AFI
Biography
Although they didn't reach platinum status until 2003, hardcore punk revivalists AFI originally formed in 1991, when the band's four founding members -- vocalist Davey Havok, guitarist Markus Stopholese, bassist Vic Chalker, and drummer Adam Carson -- were attending high school in Ukiah, CA. Chalker was replaced by Geoff Kresge after eight months, and the band played several local gigs and released a split 7", Dork, with fellow Ukiah natives Loose Change (a band that incidentally included future AFI member Jade Puget). An EP titled Behind the Times was released as well. The bandmembers then split up to attend different colleges, with Kresge temporarily moving to New Jersey to join Blanks 77. However, AFI reconvened during a holiday break to play a one-off reunion show, and audience response was so positive that the bandmembers decided to quit school and concentrate on music full-time.
AFI (whose abbreviation has been said to stand for "A Fire Inside," "Asking for It," and "Anthems for Insubordinates") issued several singles before securing a record deal with the Nitro label, which issued the band's second album, Very Proud of Ya, in 1996. Two LPs followed in 1997 -- a re-release of their 1995 debut, Answer That & Stay Fashionable, and Shut Your Mouth & Open Your Eyes -- and personnel shifts ensued. Kresge was the first to leave, being replaced by bassist Hunter Burgan, and Stopholese departed in favor of ex-Redemption 87 guitarist Jade Puget, who then shared songwriting duties with Havok. The new lineup recorded an EP titled A Fire Inside in 1998, and issued a noticeably more mature full-length in 1999, Black Sails in the Sunset; 1999 also saw the release of the All Hallow's EP before The Art of Drowning followed a year later. Though already owning a fiercely loyal core base of fans, the latter album saw the band's music attracting an even larger audience, due in part to the moderate success of the single "Days of the Phoenix." Accordingly, it was the first album to chart in the Billboard 200.
At the onset of the new millennium, AFI hooked up with producers Jerry Finn and Garbage's Butch Vig for a new set of recording sessions. The end result was the ambitious Sing the Sorrow, AFI's major-label debut for DreamWorks, which showcased the band's significant growth from its early hardcore days. Released in 2003, the record also marked AFI's crossover into the mainstream, and Sing the Sorrow eventually went platinum as several singles found airplay on MTV. Working again with Jerry Finn (who had also produced records for blink-182 and Green Day), the band's follow-up release was its most labor-intensive to date, resulting from two years of detailed songwriting. Decemberunderground, AFI's seventh album, surfaced in 2006 on the Interscope label. The album was an instant success, debuting at number one on the Billboard charts and launching a summer-long tour, followed by a string of overseas performances in October.
While on tour, Havok and Puget dedicated their spare time to a side project that would eventually become Blaqk Audio, which they debuted in early 2007. AFI released the concert album I Heard a Voice: Live from Long Beach Arena later that same year, but the bandmates continued pursuing their own projects, with Hunter Burgan playing bass for several other bands while Jade Puget did remix work for the likes of the Cure. AFI properly reconvened in 2008 to begin writing new material; by November, they had announced their intention to begin recording with producer David Bottrill. Two months later, they traded Bottrill for a pair of new producers -- Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee -- and continued working on the album, focusing on songs that were harder than those found on Decemberunderground. The result, Crash Love, was readied for release in September 2009. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Selected Discography

Crash Love
2009

I Heard A Voice: Live From Long Beach Arena
2007

December Underground
2006

Miss Murder
2006

AFI (Explicit)
2004

Sing The Sorrow
2003

The Art Of Drowning
2000

All Hallow's EP
1999

Black Sails In The Sunset
1999

Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes
1997
Wow, these guys really crashed after Sing the Sorrow. I'm sorry but they sound more like My Chemical Romance now than anything...
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these guys are the reason the radio sux, now they are playin on my good stations like perfect circle! why would pandora pollute itself with this nonsense! stupid emo bullshit!
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so good, love their music. especially their work from decemberunde r g r o u n d .
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Technicaly they are decent. As in george orwell's novel classic 1984 those who stand up to feed their own pleasures are the first to fall.
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Actually I derive most of my great moments from good bands like The Misfits, Rudimentary Peni, Cocksparrer, Bad Religion, and The Kennedys.
Wasn't big into the smack. Actually more into the art. No brain damage I'm assuming because I'm not justifying how gay and corporate AFI has become. I unfortunatel y have to tell you rich kid, post skatepunk, emo p**sies just how it is. The cool thing for me, you have no choice but to read it if you want to coddle their balls everyday. |
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Dear AFI, Some of us are not stupid, and you are not The Smiths.
Please retire and quit wearing such gay shirts. Thank you, Robert E. Coffins III esq. |
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(just dont waste your energy on the 14 year old members of Mister Havok's cult of personality, trust me)
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Ronnie Bear Coffins, AFI has become what they've become. There is no use resisting it because they have already changed. Just be grateful they left you some great memories. And I'm sorry but AFI started as generic hardcore revivalists, maybe all those mosh pits and smack gave you some brain damage. And furthermore, if you weren't so busy with judgments and labels (which is exactly what is wrong with the youths and marketing executives that killed individualis m ) you would calm the hell down..
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Don't you yell at me in text you dumb beast.
I was in mosh pits and squatting with junkies and artists while you were still urinating on your moms rug in the suburbs. AFI sold themselves to the market and I hope they're happy with the f**king idiots they receive in return. Thank you, good night, and crom bless America |
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BOBS COFFIN NEEDS TO DIE PRONTO ANYONE WITH ME?????????? ? ? AFI IS A-F**KING-MA Z I N G N I LOVE "DAVEY HAVOK" YOU NO-BRAINED INGNORANT B**TARD NO ONE SAID YOU HAD TO LISTEN TO THEM BUT DONT KNOCK THEM DAMN IT
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now that I have from StheS to CL... I need to go backwards...
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Yea super f**king cool. Like back in 1996.
At least he cut his "devilock" off, his mom wouldn't let him have a mohawk. |
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Just when you thought they couldn't get any worse.
They just went ahead and became Maroon 5 didn't they. Thank you youth of America for finally killing off skatepunk. Your retard parents must be so proud. Gravy Slavik should be beheaded for his crimes against humanity. And Jade Pukeit can hold his testicles after I punch him in the dick. |
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2 words. amazingly beautiful. those lyrics + his voice = a gorgous, amazing, awesome song
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Black Sails in the Sunset is definetely one of their best though i agree that The Art of Drowning should definetely get checked out. They vinyl if possible cause of and extra song
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Although I Would Recomend The Art of Drowning.
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CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE CRASH LOVE
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I feel you, torikris, everyone does. The whole "Willow" thing is getting really old, and these days he's going crazy with his posts.
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Goddammit Can't I Go to One Page Without Willow There. I Swear to God I'll Get Those Hackers Anyonmous on His A**! They Will F**k With His Profiles So Much He'll Be Crying Like the Little B**ch He is!!!!!!
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HELLO, Crash Love!!!!!
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Crash Love is AMAZING!!!!
it totally lacks Davey's screams and the "punk" feel is 99% gone, but the album is still great! :) |
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latem EURT ot netsiL
slateM ekaf rof elttes ton oD .hguone doog ton era (s)dnab ruoY dna latem eurT tuoba eno emos llet dluohs uoY !KCAMSDOG tuoba |
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AFI have been constantly changing, but I miss the good ole days of the art of drowning and black sails in the sunset. I like their new stuff, and I absolutely love Blaqk Audio, but I kinda wish they'd just stay the same.
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Any real AFI fan can tell you: Since the beginning, their sound has subtly changed progressivel y from album to album. Yes, if you listen to "Answer that and stay fashionable" and immdeiatley after, listen to "Decemberund e r g r o u n d " , you'd likely not know it was the same band... If you listen to each album in chornilogica l order - you'd hear a slight difference with each one. I would never call AFI a "sell out"; I would call them a success. They set out to make music. That's what they're doing. So
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Perhaps 'sell out' isn't the best term. But, Davey Havoc has contradicted everything he ever used to believe in. It was about creating unique music, not giving in to what's popular, and continuing this no matter what. AFI has given in to the scene, they feed off of it and just dedicate themselves to making what's going to sell. Emo bullshit and techno.(refe r e n c e to black audio) When you looked at them back in the day, would you ever say "Ah they'll all be a bunch of whiney b**ches." No. Look now
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haha, i remember the old stuff.
they sounded so different, one wouldn't even recognize 'em anymore. |
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Decemberunde r g o u n d was such an awesome album. Hopefully, Crash Love will be even better than Decemberunde r g r o u n d . Their first single, "Medicate" sounds really good. I also like the direction they've gone.
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NEW ALBUM UPDATE!!!!!! !
Crash Love will be released on September 29!!!!!!!! and their first single off it, "Medicate", has been released on August 25th (of course, it's up above!)!! |
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AFI is a great band. I grew up listening to artists similar to them. I like people who bring unique qualities to the music biz. And AFI is awesome Rock on.
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