Date: June 22nd & 23rd 2006

AFI has taken over the Roseland Ballroom for two nights in a row and Midtown Manhattan has never seen this large an assortment of kids wearing various shades of black and sporting this many studded accessories (some of it attached to their faces) and tattoos. Well, to be fair, not since the last time AFI was in town.

Kicking off the first night with ‘Prelude 12/21′, the opener from their new album, ‘Decemberunderground’, the band whip up a storm that leaves everyone drenched. New offerings, ‘The Killing Lights’ and single-to-be ‘Love Like Winter’, are sung back at vocalist, Davey Havok, as loudly as old favourites: ‘A Single Second’ and ‘Days of the Phoenix’. And the stage show is frenetic, not only are the lights dancing madly, but the whole band is frantically rushing around the stage, Jade Puget and Hunter Burgan leaping and propelling themselves across the stage and back. It’s a wonder no one loses an eye from the wildly swung guitar necks. Though Adam Carson cannot move from behind his drum kit, he’s a mass of flailing limbs regardless. ‘This Time Imperfect’ brings some calm to the set, the crowd’s voice rising to overpower the soft vocals. All the hits like ‘Silver and Cold’ and ‘Miss Murder’ get a chance to shine, too, and they certainly prove themselves worthy, but it is the sum of the rarer and newer material that really makes the show exciting. As a tradition, ‘God Called in Sick Today’ is held off for last, Havok rising triumphantly in the midst of the pit, eager hands holding him up.

Slightly bruised and sore and very tired, though happily so, Rocklouder makes our way to the venue for another crazy show. To the surprise and delight of many, the second night opens with ‘Miseria Cantare’ – the old opener during the ‘Sing the Sorrow’ days. And that’s not all that’ll be different this night; as Havok succinctly puts it: “We’re changing things up tonight, and it won’t be just my eyeshadow”. And the whole band is wearing luminescent white, to boot!

With its share of hardcore dancing, ‘The Leaving Song Pt. II’ begins and so does a new night’s frenzy. On the heels of the reasonably toned down ‘Ever and a Day’, the band rip through ‘Bleed Black’ and ‘Summer Shudder’ – the almost-pop, often teased with, but never quite played, track. Tonight’s blast from the past comes in the form of ‘The Despair Factor’ and it is ‘Morningstar’ that soothes the violent pit and even causes some tears to flow, but doesn’t seem to stop the never ending supply of crowd surfers. Deviating from the program, the audience is led in an organized sing along of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Smith Puget, the band’s touring managed and Jade Puget’s brother. Back on course and wrenching in its execution, ‘Death of Seasons’ leads on. Continuing to stay true to their word, it’s ‘Totalimmortal’ that gets the closing privilege tonight and it goes down an absolute scorcher.

No wonder they named this quick race around the US the ‘Summer Shudder’ tour.

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Gallery: AFI – June 22nd 2006

Previously published on Rocklouder.

Released: June 6th 2006

It took two years for AFI to write and record this, their seventh album, and follow-up to ‘Sing The Sorrow’, and ‘Decemberunderground’ shows the deep thoughtfulness and thematic cohesiveness that went in to making it. It may even be a little too thought out, trailing behind it an elaborate mystery left over from the ‘…Sorrow’ days involving the number 37, rabbits, and phone numbers. It’s a bit of a muddle.

Our story begins with ‘Prelude 12/21′, the first day of Winter, and it’s as chilly as you’d like: full of chimes, precise beats, and steady vocals. ‘Affliction’, on the other hand, is a fiery one, raw and emotional. It may have something to do with the rawness with which Davey Havok is spitting out the lyrics at us; and what lyrics they are, too! ‘Kiss And Control’ boasts lines that read like poetry (“part your lips a bit more/i’ll swallow your fear/I will show you how all the bite marks impress a need to be here”).

‘Miss Murder’, the first single, pales in comparison to some of these, but it is nonetheless worthy, and gives the album some of its musical pop tones. ‘Summer Shudder’ along with ‘Love Like Winter’ (see a trend?) finally show the influences many 80s UK bands, including The Cure, Depeche Mode, and even U2 was mentioned, have on the band. ‘The Interview’ has an epic feel to it, languid and melancholy. But the star is ‘Endlessly, She Said’, playing word games – “I will wait for you/she said endlessly/I will wait for you/so spoke misery” – and mixing the tenderness and violence seen on previous tracks to create something heartbreaking.

Time to press repeat!

Previously published on Rocklouder.