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Rating:
I've read in various reviews how this album is even considered a masterpiece of punk, I don't see anything transcendent, but let's analyze the situation.
Let's start by saying that artistically the group is made up of Davey Havok on vocals, Jade Puget on guitar, Hunter Burgan on bass, and Adam Carson on drums.
A.F.I. (A Fire Inside) is an unusual band in the modern punk-hardcore scene as they take little from California punk bands like NOFX, Rancid, and No Use For A Name, etc. Rather, they fuse the furious rhythms typical of hardcore with gothic and dark atmospheres, all enhanced by the vocal performance of the singer who alternates clean vocals with screamo, creating a sound all their own. The sound in part may remind one of the Misfits, of whom they have also covered a famous song "Halloween".
The quartet has evolved their style over the years, starting with a very fast and direct sound in the beginning, and in recent years moved closer to gothic atmospheres. The following disc released in 2003 also marks the transition of the group from the independent label Nitro (managed by Mr. Dexter Holland of Offspring) to the major Universal. The production is entrusted to Jerry Finn (Blink-182) and Butch Vig (famous producer of Nirvana's success "Nevermind").
Listening to "Sing The Sorrow" (the group's seventh studio album, successor to "The Art of Drowning") you hear something special that changes from song to song. The album consists of 12 tracks including an initial intro with a decadent atmosphere alternating with screams. Here punk, rock, hardcore, dark, and gothic merge, creating something different that stands out just enough from other groups, although the final result will be a mix of highs and lows. In detail, it's a varied album, although it has flaws that need to be considered.
In my opinion, among the best we find the hardcore power of "Dancing through Sunday" (great central solo) and the melodic hardcore of "Paper Airplane". Also noteworthy are "Leaving Song pt1", an acoustic song of great impact, and the ballad "Silver and Cold". The single "Girls Not Grey" is a typical classic punk rock song enriched by choirs that stands out within the album for the sunny atmosphere typical of the Californian sound, which contrasts with the dark and gloomy atmospheres of the rest of the album, but ends up being bland and predictable.
Similar discourse for "Death of Season", which while powerful, is a mix that ends up being tasteless with the singer screaming to excess, and even violins come in towards the end. "The Great Disappointment" is one of the various slow rock songs, perhaps a bit penalized by its excessive length but still manages to relax. "Leaving Song pt2" continues the theme of the first part but here guitars and drums come into play.
Instead, applause goes to the bonus tracks present, namely the new school hardcore of "Sinesthesia" which is truly excellent; I honestly don't understand why it wasn't included in the tracklist with the others instead of being released as a B-side since it's perhaps the best episode of the disc, and the decent gothic-flavored rock of "This Time Imperfect". The lyrics, in line with the gothic tradition, are dark and unsettling, filled with hidden meanings that convey a sense of misery and suffering. It's a shame the CD loses itself a bit with songs that are too slow and have little punk, leaning too much towards rock.
Despite some songs, the rating generally represents a CD that definitely isn't to be discarded but should have been developed and curated from the perspective of power and dynamism and instead comes off as too confusing a record where the band gets lost among too many influences often poorly concealed. Sure, there are outbursts, but in my opinion, the screamo-style singing often seems out of place, and the same goes for the middle parts of the various songs basked in excess and often rhythmically too static. In my opinion, given the content, it may satisfy fans of gothic rock more than those of punk hc in general.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a band different from the usual standards within the genre and appreciate the Misfits, you might like them; if you love the classic hc sound of bands like Pennywise and Bad Religion, forget about this album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Miseria Cantare: The Beginning (02:58)
Love your hate, your faith lost.
You are now one of us.
Love your hate, your faith lost.
You are now one of us.
Nothing, from nowhere, I'm no one at all.
Radiate. Recognize one silent call as we all form one dark flame.
Incinerate.
Nothing, from nowhere I'm no one at all.
Radiate. Recognize one silent call as we all form one dark flame.
As we all form one dark flame.
As we all...
Love your hate, your faith lost.
You are now one of us.
Love your hate, your faith lost.
You are now one of us.
02 The Leaving Song, Part II (03:31)
Don't waste your touch, you won't feel anything
Or were you sent to save me?
I've thought too much, you won't find anything...
Worthy of redeeming
Yo he estado aquí muchas veces antes y regreso
To... break down, and cease all feeling
Burn now, what once was breathing
Reach out, and you may take my heart away
Imperfect cry, and scream in ecstasy
So what befalls the flawless?
Look what I've built (Please don't do this),
It shines so beautifully (Why won't you look at me?)
Now watch as it destroys me
Y regreso aquí otra vez y comienzo
To... break down, and cease all feeling
Burn now, what once was breathing
Reach out, and you may take my heart away
Break down, and cease all feeling
Burn now, what once was breathing
Reach out, and you may take my heart away
I left it all behind, and never said goodbye
I left it all behind, and never said goodbye
I left it all behind, and never said goodbye
I left it all to die
I saw its birth, I watched it grow
I felt it change me
I took the life, I ate it slow
Now it consumes me
I... break down, and cease all feeling
Burn now, what once was breathing
Reach out, and you may take my heart away
Break down, and cease all feeling
Burn now, what once was breathing
Reach out, and you may take my heart away
... Heart away
03 Bleed Black (04:15)
Oh
I am exploring the inside, I find it desolate
I do implore these confines, now, as they penetrate, recreate me
I'm hovering throughout time, I crumble in these days
I crumble, I cannot, I cannot find reflection in these days
(If you listen) Listen, listen
(Listen close) Beat by beat
(You can hear when the heart stops) I saved the pieces
(When it broke) And ground them all to dust
I am destroyed by the inside, I disassociate
Hope to destroy the outside, it will alleviate, elevate me
Like water flowing into lungs, I'm flowing through these days
Like morphine cuts through through deadened veins, I'm numbing in these days
So...
(If you listen) Listen, listen
(Listen close) Beat by beat
(You can hear when the heart stops) I saved the pieces
(When it broke) And ground them all to dust
I know what died that night, it can never be brought back to life
Once again, I know
[x2]
I know I died that night and I'll never be brought back to life
Once again, I know
[x2]
(If you listen) Listen, listen
(Listen close) Beat by beat
(You can hear when the heart stops) I saved the pieces
(When it broke) And ground them all to dust
So...
(If you listen) Listen, listen
(Listen close) It dies beat by beat
(You can hear when the heart stops) I saved the pieces
(When it broke) And ground them all to dust
04 Silver and Cold (04:11)
I, I came here by day,
but I left here in darkness
and found you, found you on the way.
But now, it is silver and silent.
It is silver and cold.
You in somber resplendence,
I hold...
Your sins into me,
oh, my beautiful one.
Your sins into me.
As a rapturous voice escapes
I will tremble a prayer
and I'll beg for forgiveness.
Your sins into me,
Your sins into me
oh, my beautiful one.
Light, like the flutter of wings,
feel your hollow voice rushing
into me as you're longing to sing.
So I,I will paint you in silver.
I will wrap you in cold.
I will lift up your voice as I sink.
Your sins into me,
oh, my beautiful one, now
Your sins into me.
As a rapturous voice escapes
I will tremble a prayer
and I'll beg for forgiveness.
Your sins into me,
Your sins into me
Cold in life's throes.
I'll fall asleep for you.
Cold in life's throes.
I only ask you turn away.
Cold in life's throes.
I'll fall asleep for you.
Cold in life's throes
I only ask you turn
as you seep into me,
oh, my beautiful one, now...
Your sins into me,
oh, my beautiful one.
Your sins into me.
As a rapturous voice escapes
I will tremble a prayer
and I'll beg for forgiveness.
Your sins into me,
Your sins into me
Your sins into me,
oh, my beautiful one, now
Your sins into me.
As a rapturous voice escapes
I will tremble a prayer
and I'll beg for forgiveness.
Your sins into me,
Your sins into...
Your sins into me
your sins in to me,
Oh my beautiful one!
05 Dancing Through Sunday (02:26)
Will you join me in this dance, this dance of misery
Cradled in imposs... impossibility?
Swooning, I am swept away
Swept off my feet, with step by step by step
We take the lead as drop by drop, we start... to bleed
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
(Oh, we dance in misery)
All lost in the arms of our misery, oh
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
Swept off our feet by our misery, we're swept into the shadows
Will you lend yourself to beauty that will horrify?
Let me hide within your black, the still inside your eyes
Deafened, caught within a cry
So sensual, as step by step by step, I seperate
As breath to breath, as I... suffocate
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
(Oh, we dance in misery)
All lost in the arms of our misery, oh
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
Swept off our feet by our misery, we're swept into the shadows
So who will follow? Who is the lead?
I know I'll leave a stain, because I bleed
As we dance, we all dance
We all... have no chance in this horrid romance
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
(Oh, we dance in misery)
All lost in the arms of our misery, oh
(Oh, we dance in misery)
And we dance on, and we dance on
Swept off our feet by our misery, we're swept into the shadows
Swept off our feet by our misery, we're swept into the shadows
06 Girl's Not Grey (03:10)
I'll lay me down tonight
Much further down
Swim in the calm tonight
This art does drown
(What follows) me as the whitest lace of light
(Will swallow whole) just begs to be imbrued?
(What follows) has lead me to this place
where I belong, with all erased
What follows
All insects sing tonight
Their cumber sound
I'd send God's grace tonight
Could it be found?
(What follows) me as the whitest lace of light
(Will swallow whole) just begs to be imbrued?
(What follows) has lead me to this place
where I belong, with all erased
I'll lay me down tonight
Much further down
Watch stars go out tonight
On sinking ground
I'll lay me down, I'll lay me down
(What follows) me as the whitest lace of light
(Will swallow whole) just begs to be imbrued?
(What follows) has lead me to this place
where I belong, with all erased
What follows will swallow whole
What follows will swallow whole
07 Death of Seasons (03:59)
Of late, it's harder just to go outside
To leave this deadspace with hatred, so alive
Writhing with sickness, thrown into banality, I decay
Killed by the weakness, but forced to return, turn it off
I watch the stars as they fall from the sky
I held a fallen star and it wept for me, dying
I feel the fallen stars encircle me now, as they cry
Out there so quickly grows malignant tribes
Posthuman extinction excels unrecognized
Feeling surrounded, so bored with mortality, I decay
All of this hatred is fucking real, turn it on... yeah
I watch the stars as they fall from the sky
I held a fallen star and it wept for me, dying
I feel the fallen stars encircle me now, as they cry
It won't be all right despite what they say
Just watch the stars tonight as they, as they disappear, disintegrate
And I disintegrate 'cause this hate is fucking real
And I hope to shade the world as stars go out and I disintegrate
(It won't be all right
Despite what they say
Just look to the sky
As stars go out...)
08 The Great Disappointment (05:26)
I can remember a place I used to go
Chrysanthemums of white, they seemed so beautiful
I can remember, I searched for the amaranth
I'd shut my eyes... to see
Oh, how I smiled then, so near the cherished ones
I knew they would appear... saw not a single one
Oh, how I smiled then, waiting so patiently
I'd make a wish... and bleed
While I waited I was wasting away
While I waited I was wasting away
I can remember... dreamt them so vividly
Soft creatures draped in white, light kisses gracing me
I can remember when I first realized
Dreams were the only place to see them
While I waited I was wasting away
While I waited I was wasting away
While I waited I was wasting away
Hope was wasting away
Faith was wasting away
I was wasting away
I never, never wanted this
I always wanted to believe
I never, never wanted this
How could I have become?
I never, never wanted this
But from the start I'd been deceived
I never, never wanted this
How could I have become?
I never, never wanted this
I always wanted to believe
I never, never wanted this
I never, never wanted this
But from the start I'd been deceived
I never, never wanted this
Inside a crumbling effigy
But you promised
So dies all innocence
But you promised me
While I waited I was wasting away
While I waited I was wasting away
While I waited I was wasting away
Hope was wasting away
Faith was wasting away
I was wasting away
09 Paper Airplanes (makeshift wings) (03:57)
Raise high monolithic statues so fragile as they fall
I am ever enthralled
Gaze, lie and smirk in time, your arrogance will suit you well
'Til fashion is dispelled
As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
Without habitation, you'll never find a soul inside
No life, but nothing's died
No lights, but quite the show (Just as long as no one ever knows
All motion is pantomime)
As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling
I'd stop it, had you a heart
I'd stop it, had you a heart
From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn
10 This Celluloid Dream (04:11)
Calling tears from deep inside, oh, you're so exquisite
And in the mirror, all midnight eyes
Oh, if I could remain, but it's just a visit
All midnight eyes read "vacancy"
Twisted, twisting
To the lovely dancing lights, I begged, "May I cut in?"
But they never stopped playing "their song"
Of a joyous song they sing, I've heard whispers
On a freezing note, I resonate
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist... twisting me
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
In the glitter, in the dark, sunk into velvet
Praying this will never end
In the shadow of a star, in static pallor
I realized I never began
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist... twisting me
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey... grey... twisting me
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
You land as lightly as the new snow, and melt away
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt
13 Synesthesia (03:31)
Heartbreak, incarnate, I'm nothing if not your memories
Heartbreak, please let me be your joy and your pain
Someday, I will be...
I'll be those common words spoken uniquely
Because I may, will forever be floating as you feel.
Where all remaining failed
Please let me haunt as scent on your pillow
Letters of past are tear stained and wrinkled
Please let me haunt as scent on your pillow
Letters of past are tear stained and wrinkled
(Just say...) Say you will for me (for me)
Invite me to your memory
(Just sing...) Sing again for me (for me)
That long forgotten song
Heartbreak, incarnate, I'm nothing if not your memories
Heartbreak, please let me be your joy and your pain
Someday, I will be...
I'll be that waking warmth from a fading dream
Because I will, I may at best
Float as you feel
Please let me haunt as scent on your pillow
Letters of past look distant and wrinkled
Please let me haunt as scent on your pillow
Letters of past look distant and wrinkled
(Just say...) Say you will for me (for me)
Invite me to your memory
(Just sing...) Sing again for me (for me)
That long forgotten song
Let me be all the words
Let me be all the words
Let me be all the words
Let me be all the words
Let me feel the words echo in comfort
Let me be all the words that you'd unsay
Let me feel the words echo in comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort
Let me be all the words that you'd unsay, unsay, unsay, unsay
Let me be all the words echoing comfort
Let me be all the words that you'd unsay
Let me be all the words echoing comfort, comfort... comfort
Let me be all the words that you'd unsay, unsay, unsay, unsay
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Other reviews
By 2+2=5
The typical fervor of post-hardcore... perfectly melds with purely punk cues in a reinterpretation that makes of an exaggerated emotionality and a completely sincere expressive ability an indisputable strength.
The maturity reached by the combo is evident... the frontman, truly giving goosebumps in some passages.
