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 | AFISing The Sorrow2003 Dreamworks 
 Review by: theundergroundscene See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on March 11th 2003
I’m not your typical AFI fan. Most “hardcore” AFI enthusiasts love their older work like
Answer That And Stay Fashionable and Very Proud Of Ya. Me, on the
other hand, I love all of their CDs from Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes
up until this current album, Sing The Sorrow. I feel the addition of Jade Puget as
guitarist in 1997 really helped this band break away from their not-so-interesting hardcore
punk rock roots, adding an element to their music that made them unique and fun to listen
to. Their music became darker and moodier, but it retained that edge that made AFI so
popular back in the day. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
This was the first cd i bought when it first came out and i loved it. i still think afi fukin rocks!!!! thei stuff isn't that hard core but they're awesome ok AFI is a great band. i love AFI. i think its safe to say im a hardcore AFI fan. but this cd, is shit. tracks number the first track, the leaving song pt 2, but home is nowhere, dancing through sunday, and death of seasons are the only good songs. their older stuff was so great, everything u could want from a hardcore punk band of their style. but they are slowly going from punk to...i dont even kno wat to call them anymore. they have punk moments that are signature of them, but some of its just whiny and terrible. they need to go back to their roots. i hear their next album isnt going to be any step back to what they were when they started so all i can say is hope for the best, and a better album. bad Granted this album isnt afi's best... But since its afi i gotta give em props... I gotta say davey is a lyrical genius and i kinda like his new shit!!!! this is a great album in its own right. sure its not remotely punk or hardcore, but the new style suits them very well. they put together some great songs here, including leaving song I and II, bleed black, celluloid dream, girls not grey and more. just becuase they softened up doesnt mean they suck. its an awsome CD dude ur crazy AFI kicked ass with this CD they just changed it up a little. I laugh so much when somebody says old AFI is better than this stuff... what makes singing about cereal wars and wanting to get a pathetic mohawk better than songs like death of seasons and dancing through sunday? THe early AFI stuff was predictable, cliche punk and this stuff is just a great step into the next level. You can't write the same fucking songs forever man. Black Sails will still always be my favorite album though. I just love how people are so threatened when a band changes or becomes successful. Hey asshole who wrote those millions of "horrible" lines: Go poke your eyeballs out and rot in shit. I just gave this crap a 1 cause i cant give it less, this guys used to be a great hardcore punk band, now they are like Marylin Manson's Gay little brothers (With all due respect to gay people) I Dont agree with the review, I think AFI founds their tue sound on this album, Although , I think Black Sails and The Art.... are great , This album is their best. Grate songs, grate lyrics, grate riffs. Buy this almbum horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible this cd is described in one word: I feel like I'm coming down to a new low making a post to defend AFI but shit how can you bash this album and be serious about it. These guys have paid their dues, grown as a band and made one of the best damn records of 2003. Go see these guys live and tell me otherwise cause they kick ass. A shade over produced but it comes with the dreamworks territory, so get your heads out of your asses and give credit where credit's due. This coming from a guy that used to despise AFI. this record can really only be discribed in one word "fuckingposergothlosershitandafuckinginsulttogobands" not that i have a problem with homosexuals, but does anyone think that the song "...but home is nowhere" is about being gay? Couple of saves the day songs sound like there about homosexuality also... good album though I think it's the album of the year. That's all! I've been listening to AFI for about 6 years now and they are a great band. I really couldnt give a fuck if they had signed to major label or not. But this album compared to their previous releases is just dissapointing. Why they changed their image really boggles me as well. They have a huge fan base, no need to prove themselves to anyone. Wow... I really enjoyed this cd. Lots of feeling, not at all boring by my standards. I'm constantly listening to it. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes the harder side of punk, but i'm not saying it's punk because it doesn't really fit into a category, but that's why i like it. I dunno, i like the music for the music, not because everyone else likes them or because they're on dreamworks now. Are you sure you got the same cd that i got? This band peaked at BLACK SAILS. It has been shit since then. Fuck MTV. Dreamworks produced something decent here. The sound was a little choppy and fuzzy at times but the overall experience was not entirely unenjoyable. There was some predictable dialogue and the dog, of course, bit someone on the butt a few times. There was too much stuff about empowering women and not enough action. But there were still some neat moments, like the huge sea-beast that tore the ship up. The worst was the cheesy one-liners: "Who's bad? SinBAD." Not worth the $6, but would be worth sneaking in the back for. worst album i've heard in my life. terrible, terrible, terrible. HAHAH!!! Also, everyone who says they "sold out" They were on Nitro, Dexter from Nitro suggested AFI go to a Major label as they have out grown the Nitro labels resources, who cares what label your on as long as the music is good. Well, im not huge on the old AFI im a sunsets on listener - there last effort beats this one in my opinion, this album has some great songs and is worth buying, but myself was left wondering what they are doing on some of the songs, almost like they were a little to over produced, something was just missing from this album, though again there are some very very strong tracks This album is a complete pile of shit. I've never been a fan of this shit-ass, over-rated so-called "band", but with a new album, always comes a new chance. And since i've heard alot of good things about it (obviously from "hardcore" AFI fans who KNOW this album blows, but won't admit it, cuz then Davey won't suck their dick). My little sister (who is 13, and her favorite band is New Found Glory, with GOod Charlotte coming in 2nd) bought this cd, so i listened to it. Then i was scratching my head. Listened to it again, and again, and again. I'm sorry people, but i gave this shit a chance. Four listens, and instead of this thing growing on me, which is what i was told would happen, i just hated this band more and more. How the fuck is this CD so good??? Answer that without your "AFI are gods" bullshit. This band sucks, this album is definitely their worst, and i hope California rots. i woudl of gave this cd a 0 but it wont let me. what happened to this great band? MTV reeled them in i bet. they suck. just listening to their old stuff makes me wonder why im listening to them I frankly love this cd. I love all of the Afi albums to be even franker. To those who say their punk shut up. Punk is yes a genre of music but i hate how dozens of bands that have great but different sounds are all lumped together as punk. This album is a fucking work of art. Thx AFI, but I liked the Misfits the first time. They've become what they always wanted to be, a misfits tribute band. gg k thx. I think this album is a good offering from a good band. Its not the pinacle of new rock for the year 2003 but I feel I didn't waist my money. I like the guitar solo for Dancing through Sunday and the lyrics for Death of Seasons are cool (the title doesn't fit I guess) but thats not important, or is it? Anyway the techno is ludacris and if it was for experimentation they need to stop. I miss the over accent at the begining of every word but the singing is good. Other than that nothing really stands out except the poetry and that struck me as weird but I liked it. Another cd for my collection. By the way while all those people are talking about range of vocals, if range is what you want listen to Cradle of Filth. Dani Filth has a range that will blow all the other singers out of the water. Besides hardcore keeps going more metal everyday. Now read, agree or disagree, degrade my comments (especially the mention of Cradle of Filth cause they are evil, cliche,...etc.) and have a lovely life....or not whatever makes you happy. this cd fuking RULES WOW this is by far the best AFI album they have a lot of talent! bleed black and silver and cold bad songs?? man you are a fucking cocksucker hahaha stupid gay I guess switching to a major label gets you in rolling stone as one of the "new" up-and-coming artists...NEW??? I like the band but disappointed by their willingness to sell out to the masses. I completely disagree. This is a very good cd, and it by far passed my expectations. AFI has progressed A LOT to be able to create this CD. I don't get where some get off calling these songs boring. Especially with songs like: Wow, i like it. I would just like to give thanks to AFI,and big thanks to Butch Vig. "But you act like if its not a punk rock record its not good in your rant. Where does it say this was a punk rock record? The more I listen to this the more I like it... it takes a few cause it's quite a surprise. Dear God, I'd forgotten about "Cereal Wars". Worst Hardcore Song Ever. THIS deserves comment of the month: well....hmmmmm . hahaha i think that you pretty much dont have a clue on how fucking brlliant this cd is . sing the sorrow has lived up to its reputation and is by far the best afi cd to date.the fact of afi now being on a major doesnt mean shit about the band selling out , for fuck sake you should really take a look at yourself and stop being so fucking judgemental on this band .with the help of dreamworks afi have put forth an album of pure genius one ithink theyve probably wanted to do for a long time. songs like silver and cold , opening track miseria cantare and the leaving song pt 2 are absolutely mindblowing and i give props to how good davey and the lads have come since their last effort 'the art of drowning '.this cd sent shivers up my spine and will do so everytime i listen to it .fucking awesome production and well jade your unbelievable !!what can i say , for those fucking afi fans still hanging onto the afi of old , wake the fuck up this cd blows all away , truly amazing .go get it now you may not like this album, but it is certainly not "typical drive-thru" or predictable. Im not a big fan of the cd, but when I put it in I was surprised as hell, point is its very UNPREDICTABLE. The album is great. All you big baby's need to fuck off. This isn't the fucking Cereal Wars. It's called progression, and all you old skool fans need to get some of it. Or maybe your just too punk. Ok, I haven't bought this CD yet because I had a choice between grabbing this or the new Caddies, and I stand by my decision. I just wanted to say that I looked at the back, and it appears that they took a corner from the Black Sails cover and put it in a red circle. Now I'm not one to judge an album by its cover, but this strikes me as a wee bit lazy. I mean, c'mon guys, you're on a major now, you can use some new artwork. I have no opinion about the CD, I heard Girl's Not Grey and thought it sucked the chrome off a trailer hitch, but I didn't like Sorrow when it was previewed either, but now I love the Process of Belief, so who knows? I like Choke but not Coheed and Cambria, it's odd because they both have singers with really high pitched vocals. Ok, this is a bunch of shit! I just heard the album for the first time. I might like it, IF I WAS A FAN OF TOP 40 RADIO. I thought I was listening to fucking likin park. I am so pissed OFF. Oh, for the good old days of two chords alternating with Davey Havok screaming through a megaphone. What a bunch of bitches. And don't give me a bunch of shit about how their music is evolving, that shit just MUTATED. Oh, sorry bout that, I thought you were being a sarcastic dick. Didnt mean to be mean. Claudio's voice takes getting used to. But even if you dont like it, on a technical level, his voice is absolutely incredible. And avenged sevenfolds singer doesnt sing in key. At all. And that annoys me. But neither does Dustin in Thrice and I love them, so I guess to each his own. Compared to other AFI albums, this album isn't even worth standing in the shadow of their past releases. It's a good album, but not "Black Sails" or "Answer That..." good. Matt hits notes that Davey doesn't it's that simple. I still like AFI and I still think Davey is a good singer. But I don't understand the Coheed and Cambria thing, that guys voice is just downright obnoxious. You obviously know jack shit about singing. I being a singer can recognize this. Sorry if you cant. And i didnt mean to mispell Danzig twice. Just a odd coincedence. Matt from Avenged Sevenfold has a better range than Davey. The best word that can be used to describe this album is mediocre. Although there are some very good songs (i.e Death of Seasons), most of the album sounds like recycled Drive-Thou trash. The lyrics are unispirational at best, and there is almost a complete abscense of electrifying guitar solos. I have heard and read of people comparing this band to Strung Out. I just don't see it. Let's all cross our fingers that Thrice's major label debut isn't as plagued by predictablity and mediocracy as this album is. But you act like if its not a punk rock record its not good in your rant. Where does it say this was a punk rock record? And for all of you nay-sayers, Davey can outsing just about any singer to date (excluding Claudio from Coheed and Cambria who is absolutely unbelievable) and he has a much better range then Danzing who sings every song the exact same way constantly. Its funny how the misfits can write the stupidest most cliched songs ever and get worshipped, and when AFI borrows a little bit of there look and builds on that style they get bashed. And Danzig the solo artist is a piece of shit. AFI is far better then The Misfits AND ESPECIALLY Danzing in every way imaginable.All your blind worship for these former punk rock icons are sickening. Again, if you dont like AFI thats cool. but theres no need to bash them for no reason.And for the record, Davey farting in a mic would sound a fuck of a lot smarter then most of you. you can tlak all you'd like about how AFI has "lost their edge" but listen the fuck up. THEY NEVER HAD ANY!!!! they have AWLAYS fucking sucked. Davy Havoc is the newest breed of Rockstar This band makes me want to vomit on myself i really dont understand all the misfits and Danzig comparisons. now...i havent really heard many of the newer Danzig solo albums, but i know he never used a horrible high pitched squeal on any misfits or samhain records. how could anyone ever compare davy havoc and danzig? just b/c davy jocks him, doesnt mean they sound anything remotely similar. I just purchased this and so far I'm glad it was only $8. I have very mixed feelings about this. AFI has definitely lost a lot of its edge and intensity...this just sounds so overly polished, even uninspired in certain aspects. ' True AFI fans will appreciate the time and effort put into this record. The music is much the same, but I think better, than what's been done before. So fucking there. ' I liked AFI a lot better when they were called "The Misfits" True AFI fans will appreciate the time and effort put into this record. The music is much the same, but I think better, than what's been done before. So fucking there. I always thought Davey Havok sounded like a pre-pubecent DANZIG. Its not a bad thing thats just what I thought. Its kind of nice to hear him sing and not just scream, eventhough thats cool too, just noy all the time. Hey everyone, listen to the cd more than once... It gets better. I completely disagree. This is a very good cd, and it by far passed my expectations. AFI has progressed A LOT to be able to create this CD. I don't get where some get off calling these songs boring. Especially with songs like: the only thing this album has going for it is the album title. When i first heard these songs i was singing the sorrow too. the sorrow of how much my ears were in pain for having to listen to this shit. AFI is the worst fucking band ever. I really think those letters stand for "ALL FUCKING IMPAIRED" cuz none of those guys have gotten the point over their all too long careers that they have no idea how to make good music. let alone music at all. "i cant stand them, the talk about how every song is so meaningful. like they could never put out a bad record. i wonder what the fans would think if davey made a record of him farting into the microphone. i wonder how they'd all react. they'd probably get a bunch of comments like "it's the most out there thing ever" and "davey is just so unbelievably awesome with his new cd."" American Nothing Rocks! Screw yourself! "My Girlfriend likes AFI now. But my sister digged them back in the Black Sails days... that makes my sister cooler than my girlfriend. Cause she liked them when they weren't super huge like they are now. That makes her cooler. Cause she liked them back in the day. Cooler. Day. I am the author of this article. My Girlfriend likes AFI now. But my sister digged them back in the Black Sails days... that makes my sister cooler than my girlfriend. Cause she liked them when they weren't super huge like they are now. That makes her cooler. Cause she liked them back in the day. Cooler. Day. ' It’s almost embarrassing to listen to... ' My Girlfriend likes AFI now. But my sister digged them back in the Black Sails days... that makes my sister cooler than my girlfriend. Cause she liked them when they weren't super huge like they are now. That makes her cooler. Cause she liked them back in the day. Cooler. Day. Marilyn Manson...I got the opportunity to talk to Marilyn Manson at a CMJ festival once and the only thing I could think of to ask him was "What the fuck is the matter with you?!" i read this review yesturday and went and bought the cd. i wanted to see if it was really that bad.well, i think its a great cd. ive been a AFI fan for years,but i think this cd is great. i disagree with most of what you said. i like the song "Girls Not Grey" is one of the best songs one the cd. but thats just what i think. now everyone may continue to tell me how im a loser for thinking this,but i cant help my opinion. I dont like this album but: I bet Davey gives some fucked up head. "Onetruebill, if it's for Understand? or All Rise and it isn't AT LEAST 4.5 stars, you are smoking crack. Lets hear it. Joeg, I second it." Davey sounds like Taylor Hanson on this album. Sweet.By the way, if you havent heard the first track on this album, you are missing out, IT IS THE WORST SONG EVER. -Kevin GreenVandal...if you had been paying attention you would have noticed that I said that if you were looking for a punk rock album, then I'm sorry to say that there are only about 5 minutes of punk rock on it. And just so you guys don't think I'm singling AFI out for mockery. What I was saying below is not bashing punk. Punk is probably the style of music i listen to the most. But I listen to other things as well. And rating a album by "hoe pussy he sounds" and how "not punk this is, it has about 5 seconds of punk rock on it" is fuckin retarted. If you dont like AFI fine! Dont like them! But dont be a idiot about it. And music is a very personal thing to me (as it probably is to you) so when I see senseless bashing of a band, I get angry. Theres nothing wrong with this album in my opinion, theres just somehting wrong with most of the kids listening to it. FuckArmageddon77 has the best rants since twat. I remember Davey saying in AP: "do what's popular now? we'd NEVER do that!" Another thing I think is really funny is people who get really defensive or in a huff because you think their music sucks. Unless I am mistaken, no one posting on this site is actually in the band (and if they are then that's even more lame and they deserve mockery). So why are you taking it so personally? anyone else notice these two things on this album? hahahaha... to reiterate what some have already posted: i disagree with the position of the reviewer on this one. i had written a review for this album about a month ago, but it hasn't made it on the site yet (i don't know if it will), but in that i stated what a huge improvement this was over their other albums. they've finally found a mold they can fit into comfortably without mocking the misfits constantly, and that's grounds for appreciation. Davey needs to get laid and drink a beer. That's why he's so sad. I'd be too if I'd gone 26 years without either of those things. on a positive note, i found a nickle! I SEE SOOO MANY COMMENTS FROM NARROW MINDED PEOPLE, WHO ACCUSE ANYTHING THAT SWAYS FROM THE STRICK PUNK ROCK RULE BOOK, AS BEING SHIT. WELL I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. i have mates who like hip hop and even some who are treading on thin ice, that "dont really listen to music (i like everything)" type of people. Actually Now the World and Reiver's sucked shit and made me extremely worried about this album. Everything turned out great though, this is an awesome release. Reviews like this make my opinion of punknews.org's competency severely dwindle, however. I don't think I'll be reading here anymore. a) the review sucks. Now The World and Reiver's are good songs. I dont know what the fuck he's talking about. damn. I wish this site would actually make an effort to have well written, well structured reviews. so hit and miss. hit and miss. Who the hell is this reviewer? Whoever it is, they constantly contradict themselves throughout their entire review. "AFI is totally dissappointing, but this track rocks." You can't do that. You have to pick an opinion and support it. Punknews.org, please pick more competent reviewers. awful review. great album. a further expansion upon what the band has been doing. i love it. They did a great job making an album that was unique, you can tell because half the people here hate it, and the other half love it... every musician in the band has improved vastly... now its not punk? who fucking cares. oh yeah, and a 10 for the insincere dave comments. AFI continues to try to write deep and bleak lyrics, as they have since Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes. However, while Shut Your Mouth... seemed to me to be truly heartfelt, something about the whole gothic thing always struck me as being insincere, just more overt Danzig references. Black Sails in the Sunset still had some powerful songs, as did Art of Drowning, but the lyrics continued to get worse and worse. On this album, they are totally disjointed, I think Davey just stole lines from all the gothic poetry his fans most likely mail him. Fair enough, at least the music should be catchy AFI goodness? No, it too suffers from disjointedness. From screaming to wimpy whispering, found sounds added into the album, none of the songs were really memorable to me. This reminds me more of Garbage's self titled than any punk album I've ever heard. Really, I think if they can simplify and speed up these songs live it would be good, but the point of this long winded rant is that although I really like AFI's old stuff, this sounds like a really average "alternative rock" record. If AFI's trying to start a musical revolution, they're about 10 years too late. Now that it's not 93 though I prefer punk to alternative, so I'll probably just give this to someone who "appreciates" all the extraneous production crap as "atmosphere", and the mediocre gothic poetry as "depth". I'll keep listening to old AFI, but I'm downloading their next album before I consider buying it. I love A.F.I. with all my heart and soul, and while a couple of the songs on here do kick ass, most of the time I just wind up asking myself, what the fuck are they doing? Musically, A.F.I. has always been driven by Hunter's fast driving bass style in the same way Rancid is driven by Matt Freeman's signature bass. Here the bass is just an afterthought. The vocals are much sissier than usual, and while Davey has a great vocal range and sings really well even it does sound girlish, the music behind him is just sissier too. What happened to the driving punk riffs behind songs like Sacrifice Theory? Even the song Days Of The Pheonix has some real power behind it. This whole album is just dissapointing when compared to the masterpiece that was Black Sails. But I still won't cry too much or get too worried about it? Do you know why? The first single Girl's Not Grey is terrible by A.F.I. standards, but it's going to consistently be one of the best songs on modern rock radio for the sole reason that every thing else on the radio sucks A LOT more. I'd rather listen to any form of A.F.I. on the radio that have to listen to fucking Nickelback. So before you start crying sell out, just keep in mind that they are making mainstream rock better....but only marginally. maybe if every chorus didn't have every member of the band yell something i'd like this. Im pretty sure it used to be Asking For It right before it was A Fire Inside. One other thing, to the people insulting whoever doesn't like this, calling them childish or whatnot, do you really think you're going to sway their opinion this way? I didn't like this CD much, I didn't like Art of Drowning that much either and since this was in the same vein... I think this band declined after the A Fire Inside EP, but thats just me. |
