backwards guitar riffs and everything! Wow! Very creative.
That about sums up the album. One more thing to all of you guys. Don't say that you hate emo, just so that you can look darker and more hardcore. The term emo is very indeffinate and can be used in many ways. The way I see it. Emo stands for emotional. Most music has some form of emotion in it (anger, happiness, sadness, etc...). So quite trying to look tuff, and be a little more open-minded. Just say that you don't like pop-punk wannabe's (like Story of the Year, MXPX, Antiflag, Hawthorne Hieghts, Fallout Boy,My Chemical Romance, The used, and Rancid. That's right. I said RANCID!! They're not punk. They are a bad remake of the Clash! So that makes them PUNK REVIVALISTS). Also, quite bashing Good Charlotte. From what I've heard of their music, although they're deffinately not punk, they're pretty decent songwriters. Keep your mouth shut until you can write something better!! If you like this album, buy The Art of Drowning, and then the A Fire Inside EP. Those are a couple of my favorites!Very Proud of Ya' rocks too! I'm finally done. I need a life.
Free Music Review: AFI's new cd is Awesome!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have not reviewed a cd in quite some time. However, the new cd from AFI "Sing the Sorrow" deserves praise. I just hope that I can due AFI justice.First of all I have heard some hardcore punk fans of the previous AFI albums slam this one. I am not a Hardcore Punk fan. I am a music fan, and AFI's new cd is just awesome.
I would like to describe the genre of music that is contained on the cd. I would call it melodic hardcore, very emotional, sort of 80's metal, electronica, and punk.
I know that is a lot of categories but this album is just too deep to pigeonhole AFI into one genre.
First of all I have to say that I love the vocal style of Davey Havok. He has a great deal of range from melodic to hardcore, and he is great at signing backing vocals to his vocals. The other band members are also very strong vocally. I hope I don't offend anyone but on the song "Paper Airplanes (makeshift wings)" Davey sounds strikingly reminiscent of Motley Crue's Vince Neil. When he sings the melodic parts which is about 75% of the cd he sounds sort of like the singers of the 80's hair bands. Davey's hardcore parts are very aggressive and heartfelt. One vibe I felt over the whole cd is that Davey poured out all that was within him to make this album. I get very emotional listening to it. That's when I know a good cd. It is when it brings out feelings and emotions.
The music is really polished also. While I would not call it hardcore, it is definitely uncompromising punk. Jade Puget is a very skilled guitar player, and he even has a solo in "Dancing through Sunday". He seems to perfectly mix the guitar with Davey's vocal range. I can tell these guys are playing in tune. He also plays power chords, riffs, and an occasional solo. This is rare for punk music.
As for Bass player Hunter, he does a good job of building up the intensity when there is a pause for the next progression of the song. The Bass lines are good and help keep the beat of the songs.
The drummer Adam Carson is also very good. I was tapping my foot and thrashing my head back and forth with the whole cd.
One thing that I like a album to do is a real strong point of AFI. That would be having natural progressions of heavy to acoustic to heavy to less degrees of heavy.
1. Miseria Cantare - The Beginning is just the intro song it is a atmospheric song with synths sort of like a dark Depeche Mode song.
2. Then kicks in this awesome cd "The Leaving Song Pt II", is very emotional with Davey showcasing his vocals, Jade showcases some heavy power chords, with a couple cool riffs, one is in the chorus. It sounds really cool. A lot of progressions of emotions and on the heaviness of music.
3. Bleed Black - Starts with a cool little riff, then drums kick in, then a harder cool riff, Davey signs while a couple of cool riff are playing then breaking into power chords to blend in perfectly.
4. Silver and Cold - Start with a piano and thunderstorm in the background then kicks into punk music with a sort of drum machine beat. Davey's vocals really shine on this song he starts singing melody and just gets more and more intense but still keeping it melodic. Cool backing signing too with Davey and the rest of the band.
5. Dancing Through Sunday - starts out kind of Hardcore then breaks into melody with cool backing vocals and then back to hardcore then back to melody. There is a cool solo in there too reminiscent of something from Megadeth yah its that good.
6. Girl's Not Grey - This is the song from the radio. It reminds me of 80's punk. I like it a lot. Nice melody, cool music and nice backing vocals. A good punk song.
7. Death Of Seasons - Another one that starts hardcore, Davey seems to be very angst ridden with his vocals, and then changes into melody. There is this cool electronica part in between the fast punk music.
8. The Great Disappointment - Starts with a little guitar feedback, and cool bass line, then drums, and then Davey starts to quietly sing. It kicks in a little later with a cool riff and some power chords. Davey goes into some great melody in the choruses and the power chords are in perfect tune with Daveys voice.
9. Paper Airplanes (makeshift wings) - As I said earlier it starts with Davey signing, almost sounding like Vince Neil. The song is very fast and energetic. There is a little bit of hardcore light lyrics, melodic lyrics, and Davey signing background.
10. This Celluloid Dream - Sounds like 80's punk. Energetic music, Davey sings with the throbbing guitar riffs, and then signs melody with the power chords. Then he breaks into some hardcore light. Later there is some cool backing vocals from the other members.
11. The Leaving Song - A totally heartfelt acoustic song where Davey pours his emotions into his lyrics with just an acoustic guitar playing beautifully. At the end is a cool acoustic riff.
12. but home is nowhere - Is a good song with Davey starting singing beautiful melody and then as the music builds the intensity in his voice does also. Good backing vocals, and he goes a little hardcore at times. Really intense when it is building up to a musical assault.
13. The last song "This Time Imperfect" starts with piano while a child is talking, then a guy is talking, Then the song starts with a cool synth effect sort of like something from the Smiths. Then a cool acoustic guitar part with Davey lightly signing, and then signing more intense as the acoustic guitar changes. Then there is this guitar like a Creed song. It goes back to the beginning formula. Then breaks into punk with his lyrics still softer. Now the intensity is starting to build up vocally and musically. Now it is all out emotional rock.
What a cd I am emotional exhausted. I cannot even try to explain the lyrics other than they are like great poetry.
Free Music Review: Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all.
Hit: 5 Stars
AFI (A Fire Inside) have been around for more than a decade, and they have finally released their much-hyped major label debut, "Sing the Sorrow", on Dreamworks Records. This album represents a huge evolution in the band's sound, very much like the change seen on 1999's "Black Sails into the Sunset." After the short "what the hell" period, "Sing the Sorrow" is a great album and a great continuation for the band.Let me concede to any naysayers first - this is a biased review. I already like the band. There's no way to give an unbiased review unless you've never heard of the band. Biases include liking them/hating them/hearing good or bad things about them without ever hearing them which can thus influence your initial perception. Moving on...
This is an excellent "rock" record in my opinion - which is a good thing. Beyond the strict confines of "punk" or "hardcore", AFI experiments with various tempos, moods, dynamics, etc., resulting in 13 very fine songs.
The production of the album is excellent, due to the huge recording budget absent from their previous indie releases. Lead singer Davey Havok's voice is incredibly crystal clear, sounding better than ever before. His trademark yelling remains, albeit somewhat altered with a more `scream' element (refreshing yet still Davey). Jade Puget's unique approach to guitar is exemplified with his nonstandard (but awesome) tone and playing technique (just listen!). The drums are a little slower this time around but pack a good punch and Adam Carson's cool fills and little `details' are very audible this time around. Bassist Hunter Burgan has a less "punk" bass tone this time around but still plays some infectious low-end riffs. And, in my opinion, the band's best lyrics are showcased in "Sing the Sorrow."
Here's the honest truth: When I first listened to it all the way through - I was slightly disappointed by some songs (in part due to the excessive hype). However, I also enjoy listening to such albums more - and, in time, gaining a greater appreciation. Right now I really enjoy the album, and I think I'll like it even more over time. And while the music isn't as immediately "dark" as what's perhaps on Black Sails - I think "Sing the Sorrow" could be AFI's darkest work yet. This album has more slow and melancholy songs than the fast, anthemic types on earlier albums, and the lyrics are beautiful yet seem so much more revealing.
1) "Miseria Cantare - The Beginning": The new "Strength Through Wounding"; it's a beautifully powerful, dark intro in AFI tradition that sets you up for the whole CD. Along with the rock, there are electronic/techno elements and a chilling sing-along melody that is destined to be classic.
2) "The Leaving Song Pt. II": This is a good first song that sort of exemplifies the style of the new album. It's slower but rocking. Has a touch of older (Art of Drowning, Black Sails) with the new style mixed.
3) "Bleed Black": A haunting song; it has an Art of Drowning feel to it but with that new `rock' style. The acoustic bridge in the middle is amazing and at first reminded me of Stairway to Heaven, for some reason.
4) "Silver and Cold": This 6/8 song, with a Smashing Pumpkins type verse feel, is currently one of my favs. An epic, easily sing-a-long chorus and awesome lyrics.
5) "Dancing Through Sunday": This faster, harder song is another favorite of mine. It has an incredibly catchy, upbeat chorus and Jade pulls a killer guitar solo in the bridge.
6) "Girl's Not Grey": The first single from the album and seriously - not a bad song. The bridge in particular is memorable. I'm not sick of the song - perhaps cuz it truly is catchy, and it's something decent played on the radio.
7) "Death of Seasons": A very interesting song. The only *fast* song on the CD, with a really unexpected but cool techno part thrown in the middle. Probably the "hardest" song on the album, but still melodic and good.
8) "The Great Disappointment": This song is long but has a killer intro that reminds me of The Cure, or something. I didn't really like the song at first but I love it now. It's a drawn out rock song with a chorus repeating, "While I waited, I was wasting away."
9) "Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)": One of the more anthemic and rocking tracks on the album, with singing and yelling/screaming. Another one that I wasn't completely into at first but is now stuck in my head.
10) "This Celluloid Dream": This song should be the next single. It's insanely catchy and the kind of song you just want to dance or move around to or bang your head to.
11) "The Leaving Song": A ballad featuring Davey and Jade with a chilling melody. "Posioned hearts will never change." This is another one of my favorites on the album.
12) "...but Home is Nowhere": The final song on the CD and perhaps the most "epic." The chorus reminds me of some 80s song but I can't remember what. It's great, though.
13) "This Time Imperfect": The secret track on the disc. It follows a spoken word poem over a repeated piano riff, which in itself is cool. This, however, is like a mix between "God Called In Sick..." and "Morningstar." It's a very nice song and another one of my favorites on the album.
Free Music Review: Absoulutely Stunning
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm going to go song by song, because this album just cannot be catagorized as a whole.Miseria Cantare - Great opener. It sucks you into the CD. The drums kick in and then chaos reigns. Out of nowhere, you hear chanting, "Love...your hate...your...faith lost...You....are now...one...of us" You can really start to feel the energy surge through your veins.
The Leaving Song Pt. 2 - Starts off with a cool cloud-like guitar line. Everything just comes together on this track. You really want to chant with the chorus, even on the first time through. "Break down, and cease all feeling. Burn now, what once was breathing. Reach out, and you may take my heart away"
Bleed Black - One of my favorites on the album. Starts off with a guitar and bass line until everyone kicks in. Love the vocals on this song, great use of harmony and matches the overall tone of the instrumentation very well. "I am destroyed by the inside, I disassociate. I hope to destroy the outside, it will alleviate and elevate me"
Silver and Cold - Another one of my favorites. The beginning just perfectly sets the mood of the song. The lyrics create this perfect imagery of love. The chorus is just beautiful beyond belief. Overall, a very great song. "I came here by day, but I left here in darkness and found you on the way"
Dancing Through Sunday - Nice break from the mellowness thus far. Fast tempo and aggressive vocals make this track stand out. Something about this track just makes you connect so well with the band, not to mention an incredible solo that comes out of nowhere. "Swept off our feet by misery, we're swept into the shadows"
Girl's Not Grey - Due to excessive airplay, this song has lost almost all it's meaning for me. Still, it is an awesome song with a catchy guitar riff. The chorus just begs for the listener to join in. "I'll lay me down tonight. Much further down. Watch stars go out tonight, in sinking ground"
Death of Seasons - On the surface, it appears to have no structure due to its constantly changing tone. But if you listen to the lyrics, it all makes sense. Has a wierd, but hard-hitting techno section in the second verse that detracts nothing from the song. "I watch the stars as they fall from the sky. I held a fallen star and it wept for me, dying. I feel the fallen stars encircle me now, as they cry."
The Great Disappointment - Now we mellow down again. The intro bass line accomplishes the task of calming the listener down for a very beatiful song. The song just takes you away to a better place in the past where all you knew was great. "I can remember a place I used to go.
Chrysanthemums of white, they seemed so beautiful."
Paper Airplanes - AFI kicks the listener in the ass yet again, speeding up the tempo and lyrical delivery. Brings an aggressive, but still emotional delivery. "From below, in my seclusion, look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn"
This Celluloid Dream - Catchy guitar line in the beginning. A little slower than the previous song, but still gets the job done. The breakdown at the chorus just begs for an energy release. You can't help but feel the lyrics in this one. "Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end, just like a memory, it twists me."
The Leaving Song - Probably my 2nd favorite song on the album. Whenever I hear this, I think about a friend who I lost because we got too close. The brutal truth in the lyrics is just so deeply touching that I'm almost brought to tears everytime I hear the song. With the exception of "This Time Imperfect" I can think of no other song that so closely connects to my life. "All the cracks, they lead right to me. And all the cracks will crawl right through me."
...but Home Is Nowhere - Another beautiful song that begs for the listener to join in on the chorus. Again, this song brings back some memories for me. "Ungranted in dead time left me disowned. To this nature, so unnatural. I remain alone."
[Untitled] - Definately one not to be missed. Stick around for the hidden tracks. Words cannot describe this epic poem. You can't simply read it in a book, there is no other way to experience it than listening to it on 'Sing the Sorrow'. You will not be unhappy. " kissed you at the apex of the maelstrom and asked if you would accompany me in a quick fall, but you made me realize that my ticket wasn't for two. I rode alone."
This Time Imperfect - My favorite song on the entire CD. This song is my life. It's everything I've ever wanted to say to my lost friend. The hurt just comes through every time I hear it. The brutal truth will yet again hit the listener. Not sure if it's the beauty of the acoustic guitar, but it's there and it's real. "I'd show a smile, but i'm too weak. I'd share with you could I only speak, just how much this, hurts me."
Final Comments - Anyone who is alive can find something that refers back to their life. We have all felt anger, sadness, and hopelessness at some point. Whenever you are going through a rough time, you can easily put this CD on and drift away into the intertwining melodies that make AFI's music so beatifully addicting.
Free Music Review: A Captivating Story
Hit: 5 Stars
AFI's first major label release is nothing less than a masterpiece. "Sing the Sorrow" is more or less saga with underlying themes of love, abandonment, death, and resurrection. The songs all seem to be intricately connected which results in a very tight album.Lead singer Davey Havok comes to life at the beginning of the album with Miseria Cantare, a loud and primal intro to a turbulent CD. "Nothing from no where I'm no one at all..." his voice rises from the accompanied chants of "love your hate, your faith lost, you are now one of us". The lyrics are abstract and should be examined closely for a full understanding-it is not meant to be background music. The beginning of the CD is at a reflective state on what is to happen at the end. In the swaying melodies of "Bleed Black" the protagonist seems to be crumbling, "flowing", and "numbing". The somber breakdown gives away the tragic ending. "I know what died that night. It could never be brought back to life once again, I know. I know I died that night and I'll never be brought back to life." These lines refer to the hidden track "This Time Imperfect" the finale of the album where the listener is exposed to the protagonist's death. "I cannot leave here, I cannot stay. Forever haunted, more than afraid. Asphyxiate on words I would say. I'm drawn to a blackened sky as I turn blue." Tragically, the character dies and cannot finish the last line, "I'd show a smile, but I'm too weak. I'd share with you, could I only speak, just how much this hurts me...just how much this hurts me...just how much you..." In between these crucial events, the rest of the album unfolds beautifully. It seems as if the stormy and rainy introduction to "Silver and Cold" is where the protagonist's story actually begins. The song is about companionship and sacrificing one's self for it. From there the songs take off, expressing the urgency of fleeing. "What follows will swallow whole," is stated in "Girl's Not Grey". "Death of Seasons" shows the hatred involved: "Of late it's harder just to go outside, to leave this deadspace with hatred so alive. Writhing with sickness, thrown into banality, I decay. Killed by the weakness, but forced to return." Although this banal force is unclear and the reasons behind the difficulty to "go outside" or "to leave" are also a mystery, the task is attempting to understand. That is where the listener is actively involved and takes her enjoyment. "The Great Disappointment" is about a broken promise, the disappointment involved, waiting, and reflecting in a dreamlike state. This leads into "Paper Airplanes" which takes the listener into the protagonist's seclusion. "Anathema I will remain, forever will remain." Anathema, according to my dictionary is "one that is cursed or damned." As the CD begins to reach a closing, the gentle "Leaving Song" plays. This seems to be the end of hope and the beginning of a certainly doomed journey. "All the cracks will lead right to me and all the cracks will crawl right through me, and I fell apart as I walked away." "...But Home Is Nowhere" is the final real track. We have now reached the end. This is the last struggle. "I lay strewn across the floor, can't solve this puzzle. Everyday another small piece can't be found. I lay strewn across the floor pieced up in sorrow. The pieces are lost, these pieces don't fit. Pieced together incomplete and empty." The image of the wrought body laying on the floor remains with you as you reach the hidden track, "This Time Imperfect", where, like stated, the body is on its back and sees the blackened sky and passes away. As you can see, there are obvious connections from song to song throughout this album. The same electronic sounds rise after this song and the CD is meant to be repeated. The protagonist is brought back to life and is thrown into the cycle once again. This makes sense as now we hear "The Leaving Song Pt. 2". If the protagonist's journey began at "Silver and Cold", he would venture over the first leaving song, then be brought back to life to see the second.
However you want to look at it, "Sing the Sorrow" evokes wonder and raises questions. The inquisitiveness that is brought on is even elevated to a new high when watching "Clandestine", an obscure movie that is included with the DVD pack. If you have not experienced this album, you are missing out on something beautiful. Embrace the wonder of "Sing the Sorrow" and you will not be disappointed. The band is inviting you from their liner notes: "...to those who will, with us, forever sing the sorrow, to those who understand... we appreciate you wholly." The fun is in trying to understand.