Longevity. It's what every band hopes to attain. Regardless of genre, style, message, religious affiliations (or lack thereof), or whatever a band does to set themselves apart from others, what every band really wants is to sustain a career making music than working 9-to-5s like the rest of us. In the punk scene, those who are able to acheive longevity are likely the bands with the most to say, or use the best ways to say them. Bad Religion, Rancid, and Social Distortion are bands that come to mind, with Rise Against paving the way for a new wave of punk bands who have managed to stay relevant as the years have rolled on. Yet somehow, with 9 full-length albums released (the earliest dating back to 1996), Anti-Flag has somehow remained a little bit under the radar. Formed in 1988, the band are now into their fourth decade of existence, and their new album The General Strike is out now on SideOneDummy Records, who also released the band's last full-length (2009's The People or the Gun).
The General Strike makes good use of the word "general" throughout the album, serving as a rallying cry for the everyman to stop and take a look around the world around them. Starting in the traditional punk method of a 22-second song that blasts out of your headphones or speakers, which Anti-Flag bring in the form of "Controlled Opposition." "The Neoliberal Anthem" slows things down considerably, while still remaining on the crisp pace the band established from track one, with much more lyrics to sing along to. "1915" follows up on the slower pace, while the gang vocals of "This is the New Sound" features a very neatly-placed section of gang vocals throughout, and the album begins to cement itself as a rallying cry. "Bullshit Opportunist" is a very pessimistic look at the times, and seems to be the track where Anti-Flag bring the pace back up from where "Controlled Opposition" left off.
The album itself, however, struggles to stand out. Though songs like "The Ranks of Masses Rising" and "Nothing Recedes like Progress" have a very distinct and important message to send to listeners, the album has an overarching sense that you've heard it all before (possibly from Anti-Flag themselves). The band are among the best in painting the portrait of the nation's current state, but it would be nice to see the band branch out and take a chance here or there, just to see what they're really capable of. Granted, the band has a great deal of history on their side, and their winning formula may be better left unquestioned. An 11-track, 27-minute journey through the punk ranks will provide a casual listener or a longtime fan enough to get angry at The Man about, and as long as you're expanding your horizons, that's what Anti-Flag is all about.
The Bottom Line: At this point, Anti-Flag have been around long enough to command and deserve your respect and attention. While The General Strike isn't the most unique punk album you'll ever hear, there's plenty of bite to accompany the bark in this snapshot of today's society.
Recommended if you Rock: Sticking it to the man, Rise Against, NOFX
No comments:
Post a Comment