The probably most political punk band from the USA is back with their eighth studio album. When you think of ANTI FLAG, you immediately think of political and socially critical songs, of political actions in which the band has participated, especially in Europe, and of the commitment to do it right.
It should be clear to everyone that the world has not necessarily changed for the better since Obama, and therefore, one expects nothing less from ANTI FLAG than to put their finger in the wound and pack as much message into a song in three minutes that you wonder why politics doesn't work that simply.
ANTI FLAG starts on “The General Strike“ just as one would expect. The first line of the album is “Destruction, do it again“ and you know, here is ANTI FLAG as you know and love them. The first song comes in an almost fluffy, melodic punk rock guise, which with somewhat tamer guitars could probably even be played on Radio Energy. And that is exactly the point why ANTI FLAG was once with Sony. The catchy, appealing, and technically brilliant sound convinced this major label.
The second song, however, has more roughness and leans towards melodic street punk with a small pinch of Oi. This is surprisingly hard for what one expects from the band.
The third song then comes in a harder melodic punk rock guise, which probably many radio stations would not pick up.
It is the new sound of the band. It is harder, just as melodic as before, and perhaps even a bit more varied than before. It is the sound that the band has chosen as the soundtrack to their still critical lyrics.
If one were to say that the tone makes the music and the hardness must come from somewhere, then I can only say that these are hard times in which we live. Times when promises are broken daily by politics. Times when people are starving. Times when people have to work under undignified conditions and for the lowest wages (even in Western Europe). Times when we continue to destroy the environment. Times when human greed takes precedence over everything and only the facade of democracy remains. Such things come from such things.
ANTI FLAG sings about all of this as always. We must be grateful to the band for not getting tired of singing the same thing over and over again. It is a fight against windmills that wears you down.
For all the people who still have strength and keep their thinking caps on, for all of them, this record is the soundtrack of their lives.
Recommended tracks:
The Ranks of the Masses Rising
Broken Bones
Controlled Opposition (22 seconds, old school hardcore!)
