AFI

I'm a huge AFI fan. I've got all their full length albums and almost all of them see heavy rotation in my stereo/CD player. All of them except this one, which might be their worst. It's not so much that it's a bad CD (it's actually kind of okay), it's just that it can't hold a candle to some of their other work.

The biggest problem with this album is how detached it sounds. Maybe they're doing it intentionally (december...cold, you know) but I really don't like this sound as much as I like their older albums. Even StS was more warm and inviting. Their even older albums are even more so, with this gritty sort of "this is what we'd sound like in our garage, if only you could be there" kind of sound. But decemberunderground doesn't have that. It's too clean, too well-produced and the music is like a bland and neutered version of what was found on StS.

One of my favorite things about AFI has always been the lyrics. They're the kind of things kids get tattoed on themselves, either because it was inspirational or beautiful. Their early lyrics were less serious and extremely relatable, while their later lyrics are poetic and gorgeous. Here, we're somewhere in between, and that really kills me. Davey's words (and occasionally, vocals) sound dispassionate and blunt, like a combination of both lyrical eras worst points. He claims this is his most personal album, lyrically, but I don't buy it.

Speaking of buying, I wouldn't suggest buying this album unless you're some kind of diehard completionist. Stick with either The Art of Drowning or Black Sails in the Sunset if you want to hear AFI at their best.

A friend let me borrow this album because she thought I wasn't giving the new AFI a fair chance. Turned out I was, their music just sucks.

My daughter is the one who introduced me to A.F.I., and the first time I heard December Underground, I fell in love.
My favorite song is "Love like Winter", and of course, I love "Miss Murder".
Listening to this CD made me want to listen to all of A.F.I.'s other CDs, which I also fell in love with.
I don't think they're sellouts at all...just a great band making a name for themselves.

WTF is this? Afi must now stand for a failing icon. Thats all afi is now and its sooooo sad. Hey davey, you can scream but your still scene!

Another great album from AFI! I seriously do not think it's possible for AFI to make bad music. I love the way they've progressed in this album. They have a quality to their music that is consistent, yet always new.

As for people who say they've sold out? Just because someone has a song on MTV (and I don't watch MTV) doesn't mean it's a bad song! AFI couldn't be kept a secret (from main stream) forever. They're too good of a band. I think they're music is artistic, in depth and very genuine. But I suppose people who don't like how they've changed- only listen to one genre of music.

Davey Havok has a beautiful voice.

When I discovered this amazing musical I just had to buy the CD!!!! One day while I was looking up The Little Mermaid on Wikipedia I saw that in the Adaptations section along with well known versions such as the Disney version and the Anime version I saw the entry "The musical Once on this Island is a Caribbean version of the Little mermaid set in the French Antilies" or something like that. Then I clicked on the link provided and read the summary, after that I was hooked! I went to find my mom to tell her to get me this CD, after a few tries she said my dad would take me to get it after church the next day; That day came and as soon as I popped the CD in my portable CD player and it just blew me away! After that I downloaded some of the songs from the London version on itunes and it didn't really live up to my expectations; the Ti Moune sounded like she swallowed a cotton ball! and the Papa Ge sounds like he's screaming (there go my two favorite characters) but with the Broadway version I am fully obsessed.

The songs of the Island;

1. We Dance- splended opening number! I can't stop dancing to it! The song is sung by storytellers (who become the characters of the story) who introduce the Gods of the Island; Asaka(Mother of the Earth), Agwe (God of Water), Erzulie (beautiful Goddess of love), and Papa Ge (sly demon of death), and also describes the two different worlds; the poor peasants, and the wealthy Grand Homme.

2. One Small Girl- this song describes how Ti Moune (the heroine of the story) was saved by the Gods from a flood when she was a little girl and sheltered in a tree, only to be found by caring peasants who become her parents.

3. Waiting for life- In this song, Ti Moune (now all grown up) expresses her need to find out the special reason that the Gods saved her.

4. The Gods heard her prayer/Rain- the title is the only exlanation needed for the Gods hear her prayer. Rain however is sung by Agwe who causes a Grand Homme named Daniel to crash his car from driving too fast
5. Pray- Ti Moune finds Daniel and nurses him back to health ignoring the fear of the peasants and anger of the Gods.

6. Forever yours- my favorite song on this whole CD! Ti Moune pledges her love to Daniel and then later on in the song gives her life to Papa Ge, the demon of death so that he will spare Daniel.

7. Sad tale of the Beauxhommes- kind of pointless but still fun to listen to, it describes Daniel's family history........that's all I have to say.

8. Ti Moune- Daniel's family has already taken Daniel back to the Hotel his family owns and Ti Moune begs her parents to let her go after him even though reluctant they agree.

9. Mama will Provide- Ti Moune runs into Asaka the mother of the Earth who tells her that anything she needs "Mama will provide".

10. Some say- the storytellers discuss what Ti Moune's journey was like, different opinions are tossed around. This song while fun to dance and sing to really makes you wonder along with the storytellers.

11. Part of the Human heart- very inspirational should-be classic! Once Ti Moune is with Daniel Erzulie the Goddess of love sings this beautiful piece.

12. Pray (reprise)- The Grand Homme's gossip about Daniel and Ti Moune behind their backs.

13. Some Girls- Daniel sings this song to Ti Moune. Very romantic! Makes any girl wish that the guy they love would sing this to them.

14. The Ball- A ball is held at the Hotel Beauxhomme where one of the guests (Andrea) confronts Daniel about Ti Moune.

15. Ti Moune's dance- At Andrea's request Ti Moune dances for all of the guests and does a very good job (although you don't see the dance on the CD obviously) the music of this piece is very unusual but much fun as well.

16. When we are Wed- Andrea congragulates Ti Moune on her success and asks her to dance at her (Andrea's) wedding. Saying she will be marrying Daniel.

17. Forever yours (reprise)- after Daniel explains to Ti Moune that they could never marry and leaves her heartbroken and alone, Papa Ge comes to claim Ti Moune's life but he says that she can return to her old life if she kills Daniel............She can't do it.

18. A Part of Us- Once Ti Moune dies, the Peasants and the Gods (including Papa Ge) mourn her death. Made me cry all the way through.

19. Why we tell the story- A much more uplifting song than a part of us.
The Gods turn Ti Moune into a beautiful tree that watches over Daniel forever. the storytellers then explain all of the reasons to tell this wonderful tale.

The reason I gave that summary of the songs was in hope I'll be able to give this musical more attention than it currently has and in hopes for it to someday return to Broadway (I really want to see this musical live but sadly it doesn't play anywhere near my area!)

This review will probably get a lot of "not helpful" responses, because it does not agree that "Once on This Island" is the best thing for Broadway musicals since sliced bread.
First, and positively, it begins with an excellent story. But in this case, I believe it was the story, not the music, that carried the show to a respectable 469 performances in 1990.
For the most part, I found the music to be repetitive. I felt as if I had listened to the same thing over and over. I also sensed some obvious influences from "Pacific Overtures."
Do not throw the recording away. It is still interesting, especially if you follow the libretto as you listen. The libretto pretty much tells the story, but because of the accents, much is indistinguishable without the words before you.
Also, I was surprised, as I read the previous reviews to this recording, to see so many references to high school and even middle school productions of "Once on This Island." With the complexities of the Caribbean setting and the intricacies of the music, this seems to me to be beyond the capabilities of most schools. Be that as it may!

I have used this product in a high school musical theater class setting....many of the tunes included are great performance songs my students will be using in our upcoming end of the term concert... they love this unique musical style, so do I...

My wife and I saw this show on Broadway during its too-brief run. The show was nominated for 8 Tony Awards, but didn't win in any category.

The musical is all sung, so it translates well onto CD. It features the original Broadway cast, including LaChanze, who won a Theater World Award for her performance as Ti Moune.

Listening to the CD, one is transported into a world of gods and humans, love and death, vengeance and redemption. The score, by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Seussical the musical" and "Ragtime"), is a joyful, spirited mixture of Caribbean and pop-tinged songs, sung with animation and passion.

I wasn't expecting to receive the items just yet (cause I was informed of 8 weeks to deliver). But i got it just aweek and a half from the time i ordered. Its all in perfect shape and i'm enjoying every minute of it!

If you're interested in getting into punk, or even if you're already familiar with it, AFI is pretty much a must-have band. This is arguably their best disc (my personal favorite is still "Black Sails", though). From the very beginning, you're treated to a high energy and surprisingly creative punk album.

The production is a far cry from the raw, lo-fi days of bands like Discharge, but it's also pretty far from being over-produced (a trap too many modern punk groups fall into). It's a nice balance of clear and high quality sound, with just enough warmth to make it feel like a well-produced garage practice session. Basically, this is the sound all of today's punk bands should go for.

The music is about as creative as a band can get with three chords. They alternate between surprisingly explosive, aggressive tracks ("Smile" is still one of the fiercest songs they've ever recorded) and intensely emotional ballads (the amazingly beautiful "Morningstar"). AFI are one of those rare bands where all the lyrics are catchy, not just the choruses (although nearly all have a catchy chorus that is destined to be stuck in your head). One thing this album isn't lacking in is passion and urgency; Davey's vocals often crack under stress, the group frantically shouts out backing vocals, and the music is nearly constantly at high speed. They do a nice job of rounding out those emotions with some more tender moments, a few of which are some of the most memorable songs the band's ever recorded (check out the end of "A Story at Three", which breaks down the song almost completely to Davey's wailing and then builds it right back up, even more powerful than before).

If you're even remotely interested in this band or style, you'll probably love this disc. Even the haters could probably find something to like.

AFI-The Art Of Drowning *****


The Art Of Drowning may be AFI's very best album, certainly many of the bands fans would agree. Drowning was the bands first album with new guitarist Jade Puget and Hunter on bass. As the original two left to start a new band. This marked new direction for the band. Slightly more commercial and less punk, and slightly more melodic and less hardcore, but that does not mean it is a bad thing as you can tell by the accusation that this may be the bands very best album. The elements of Punk, Hardcore, Melodic, and Commercial are all here all the elements that up to this point made the band great. They had not yet fell in love with techno.

Songs like 'The Lost Souls' 'Ever And A Day' and 'Days Of The Phoenix' are among the bands all time best songs, and contain some of Davey Havoks greatest vocals. The power of his vocals on this album is over welming. Jade Pugets guitar playing is double that of the original player, and brang new life to the bands style and musical ability. 'Catch A Hot One' 'Smile' and 'Sacrafice Theory' are all classic AFI. Many of the songs on the album feature backup vocals from Lars Fredrickson which is became a major voice in the pop punk movement of the 1990s and Nick 13 of Tiger Army who shared a practice pad with Davey Havok when both bands were just starting out.

The Art Of Drowning is an album that fans of both new and old AFI can enjoy but most importantly The Art Of Drowning is and album the true fans of all of AFI's music love and it is truly a great album and one of the truly great punk-ish albums of the 1990's.

The Art of Drowning is yet another masterpiece by AFI. On this album, they continue their horror punk sound, but add a bit of a pop touch, which I personally have no problem with. The songs here are very catchy, an Davey's voice is incredible.

This album does contain one of the only AFI songs I don't like: A Story At Three. I dunno, I just don't like it. But it also contains some of my favorite AFI songs, such as The Lost Souls, Of Greetings and Goodbyes, Catch a Hot One, Wester, and The Despair Factor. I don't know why everyone hates Battled so much. I think it's a great song. It almost sounds like something off Shut your Mouth and Open Your Eyes(my favorite AFI album).

So if you're an AFI fan, this album is essential. If you're a horror punk fan, this album is essential. Just get it.

This one's pretty much flawless. The band's fifth LP and it still stands up as my favorite, which isn't to discredit the others. I enjoy all the Jade Puget-era AFI records. Yes, even Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground are albums that I love. And if you haven't caught up with older AFI, this and the All Hallow's EP are great choices to begin with. It is amazing how the group has progressed. I bet if I first heard this group through Answer That and Stay Fashionable and/or Very Proud of Ya, I would've never known that they had the ability to make something that sounds so good as this.

Every song is awesome. The intro, "Initiation," kind of reminds me of NIN's "Help Me I Am in Hell" in the beginning, until the track's distortion and other instruments start kicking in. What a nice introduction. Even hints at their industrial influence are here, as on the rhythm breakdown on "The Despair Factor." The first three full songs are pretty good, but just about everything AFTER that blows those out of the water. Tracks 5-10 is one of my favorite album sequences. I sometimes repeat this part of the album because I like that part so much. You get some nice hardcore guitar riffs on "Smile" and if you're into their new stuff, you'll like the catchy "Days of the Phoenix." Davey Havok writes some pretty interesting lyrics. There are quite a bit of mid-tempo tracks on this album, which is about half of the tracks. There's the Offspring-ish "whoa-oh"s through many of the songs, and most of it will have the mmph to catch you on to this one.

I practically recommend this to people who are new to AFI, and the one's who've been into them for awhile, well they probably own this already. People who don't really know what the band's about should give this a try; it may change their opinion of the band. This is proof that the band was much more than a fad, and are not just scene, they get their popularity because the fans love them so much. For a good reason -- their music is amazing.

"The Art of Drowning" is easily one of the greatest punk albums I've ever heard. This album is also what I consider to be the first of 3 amazing albums. While some AFI fans maintain that "Black Sails" is their best album, I disagree. Its good, no question, its just not my personal favorite. On the other hand, "The Art of Drowning," "Sing the Sorrow," and "decemberunderground" form a trilogy of AFI albums if you will. All being must owns, and defining moments in their career. I'm not going to break down and analyze each song on the album, but there is not a bad song to be found. Standout tracks are, The Lost Souls, The Nephilim, Ever and a Day, Smile, The Days of the Phoenix.

What I've come to love about this album is the emotion and hectic nature of it. This is most assuredly old school AFI, yet I find it more accessible than some of their older stuff. So its a nice balance, with alot of screaming and in your face fast paced riffs, yet it still has great melody and harmony to it. Anyways, its a fantastic album, and if you like punk, then no doubt its already in your collection, since this is Punk through and through. If not, and your a fan of AFI's newer albums, then check out "The Art of Drowning" and give it some time to grow on you if it doesn't strike a cord with you immedietly. This is one of those albums that just gets better with age.

I was introduced to AFI through Decemberunderground. The first song I heard by them was Love Like Winter. My friends (sell-out fans) told me that the new stuff was horrible, and that their old stuff was great.

When I got this, I was shocked. Davey...his vocal style is so...different is an understatement. And does he, like, have a lisp or something? Is that from the lipring? It's weird.

I'm not saying this album is bad; it's not. It's just so incredible different from their new stuff.

You know what? In many ways "Black Sails in the Sunset" is probably the perfect AFI record. That's not to say that it's their best but whatever phase of AFI you like---the early hardcore stuff, the middle period goth punk stuff or the current arena ready stuff--- you can find something to like and admire on this album.
This was the first AFI record I heard when a friend played it for me back in the spring of 2000 and I immediatly knew I loved it as it blends two of my favourite types of music, eighties goth like the Cure and Joy Division, with hardcore, and does so perfectly. Although they would build on this template and improve it on their followup releases "All Hallows" and the nearly flawless "The Art of Drowning", "Black Sails" will always have a special place in my record collection.
Now, as one of the few earlier AFI fans who doesn't believe that they have recently sold out(rather they have been given the finincial means to expand on their influences, and this isn't as a bad thing as both "Sing the Sorrow" and it's followup "decemberunderground" are excellent records), I am not feeding you some purists nonesense when I tell you that if you are an AFI fan then you need "Black Sails". Where there earlier hardcore records were typical east bay hardcore, "Black Sails" builds on the template. The songs have more crashing dynamics than anything that came previous, while upping the melody and allowing Davey Havok room to write more insteresting lyrics and expand his vocal range. The songs all feature the same chant along choruses that have taken AFI to the top of the charts lately, only this time they're dellvered with a far more breakneck speed.
What's surprising to hear, or at least to me, how much sense the bands newer stuff sounds when you listen to "Black Sails". The playing is strong and the melodies are easily digestable without being easy and obvious. The production of the record at time can be a little same sounding, thought each song has it's own distinctive features and ebbs and flows that you know exactly what you're listening to every given second.
Again "Black Sails" is not the best AFI record in my opinion(that really has to be "Art of Drowning"), whatever you like about AFI is here on this record in spades. Crushing hardcore, melodic breakdowns, excellent lyrics and vocals and even the requisite power ballad("God Called in Sick Today", still one of the bands best songs), and for those reasons alone that should make this record an essential in every AFI fans collection.
That and every sing is pretty great. What more could you ask?

'Through our bleeding, we are one!'...

...so begins AFI's fourth, and controversially their best.

This is one emotionally upsetting album to listen to, let me tell you. But in a good way. It's like reliving someone else's nightmare of the pain, suffering, and horror that is everyday life.

This is Davey Havok at his darkest and most poetic edge. Just listen...

'When daylight forms blinding walls where do we go? Days, arid are scorching all. When daylight forms blinding, binding walls, where do we go? The darkness calls.'...

...and...

'We all begin to burn. Autumn's flame dances in my eyes. Set alight for all we've learned. My ashes falling. My skin is singed but it heals my heart and with growing pride I'll wear my scars.'...

...brilliant!

And that's not the end, but I can't fit every good lyrical quote in this review, because the WHOLE ALBUM is like this!

Is it AFI's best? In one way, but in my opinion, all AFI is good, for different reasons. This is like a gourmet steak dinner, but you don't always feel like a steak dinner. Too filling. That's where AFI's latter career comes into play.

See also AFI-The_Art_Of_Drowning, and AFI-Sing_The_Sorrow, lighter fare when you don't want to feel like ripping something's head off from listening to this disk.

PS- For people who like dark music in general, see The_Cure-Pornography. Also highly recommended.

i bought this album after reading the "rave" reviews on here about it...what a let down. im still giving it the benefit of the doubt with 3 stars even though i didnt think it deserved that, notice i said i, its only my opinion. the songs all sound alike. before i could leave the mall parking lot i looked down and my player said song 4. i was like what the heck? i just popped it in and i couldnt even tell when the last song had ended and the next one began.

This is no doubt a great CD. It's AFI at their goth point, so be prepared for some dark music. Especially if you only have AFI's first few CD's.

1.Strength Through Wounding
4.5/5 Holy crap, what an intense intro! THROUGH OUR BLEEDING WE ARE ONE!!!
2.Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
3.5/5 It's fast, it's good. It didn't really catch my intrest though.
3.Exsanguination
4/5 It better. But still not much compared to what's next.
4.Malleus Maleficarum
5/5 $#!+, this has got to be one of the best(if not THE best) songs on the CD! It's like a metal song or something! AFI truly did a great job on this song. The first masterpeice of the album!

SIDE NOTE:Soemone postted earlier that Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, Exsanguination, and Malleus Maleficarum were latin terms for vampirism or something. He's wrong about that. Porphyria is a desease which forbids you to go out into the sun; Exsanguination is a process that removes blood from the body; and The Malleus Maleficarum is a book about with burning. Just to clear up some confusion.

5.Narrative Soul Against Soul
5/5 I freakin love this song so much. Especially the chorus, and the part before the chorus where Davey wails "todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy" It gets me every time. <3<3<3
6.Clove Smoke Catharsis
5/5 Forget about God Called In Sick Today, Clove Smoke Catharsis is my favorite slow song of the album. I love how it goes from a very heavy intro to a soft, clean guitar melody. This song could've easily gotten twice the popularity GCIST recieved if it got the chance.
7.Lower It(vinyl only track)
5/5 Easily the most "punk" track on Black Sails. Deffidently a keeper.
8.The Prayer Position
5/5 Another metal song. It's awesome.
9.No Poetic Device
4.5/5 Cool. I really like the chorus.
10.The Last Kiss
5/5 How can you not love this song?
11.Weathered Tome
4/5 Once again, I absolutely love the chorus!
12.At A Glance
4.5/5 Boy, this album has some great choruses. I love it. It's kind of like a mix between The Last Kiss and The Despair Faction.
13.God Called In Sick Today
4.5/5 Although it is very overated, I still love it!

XXXMidnightSun
6/5 This is really my favorite song on the album. It a gothic metal song with forces yet to be reckoned with. It also has arguably the greatest breakdown AFI has ever done(along with Coin Return ( :)

Well, this review might not've been so helpful, but that's not the point. The point is, you have to buy this now.

I've had this DVD since it came out and have decided it's a 5 star.

There are 2 kinds of live recordings. The kind where everything sounds perfect and the voices are crystal clear and everything happening on the stage is smooth and organized.

Then there is the real down and dirty kind of live recording. The kind where you can hear the crowd singing and cheering and the band is vibrating with excitement. And thats what this DVD is. Davey is so full of passion in his singing. He even looses his breath a couple of times because he's so excited. It's worth every penny especially if you are an AFI fan because you feel like you were there.

I was incredibly dissapointed when I heard the songs on this CD. I saw AFI at the Warped Tour in 2001, and was absolutely amazed. The band was incredible and sounded amazing. I will never forget hearing Total Immortal - the vocals and the rest of the band sounded exactly like the CD recording. Davey does a moderately decent job on the vocals for a some of the newer stuff, but older songs, and ones that feature screaming such as Death of Seasons, sound terrible in my opinion.

CD was awesome & in excellent condition. I would definitely buy from this seller again.

Great album, well structured and with a good taste of music from across most of thier albums. Favourtie songs - all of them. No real low points from the album.

i think this is a great addition to the afi catalog i dont understand the holdover thing people are talking about afi has like fifteen albums when do you think they should put out a live cd pantera only had four when they put theres out and nobody whined about it but anyways the cd is awsome they could of played a little more from the art of drowning but they played everything from sing the sorrow that i wanted to hear i'm not to into december underground but the songs from it honestly sound better live i think except for love like winter witch will always suck (sorry i really dont like that song)my favs from the cd would be days of the phenox,death of seasons and silver and cold theres alot more but my brains not working and i dont have the case in front of me one other cool thing about the cd is nick 13 from tiger army comes out and does a song with them so over all the cd is great and even if it is a "holdover" cd what better time to do it

p.s. check out the dvd its the same show but its still enjoyable even if you heard the cd and it also has interviews

this album is in my point of view the best early afi album. they perfectly capture the harcore punk sound with a hint of horror punk. My favorite track "coin return" has a psychobilly sounding riff thats blends perfectly with daveys screaming vocals. other great tracks are "three seasons", "let it be broke"(the most agressive afi song ever) and the intro awesome. this album is what i call horror-core, too bad such a good band turned so emo and horrible now. whoooooa

This album, AFI's 3rd, marked a huge change in the band's direction. Instead of fun skateboard punk, which they perfected in their 2nd album ANSWER THAT AND STAY FASHIONABLE, AFI switched gears and made their music much harder and more serious. SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR EYES rages, roars and rocks like no other AFI album -- Davey Havok screams half the lyrics, giving the songs more impact, and the music is simply brutal. The songs lack the soft, melodramatic goth parts common in the band's subsequent albums, making the hardcore music in SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR EYES even more relentless. The subsequent AFI albums have more breadth and are more radio-friendly, but none can match SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR EYES for its visceral punch. One of the great punk albums.

I'm not too familiar with AFI's earlier stuff, the pre-Black Sails stuff. I liked Sing The Sorrow, Art of Drowning, and a few tunes off Decemberunderground. I realize they're fallen into a repetitive, radio-friendly, generic songs trap, but they have a way with melody that made many of their recent tunes awesome, despite being somewhat formulaic. My first impression, as the first track kicked in was this shares the sense of melody and songwriting proficiency with their recent work, but has an extra bit of fire fueling it, and is left a bit unpolished. With the first few tracks you can tell not all of them are going to sound the same, which is great, especially in this genre. It's worth listening to if you like any of AFI's other stuff, but it wont blow anyone's mind.

Let me let you in on a little secret; all AFI is good. That's right ALL. Another secret; AFI is my favorite band of all time. Why? I'll show you.

'We are the Ones with the radiating eyes. We are the Ones who have a fire inside. We are the Ones only we can recognize. We've been rejected...'

...and that's the opening for this album, which is AFI's third. It's their harshest, angriest, meanest effort to date, and I don't think they will ever go back to this.

The sound? Fast and aggressive. The lyrics? Fast and pissed off! At one point, Davey's voice audibly cracks with the sheer rage-driven emotion that can't be found on any other AFI. Black_Sails_In_The_Sunset comes close, but it's better in other ways.

'Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Have you ever felt? Ever felt this way? Tainted with rage that you can't drain away or it will cost you your life.'...

...and that's the essesnce of this album. Davey Havok's lyrics are always poetic, unlike any other punk rock band anywhere, but here they trade in some of the band's later elloquence for sheer rage, and the result is an excellent, if slightly unpolished, representation of what the band has to offer.

So, if you like hardcore punk-rock, this is your AFI album.

And as for you who say AFI is not hardcore enough for you, go listen to harder music. If Slayer's Reign_In_Blood don't do it for you, try Converge's You_Fail_Me, or some Pig_Destroyer. But don't down a good band because they're not your kind of music.

For people who can appreciate AFI, and not just hardcore music, see also AFI-Black_Sails_In_The_Sunset, and AFI-The_Art_Of_Drowning. You won't be dissapointed.

PS For people new to AFI, I recommend starting at the middle with The_Art_Of_Drowning.

My God, I love this CD. I love AFI's punk stuff in general, but this has to be my favorite album by them. It's loud, fast, agressive, and pissed off! Everything a punk rock album should be. The lyrics are also very well written, and they're almost poetic. Not quite. AFI really started getting poetic with 'Black Sails in the Sunset', which is this band's second best. Anyway, the best songs on here would definately be 'Today's Lesson', 'The Devil Loves You', 'pH Low', 'Lower Your Head And Take It In The Body', 'Three Second Notice', and 'Third Season'. Definately reccomended to ALL punk rock fans. New scene-emo AFI fans, you probably won't like this at all. Haha.

I guess I could understand why some people would like this. The tracks don't have a big meaning, so it doesn't wind up taking itself too seriously (which is a contrast to modern AFI). There isn't much artistic merit, as it's run-of-the-mill skate punk. And the "Resevoir Dogs" sampling is pretty cool, actually.

That being said, I don't really care for this CD. The songs don't have a whole lot of variety and doesn't have good playback value. Juvenile songs can be charming and amusing, but on here, it just makes me kind of yawn and roll my eyes at times. It's refreshing to hear a band who used to be something completely different, though, and this was literally only 1/2 of today's lineup. While it's interesting that Davey's got less of a high-pitched voice here, that actually made him a bit more distinguished, and it's hard for me to call what's on this album that. I like a few of the songs, but could have done without most of it. I think that omitting two of the songs from the CD version really worked in the audience's favor, as it wears its welcome out about halfway though.

Me, I don't like the first two CD's that much. It's all uphill from there. Especially starting in the Black Sails in the Sunset era. Punk purists (those who deem major label stuff as "sellout") will recommend you this in favor of the last two, but really I think those are awesome. But then again, you'd have to appreciate some goth & dark pop to really "get" that one.

Tracks 16 and 17 are special tracks which are only available on the 12" vinyl version of the album. On the original Wingnut release of the album, a cover of "Man In A Suitcase" (originally by The Police) was featured instead of "Open Your Eyes".

It's true. Whereas Davey Havok 2007 is an overdramatic cheesy looking tranny, Davey Havok 1995 is one angry little punk. Please ignore Decemberunderground, as that is an insult to the word "music". It's lyrics do not make sense. They try to be deep in that album, but ultimately fail and sound sloppy. At least 'Sing The Sorrow' was a decent rock record and made sense.

Anyways, about this album. It's fun, fast, loud, angry punk rock. This is exactly how they should have stayed. Don't get me wrong, I love 'Black Sails In The Sunset' and 'The Art of Drowning', but this is just a lot more fun to listen to. If you just want a short, good, fun album, get this one. Ignore 'Decemberunderground', please. It sucks sucks sucks sucks sucks. Get anything before that album...anything. Including this one, 'Very Proud of Ya', 'Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes', 'Black Sails in the Sunset', 'The Art Of Drowning' and 'Sing The Sorrow. DU sucks. This one and everything up to STS rocks.

Not much to say here that has not already been said one thousand times over. AFI can do no wrong! Fast, catchy, hardcore pop with great melodies, riffs, and ton of sing alongs. Yes, that's correct pop, but this dose not count them out of the hardcore game. Think of Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and Gorilla Biscuits , and try to deny the catchy nature and pop sensability. This CD is drenched in oldschool over tones and Davey Havoks lyrics and voice are great albeit alittle girlie. On a side note don't discount decemberunderground, and this goes to new and old fans alike. There newest release is not and I repeat NOT EMO!! It's a great disc reminiscent of 80's new wave and post-punk (goth) synthpop, complete with New Order-esc dance beats. Don't fret it can still sever up killer 2-step beats and amazing sing alongs. Not to mention, decemberunderground has Hunter's bass lines sounding full and more amazing then ever. If you like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Sister of Mercy, Razed in Black, and U2 then you will fall in love with it. Especially 37mm.

Great track off of ATASF, Two of a Kind & Half-Empty Bottle.

The afi featured in this album is actually pretty much a diffrent band than we see in later albums. afi stood for anthems for insubordinates while it later stands for a fire inside. there are two diffrent band members than later on. two diffrent members makes a big diffrence. for anyone who knows anything about punk, the only diffrence between operation ivy and rancid is two members, but they are very diffrent bands. so now that ive established this cd as a "diffrent band" ill say that this is a great album. truly fantastic. it is youth energy and teen angst in music form. it basically defines every teenage loser. haha its true though, and thats what makes it fun. yes this is a FUN album. thats the best way to describe it. davey sings about cereal, and wanting a mohawk, and not wanting to get up in the morning and stupid jocks, its very immature, but that immaturity is refreshing. when compared to black sails in the sunset, or the art of drowning, this album seems meak and irrelevent. afi later would go on to make creative music that would blow my mind, but this album is always something ill come back to, because its fun. theres nothing else to it. its fun fast and punk. so when you feel overwhelemed by afis later, more intense albums just pop this in, its simply a fun album to listen to.

Got this disc by mistake when I ordred Wax - 13 Unlucky Numbers.... It was in deed unlucky for me since I got the Wax jewel case but inside I found A.F.I Very Proud of Ya instead. Gee Thanks.... For nothing that is...
It's 80's punk rock regurgitated and not very creatively. Most of the album sounds the same with similar riffs and changes. Plain and simple... It's crap...

Just say no thanks kids...

This is the first AFI album I ever heard and it is probably the most fun you will ever have listening to an AFI album. The album is incredibly fast, the guitar playing is good, the bass is incredible, and the drums are also pretty amazing. The lyrics are different than later AFI stuff, they are clearly more immature, which is probably why when I was 16 and first heard this I absolutely loved it. The first five AFI albums are all amazing, and the last two are pretty good, not nearly as great as their first five though. Highlights of this album are File 13(which is possibly my favorite AFI song ever), Theory of Revolution, This Secret Ninja, Aspirin Free, Consult My Lover, Take the Test, Shatty Fatmas, Cruise Control, Modern Epic, and Who Said You Could Touch Me! This album is awesome from start to finish, it really puts you in a great mood, and can give you so much energy! Buy this along with all of AFI's first five albums, and if you like The Art of Drowning buy Sing the Sorrow, and then if you like Sing the Sorrow buy Decemberunderground. For you punks, you will hate AFI's last three albums probably, especially the last two. This album is insanely highly recommended!!!!

This is like one long song...one very annoying long song (that sounds like the Misfits). It's good to see a band mature and learn to sing!

AFI-Very Proud Of Ya *****

It's kind of like really great sex. Very fast and powerful and ends just like it began, on top, and in the end your left with a feeling of satisfaction, well that's Very Proud Of Ya by AFI. Very Proud Of Ya is the bands first album on Nitro records as well as one of the best. Havocs fantastic vocals mixed with the Misfit influenced guitar and rhythm section makes for one mean punk album. Now keep in mind this isn't your little sisters AFI, this is good straight up hardcore-old fashioned punk rock at its most pure and best.

`He Who Laughs Last' `File 13' `Soap Box Derby' `Theory Of Revolution' and `Consult My Lover' are all excellent examples of what AFI started out as, a hardcore punk band. On Very Proud Of Ya this are the five songs that to most stand out the most. `Consult My Lover' might as well be changed to Very Proud Of You and made the title track. The chorus on this track alone is worth the perches of the album, easily Davy Havocs best vocal performance on the album by far.

Songs like `Crop Tub' `Cult Status' `Take The Test' and `Fishbowl' while they aren't as good as the before mentioned songs and while they don't stand out as much they are still very good very solid songs, its these songs that hold the album together in between the classics.

To review Very Proud Of Ya by AFI and not mention `Perfect Fit' would just simply put not do the album justice. It is to AFI what `Devilock' was to the Misfits. It's that rare classic that was mixed in with the shuffle and over looked by many but is truly on of the very best things the band has ever recorded. The guitar alone is some of the best they ever played and Havocs lyrics and vocal delivery is among his career best.

It's a shame AFI refuses to play their older music such as the material on this album and really anything before Sing The Sorrow, as if the music is inferior to the new when in reality it's by far superior and is what made the band what they are today. So while AFI may have forgotten their roots you don't have too so this is highly recommended to anyone who is reading this.

If you started listening to AFI when this cd was released then you know they changed the sound big time. For me that is when I said "I 'll just stick to the first two cds". I'm really not in to thier whole new "hardcore" style they have now. I just saw the video on MTV for the latest single and boy what a laugh. I guess it happens to a lot of bands. But it sucks when they change from a band you like to hear, to band that hurts your ears. I still remember seeing them open up for Guttermouth in 1996 and then hearing this cd played in the record store, buying it like a week after it came out and having many bedroom concerts..hahaha Those were The Good Old Days.

The EP is notable in a few ways. It was the first release with Hunter as a full time member and the last with Mark on guitars. Black Sails came to be a new beginning but that seed definitely began to sprout with The Hanging Garden. It's a cover from The Cure and it is great at that.

With only four songs and less than ten minutes of material it's hard to give it a high review. But it still deserves an honorable mention as a transition to something (in my opinion) better.

For those of you who think Black Sails In The Sunset was AFI's first turn to dark, goth/horror punk, you're wrong. You can even hear a bit of goth in Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes (like in the bridge to Salt For Your Wounds). But half of this EP is dark punk, and the other half sounds like it could've been B-Sides to SYMAOYE.

1.3 1/2
5/5 This really shows AFI's transition to goth music.
2.Over Exposure
5/5 Sounds like it could've been on Shut Your Mouth.
3.The Hanging Gardens
5/5 My personal favorite. I like it even more than The Cure's version (though The Cure are awesome).
4.Demonomania
4/5 This is pretty good. The Misfits version is faster, and better imo.

i don not reccomend this, afi did a HORRIBLE job of head like a hole, they made it sound like a prep anthem. enough said

This is one of the best AFI releases (along with Very Proud of Ya', Art of Drowning, Sing the Sorrow). It is much more original than the All Hallows ep. I also like Davey's screaming better on this release better than on the next two (Black Sails, All Hallows). I'll rate the songs individually.

31/2: 10/10 This song is such a heavy introduction to the ep! It has very good lyrics, and it's a very creative song. The chorus has a really cool sound to it, and an awsome rythem!

Overexposure: 10/10 I love this song! It's just as intense as the last one! This song has a really cool rythem change after the second chorus. It makes the song sound alot darker and angrier. I love Davey's vocals at the end.

The Hanging Garden (Cure cover):10/10 Awsome song! Even though I love the original song, this version is way more fun to listen to! The drums are heavier, and they do cool stuff with the guitars on it.

Demonomania (Misfits cover):10/10 This is such a hyper song! Even though the original version had much better vocals, I think this one is way more intense (AFI always makes such energetic cover-songs).

You should definately get this release. It's much more raw and creative than the All Hallows ep! Get as many releases as you can from AFI (exept the Best of the Nitro days album).

i am a huge afi fan and i think this ep is as good as if not better than the all hallow's ep.

3 1/2-10/10
this song starts out like it could be a metal song but jumps into a hardcore punk song that is one of my favorite afi songs ever

Overexposure- 9/10
a really awesome hardcore song.
The Hanging Garden- 10/10
an awesome cure song that is even better with an afi twist.
Demonomania- 9/10
46 seconds of rocked out hardcore that will get stuck in your head and make you want to headbang.

There are almost no words to describe the impact this wonderful, flawless CD has made on my life. This is goth/rock/punk/emo...whatever label you want to put to AFI at it's best. The only label I think they need is amazing. This is an album with countless themes and morals, thats sings of all of lives heartaches and triumphs. It's as haunting as it's is beautiful, each song epic and soul touching. I've had to buy two copies of this CD because I've worn out the first. If you buy the bonus version of the CD it's well worth your money, the bonus songs on this CD are absolutely perfect pieces of music. Davey sings with more emotion than most artist dare touch there songs with and his lyrics are artistic, and utterly poetic.

If you like AFI, you'll love this CD. There is not one bad song on this CD. And the two added songs are awesome. I highly recommend this CD, whether you buy the regular version or the England version.

i have 2 versions of STS and this UK version with synesthesia and now the world

im just gonna review the bonus tracks, cause simply put, the rest of the cd is amazing. buy this

synesthesia - 1000000/10 - the most amazing song from the STS era of AFI. words cannot describe the bridge/outro of this song. i think i cried a little.

now the world - 9/10 - good song, personally i like the 336 10" version of this song better. this one is more professional sounding and a bit more produced though

buy this cd. now.

When I heard this album I was floored. I had their back catalog for two years prior to the release of Sorrow. To me this was a natural progression that should have been seen from Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes. Still the first listen of this album is very emotional and I still get choked up on the epic finale ...but home is nowhere/This Time Imperfect. Still haven't purchased the Import yet, but contemplating it.

AFI have come a long way from where they began. They have changed so much that many fans of the early years are very turned off by their recent efforts. I am not one of those fans. When I was introduced to AFI, I listened to "Answer That and Stay Fashionable". That cd has some of my favorite songs such as "Half Empty Bottle", "Yurf Rendenmein", and "High School Football Hero". That was some great music. Compare those songs to "Girl's Not Grey", "This Celluloid Dream", and "...but Home is Nowhere", and you will have a hard time recognizing that this is the same band. Still, the transition from Bad Religion-esque punk rock to Dark (tad Gothic) rock was not bad, but very unexpected. As a long time fan of AFI I give this album 5 stars because it's my personal opinion that AFI have done something fresh, musically, and not only that but every song on this album is so well done. The best part about this import is that the bonus songs are not only epically good, but they go so well with this album that I am surprised they were left out. If you liked the bonus tracks on this album then I recommend you get your hands on AFI's Girl's Not Grey EP, the one that has Reiver's Music. Another track you will thoroughly enjoy, assuming you enjoyed this album.