A.F.I. - Sing the Sorrow
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.64 You Save: $4.35 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.77 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Sing the Sorrow
Free Music Review: AFIs Newest Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Sing the Sorrow is an album much debated amongsts the AFI so called "Fans" as a sellout cd. Well, this album isn't a sellout cd, it's just playable proof that a band can and will mature throughout their years, and attempt at making something thats down to earth and real, instead of kiddy and fun. Based off listening to this album, (I have the original Red and Black cover release, not the Black and White cover one) I have come to the conclusion that one, no, this is not their best cd, but two, this is not their worst either. Yet, I still gave it 5 stars, you wonder why that is? I gave it 5 stars because the subject mannor on this album, sound on this album, and all around improvement of the band clearly shows. They went from singing about Key Lime Pie and Cereal, to subjects that actually apply to the human race, that in itself, shows major improvement.The cd itself is based (in my opinion) souly around melody, and synthesizers, but that's ok, they're trying something new. But, ofcourse, if youre anti-melody, or anti-morbid lyrics, you aren't going to like this.
I myself have never popped my cd into my computer and acceessed their secret site to download the bonus tracks, instead I just went on Kazaa and downloaded them manually and burnt them onto a duplicated Sing the Sorrow disc, along with the song "Reviers Music" which is another song scrapped from this album. And I will say..."Now the World" is definently worth the price of this cd (If you rather go to the hidden site, or get the import version which is RARE, and or just download the song.), ten fold. The song is simply beautiful, and deserved to be on the original release, and in my opinion, it's their best new song on the album (and or not on the album) other than "Death of Seasons", and "The Great Dissappointment." Those 3 songs sum up (to me) the best of this cd, and neither of which are any of their singles.
Anyone who says AFI sold out with this cd needs to get their sh*t straight, because theirs a difference between selling out, and majorly maturing as a band. AFI could have easily sounded the same and re-done "Art of Drowning" with completely new songs, and the same sound. But why would I buy it? I don't listen to AFI praying that they'll always sound the same, infact as another reviewer had said, AFI have always used their morbid lyrics, it shows quite well in "Black Sails in the Sunset" and "Art of Drowning." Yet, fans want to start complaining NOW?! HAHA that's kind of stupid, fans wait 3 years to complain about something that's been aparently showing for the same 3 years.
If you're an openminded AFI fan like myself, you'll realize that they simply got better, and have improved if not musically, then lyrically. And infact that they didn't get softer, their fans just got harder. If a fan can't accept change and maturity in a band that the fan claims to be a "hardcore fan" of, then disband from the groups fan-scene, you don't deserve to be called a fan, because a band matures and gets better. So Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes, and Sing the Sorrow. Or, go listen to bands that never ever change like NOFX and hop on the waggons of "I can't stand change, so i'm gonna ride this because it's boring and never matures or changes it's sound."
All in all, true AFI fans will appreciate this album, despite its very aparent fact that Davey and crew, have matured, and decided to take a slightly different route, musically.
Free Music Review: One of my favorite albums EVER
Hit: 5 Stars
This album came to me as a complete experiment. I had heard good things, so I picked it up one day. It took me a while to put it on, but once I did, I was completely enraptured. It starts out with a slow and dark sounding beat, and then Davey's voice starts. Right away I loved the voice, and the lyrics were something that I needed. The feeling I got right away was that fans of this band were part of a community. I eventually became a hardcore fan of AFI, and Art of Drowning is actually their best cd, but this album still holds a place because it was the first
Ok, so back to the review. The Leaving Song Pt 2 is next, which is a hardcore song on a grand scale. The entire song sounds like a massive anthem. Bleed Black is a catchy, but lyrically dark, song. It is instantly loveable. Silver and Cold. ah. so. flippin. good. It is the first really slow song, and it is gorgeous in all ways. The voice, the guitar, the lyrics, and the general feel of the song. Dancing Through Sunday is kind of a swing back into hardcore, but then the chorus wants me to dance for the rest of the day. Even better there is an amazing guitar solo, though not long enough, in this song. Girl's Not Grey is next, and it is the poppiest of the songs, but it also has that amazing anthem sound that LSPII had. When the song slows down, and then erupts with Davey's voice yelling and the rest of the band explodes with him, it is so amazing.
Now for the second half of the cd. Death of Seasons finds a return to AFI's older hardcore days, with a twist. Davey screams through most of it, but also throws in a pop-like chorus and an awesome electronica breakdown. The Great Disappointment is another slow song, with beautiful dark lyrics. Not one of the great songs on the album, but certainly amazing. Paper Airplanes is a quick, rock-y song that doesn't have any trace of the punk that the rest of the album tends to have. A Celluloid Dream is one of my favorite songs on the album. It has witty lyrics, a catchy beat, and all-around great musicianship. Definitely listen to this track. The Leaving Song is my least favorite song on the album. It is another slow song, and it seems like a great song at first, but the lyrics are repetitive and the song lacks the substance that most of the album has. ...but home is nowhere, which includes two hidden tracks, is the best song on the album. The first part of the song is great, with intelligent lyrics and anthems that AFI is so good at. The first hidden track is a haunting, spoken track about two lovers in the midst of a nuclear wasteland. Good, but its not really a song, so... ok but the second hidden track, This Time Imperfect, is actually my favorite song by AFI ever, possibly my favorite song PERIOD. It starts slow, with gorgeous lyrics and low singing from Davey. It progressively gets louder, though, and it ends with a massive explosion and Davey rises above the amazing music and sings with such beauty that this band will forever amaze you. This song is what sealed the album for me, even though the whole album incredible
All around, this album is one of my favorite of all time. It is dark, beautiful, thrashing, and the musicians have all matured a lot to become amazing, and this album is very much the crowning achievement. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know AFI. i hate to say it, but it is definitely more poppy, and more mainstream than their other albums, but it is also a great way to start out listening to what should become one of your favorite bands.
Free Music Review: AFI shows the Evolution of Music
Hit: 5 Stars
Here we are in the post nu-metal era. After not-so-great selling albums by KoRn, Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit, one has to wonder what is next for music. This gap has allowed for several different sub-genres of rock to step to the forefront, which means it is now time to find names for genres that don't necessarily exist. And so when AFI (`a fire inside') hit the mainstream with their sixth album, and the help of a major label, reviewers like myself jumped at the chance to pin them to a new style all their own. The term most commonly thrown around? Goth-punk. This is only accurate in one sense; AFI look Goth, but sound punk. With lead singer Davey Havok's long jet-black hair and mascara, you expect a much darker album than you get, as Sing the Sorrow is jam packed with sing along choruses and impressive harmonies. The sound is not as surprising when learning about AFI's past. Starting out in Cali as a hardcore punk band, they eventually signed to the label run by Dexter Holland of the Offspring. Lineup changes were made, bringing in Jade Puget on guitar, while the band's full lineup includes Adam Carson on drums, and a bassist that goes solely by the name Hunter. The band started drifting towards more of a metal approach, with their punk roots still intact. The result is a confusing melting pot of different sounds and ideas. Lyrically, you get Marilyn Manson, while musically, you get metal's answer to Weezer. Vocally, Havok drifts from Axl Rose to Robert Smith of The Cure. These combinations do not sound like a good idea on paper, but AFI eventually prevails over the clash of their influences.
The best example of AFI's triumphs come on the song "Silver and Cold". Starting off with an eerie piano overtop of clapping thunder, the chorus soon erupts in back and forth singing between Havok and his bandmates. Consistent with the rest of the album, the music and melody are somewhat upbeat, and Havok manages to pull off singing lines like, "As a rapturous voice escapes / I will tremble a prayer and I'll beg for forgiveness." To see these lyrics in print, they most certainly cross the line of over-dramatic, but the contrast of the music reels them in.
"Girl's Not Grey" is the first single, and is decidedly more radio friendly than anything else on the album. Even more upbeat, and with softer guitars than the other tracks, it almost denounces AFI's attempts to be punk figureheads. The track is accompanied, however, by a creepy video, where large plush rabbit-like things (think Stone Temple Pilot's "Sour Girl" video) frolic in an alternate universe reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. With that aside, the song ever-so-slightly drifts back to AFI of a few years ago. "The Leaving Song part II" is the second hit single, which starts off the album by showing AFI's style: "Don't waste your touch/you won't feel anything/worthy of redeeming".
Sing the Sorrow is a valiant effort by a band trying to fuse very different styles. The band's appearance, as well as Havok's surprisingly good singing voice, contribute to the success of this fusion. Although this album may not catapult them into mainstream acceptance, AFI is more than ready to fill the void left in radio airplay lists by the sudden absence of arena rap-metal, and their sound will insure that they have a strong fanbase for a long time.
Free Music Review: Not a Single Fault
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, one cannot judge Sing the Sorrow by a single track but by the full album. Each song is slightly different but holds a similarity that make the entire album familiar and you can just tell it is AFI by listening to them.
Miseria Cantera: The CD begins with Miseria Cantera. It is a haunting introduction with vocals just as haunting. The chanting is very eerie. 9/10
The Leaving Song Pt. 2: The guitar introduction is amazing. The chorus is so catchy and is has a great ending and bridge. I find this quite funny because I hated this song at first. 10/10
Bleed Black: I think that this has a very eerie beginning, what with the shallow breathing and all that. The singing begins with Davey's signature "Oh!" The chorus is very nice and applaudable. Jade's voice especially sounds good. The song switches to 3/4 timing near the end of the song. 10/10
Silver and Cold: The first song I listened to on Sing the Sorrow. This song is very slow - in 3/4 timing. Davey sings very quietly in this song, but he gets stronger. The lyrics are so haunting. 10/10
Girls Not Grey: This song is so underrated it isn't even funny. Sure, the song could be classified as 'poppy', if this was the sort of pop you hear these days. I think this song was extremely catchy and you cant't help but to sing along to it.
Death of Seasons: There is an electronic break down about halfway through this song. A lot of people were startled and freaked out about this, but I, for one, think it is great. In fact, I feel like dancing at that bit. Davey sounds hoarse in this one, until the chorus and then he sounds so clear and beautiful. 9/10
The Great Disappointment: Another 3/4 timing song - it changes during the chorus. The guitar is stunning in this song. 8/10
Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings): It's in the same key as The Great Disappointment. The verses are great. 10/10
This Celluloid Dream: My favorite song on the album! This song also starts with Davey's "Oh!" and he also says it again later in the song. He has such a clear voice in this one and he generally avoids yelling except for in the last verse of the chorus. The melody is sarcastic and the guitar and bass sound astounding. This is one song I can never stop listening to. 12/10
The Leaving Song: A ballad! I have such a vivid image in my mind when listening to this song. It is so sad and you can't help but feel for Davey. It has such a beautiful guitar solo at the end and Davey's singing is gorgeous in this one. No screaming at all, and he sounds as though he is actually living the song. Beautiful! 10/10
But Home is Nowhere: Davey hits the highest note reached in AFI in this song - but it is hard to notice because it's in the background. A truly despairing and haunting song. I love it! 10/10
Untitled Hidden Track: You have never heard such a creative song until you hear this one. You have to wait a little while after But Home is Nowhere to listen to it - hence the Hidden part of the track. It is a very emotional song. 10/10
This Time Imperfect: A more positive song, it still retains the depressing undertone. It has a long introduction and ending. It ends beautifully with a backwards guitar riff. 10/10
Free Music Review: Maturity in the Misery
Hit: 5 Stars
With their rather bold major label debut AFI surprisingly submerged themselves in oceans of dense production and studio polish; ambitiously expanding their sound into the wierd darkly romantic horizon merely hinted at in their previous outings. Yet with all of the overdubs and electronic effects, the band doesn't get lost in the murk as they perform with the same firey intensity that them such an outstanding punk band. The detailed, well thought out album flirts with both mainstream pop and edgy punk with an adult intelligence and adventerous attitude not regularly found in either genre. Each of the songs are distinctive and unique with the band seemingly introducing a new trick with each track; making for a very exciting, unpredictble listen that never sacrifices the overall mood.
Guitarist Puget often slows the tempo into aggressive but steady marches of what could only be described as anthetmic melancholy, his warm riffs and atmospheric melodies absent of blazing heroics but no less memorable and distinctive. His work more or less providing a dense backdrop for the band's emotional center, vocalist Davey Havok. Evolving into one of the best and most unique song writers around, Davey's poetic lyrics are mysterious, romantic, and heavy on gothic imagery without falling into cheesy cliche. His distinctive vocal melodies are often at the forefront as he plays off backing chants and vocals as well as his own different personas to create memorable sing a longs. Though not blessed with the strongest of voices, his frail nasal wail is convincly vunerable and at times even deeply moving, his emotional belts are full of fire without tough guy posing, and his spaciously used low breathy singing voice is sincere and seductive. Though the subject matter is dark and crypic, the words are sung in such a way that they not only feel deeply important but strangely upfliting.
The gloomy but upbeat anthems "Leaving Song II" and "Silver and Cold" are superb introductions to the band's unique blend of autumn day atmosphere, pop appeal, and rousing punk energy. The big mainstream single "Girls Not Grey" and "Bleed Black" would almost be catchy pop punk if it wasn't for the mature restraint of the performances, smooth dynamics, and the incredibly dense haunting sound. The experimental "Death of Seasons" not only features what may be the band's first venture into hardcore of the metal kind, but dance music and string arrangements. The beautiful lyrics of "This Celluloid Dream" climaxes the album with a triumphant stuttering gallop that isn't easy to get out of one's head. The hidden track that follows "..But Home is Nowhere" is the band at there most experimental and successful. Spoken word poetry/storytelling, light piano and heavy studio effects gradually shimmer away to unveil the band's most naked and revealing ballad. Davey gives the best vocal performance of his career as he quietly croons with convincing regret in his low full voice. The song gradually soars to a powerful climatic high before fading away into a droning sea of what sounds like backwards violin/guitar loops. This is the band at the height of the their huge potential and hopefully not the peak of their powers.