AFI - The Art of Drowning

Media:	Audio CD
Record label:	Nitro Records
Release date:	26 September, 2000
List price:	~~$15.98~~
Our price:	$12.99 that is 19% off!

The Art of Drowning

Average rating: Stars

surprised the heck outta me

i bought this CD only listening to one song on here, and it surprised me so bad it scared me on how much i liked it,

pure raw agression throughout the songs is the high point of the CD, some songs are under 2 minutes long but go so fast you'll think you were jumpin up and down for 6 minutes,

also i love the artork to this album, espicially the cute little devil guy on the disk lol

im not too deep into this scene of music, but this is a band that sticks out to me and i appreciate them for what they've done

The Art of Drowning - AFI

"I remember when..."

Around the end of October 2001 I ordered this CD off the Nitro site, AFI was the Band of the Month and I got this album with an AFI shirt, patch, a few AFI stickers, and some random stickers of other Nitro bands. I was new to AFI and figured "I like the few songs I've heard, this package is only $20, what do I have to lose?" I came home from school one day to see a brown package in front of my door, I frantically open it, try on the shirt, and pop the CD in. An obsessive love is formed. This album is/was the Good Stuff to say the least. From the intro "Initiation" to the hidden track "Battled" this album's got everything ya need. It's got the fast paced, classic AFI style, and then it's got the slower, darker stuff -which hinted towards "Sing the Sorrow" though none of us were probably aware of it at the time. As good as this is though, it's not better than their first three albums, but it's the best of the "new" AFI, so far at least. The best 3 songs on this album are "The Despair Factor", "Sacrifice Theory", and of course, "The Days of the Phoenix". If you're one of the "Sing the Sorrow" fans and have yet to get another AFI album, start off with either this or "Black Sails In the Sunset".

JXS

AFI - The Art of Drowning

Classic punk

Let me start this review with a personal note: I'm not a punk. In fact, as a married 26-year old with a white-collar job and two cats, I'm not even close. Most punk, even from the more highly regarded bands in the genre (to say nothing of unspeakably awful poseur bands like Good Charlotte) bores me. Three-chord guitars and monotonous shouts just don't measure up in my book to the awesome power of metal bands like Meshuggah and Neurosis, or the creativity and musicianship of such alternative acts as Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo. Sure, many punk bands (Minor Threat, the Clash, and the Dwarves come to mind) have had their moments, but I'll take (real) metal or alternative any day of the week.

Another personal note: I had heard of (and heard) AFI before they were getting major radio airplay and selling records like hotcakes, thanks to a friend of mine who said I had to check out this great album called The Art of Drowning a few years ago. I gave it a couple listens, thought something along the lines of "eh, these guys ain't bad" and then forgot about it, but a while ago some reviews I read on this site piqued my interest, and I decided to give these guys another shot. Anyway, long story short, I'm glad I decided to look beyond my first impression, because the Art of Drowning is one mighty impressive album. It's not quite London Calling, or Refused's The Shape of Punk To Come (in this writer's opinion the best album released under the punk label, hands down), but it's an effort that shows a considerable amount of range and musicianship in a genre where those two qualities are often sorely lacking.

Mainstream (read: boring) radio stations and publications may be all atwitter over that insipid and overrated new Green Day album (hey, tired leftist dogma! *That's* different!), but this is the real deal-a legitimately professional and diverse punk album. Since the raw, and rather juvenile, punk of their debut Answer That and Stay Fashionable (admittedly, the only other AFI album I've heard), these guys have evolved into a band that's clearly comfortable injecting some musicality and decidedly non-punk influences into their sound. After the brief intro of Initiation, we're treated to a roller coaster ride of complex arrangements (for a punk album, anyway), gargantuan hooks, and fierce call-and-response vocals-and that's just the next track, Lost Souls. There's also a nice little melodic break thrown in for good measure, including one of the few good guitar solos you'll ever hear on a punk album.

The rest of the album only continues in this eclectic fashion. Naturally, there's plenty here to satisfy the hardcore punkers, as about half the songs on this album are blasts of pure speed and aggression, propelled by frenetic drumbeats and the signature in-your-face shouts of Davey Havok. However, they've obviously learned the value of slowing down as well, as tracks like Ever and a Day, Days of the Phoenix, and 6 to 8 see AFI going in a less aggressive direction, featuring big melodies, clean guitar playing, and emotive singing. Davey's singing voice leaves a bit to be desired, but it does provide a nice foil for the vitriolic shouting that's more often on display.

Still, though, these guys are at their best when they're going full speed ahead. The guitars on this album are generally fast and hard enough to induce whiplash, and few bands can write an anthemic, fist-pumping chorus like AFI (Story at Three and Nephilim are probably exhibits A and B, but there have been plenty of others bouncing around my head over the past few days). Even the rhythm section's work is distinctly above average; just check out the tricky rhythms that pop up on Sacrifice Theory and Wester and you'll see what I mean. It's rare to see a punk band inject some melodic elements into their sound without going the "pop-punk" route (a path fraught with danger if ever there was one), but these guys manage to accomplish the trick seamlessly. Ultimately, the Art of Drowning is sure to appeal to just about anyone with even a passing interest in the punk genre.