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Tracklisting
1. Torch Song
2. Beautiful Thieves
3. End Transmission
4. Too Shy To Scream
5. Veronica Sawyer Smokes
6. Okay, I Feel Better Now
7. Medicate
8. I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here
9. Sacrilege
10. Darling, I Want To Destroy You
11. Cold Hands
12. It Was Mine
'Crash Love,' the eighth studio album from the punk/goth/rock band AFI, is one of the best albums of the year. These guys are masters of grandiose vocals, shrieking guitar solos and perfectly-executed gang vocals. It’s been almost three and a half years since AFI’s last studio album, 'DecemberUnderground,' but boy, was it worth the wait.
The first three tracks - 'Torch Song,' 'Beautiful Thieves,' and 'End Transmission' are absolutely killer, and perhaps the album’s best, but all the songs are gems, from the 1980s revival of 'Veronica Sawyer Smokes' to the guaranteed pit starter 'Cold Hands.' Lead singer Davey Havok’s voice gets better with every album, and the rest of the band has obviously been improving their skills as well. Every single track on the CD is worth a listen (or maybe a couple hundred). This album is energetic, epic and completely mosh-able, thank goodness.
'December' was a highly controversial album among fans — many declared they were giving up on the band for good while others defended it passionately. Crash combines the good parts of 'December' but returns to the band’s earlier roots. In short, AFI sounds more like AFI again. The album may be focused on doom and gloom as usual (see 'Sacrilege' and 'Darling, I Want To Destroy You') but somehow, it sounds like the guys are actually having fun. Crazy, right? But after a few years off, combined with Havok and guitarist Jade Puget’s short touring stint with side project Blaqk Audio, it makes sense that the guys would be eager to rock again.
There will always be the old school fans complaining because the band sounds different than they did in 1995. Obviously, as times goes by, music evolves, so it’s unfair to expect every album to sound the same. Bands would grow boring and stagnant if the music didn’t change. But just like all musicians, especially ones that has been around for a long time, AFI will have to deal with the haters who cannot seem to accept that 'Crash Love' isn’t 'Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes' Part II.
Whatever. Those haters don’t know what they’re missing, so don’t let them persuade you this album isn’t worth a listen. 'Crash Love' is truly fantastic, proving once and for all that AFI only gets better as time goes by.
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