AFI (band)

AFI(abbreviation forA Fire Inside)is an Americanrockband fromUkiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalistDavey Havok, drummer and backing vocalistAdam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardistHunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardistJade Puget.Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally ahardcore punkband, they have since delved into many genres, starting withhorror punkand following throughpost-hardcoreandemointoalternative rockandgothic rock.
AFI has released eleven studio albums, tenEPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album,The Art of Drowning(2000), which peaked at number 174 on theBillboard200.They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth,Sing the Sorrow(2003), which peaked at number five on theBillboard200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks.The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America'sHot Modern Rock Trackschart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart.Sing the Sorrowwas certifiedPlatinumby theRIAAin 2006and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album,Decemberunderground(2006), debuted at number one on theBillboard200and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, reached number 24 on theBillboardHot 100and appeared in the video gameGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.Their next three albums,Crash Love(2009),Burials(2013) andAFI(2017), were also successful, peaking at increasing positions on theBillboard200.An EP,The Missing Man, followed in December 2018.The band released their eleventh album,Bodies, on June 11, 2021.
While still in high school inUkiah, California, lead vocalistDavey Havokformed a band called AFI in November 1991 with Mark Stopholese and Vic Chalker.At the time, the band did not know how to play any instruments. Stopholese suggested that his friend, drummerAdam Carson, join the band.Stopholese learnedguitarand Chalker learnedbass, but Chalker was soon replaced byGeoff Kresge. By the end of October 1992, the band had played their first three shows, generally as an opener for a few other punk bands, including Influence 13, which featured future AFI guitaristJade Pugetand frequent collaboratorNick 13.AFI recorded their first EP,Dork(1993), with the now defunct band Loose Change, which also featured Puget.
The band briefly broke up in 1993, when the members left Ukiah to attend different colleges. They decided to commit to AFI full-time after an extremely positive experience and enthusiastic crowd response at a reunion show they played atThe Phoenix TheateroverChristmas break.
AFI relocated toBerkeley, Californiaand lived in asquatthat was a decommissionedfraternity house.Between 1993 and 1995, the band independently released vinyl EPs such asBehind the Times,Eddie Picnic's All WetandFly in the Ointment, as well as the compilation EPsThis Is Berkeley, Not West Bay,AFI/Heckle, andBombing the Bay(withSwingin' Utters).
AFI's first full-length album,Answer That and Stay Fashionablewas released July 4, 1995, on Wingnut Records. It wasco-producedby Doug Sangalang andRancid'sTim ArmstrongandBrett Reed. The album featured fast and upbeat hardcore songs, with humorous lyrical themes, which are vocalized in songs such as "Nyquil", "Cereal Wars", and "I Wanna Get a Mohawk (But Mom Won't Let Me Get One)".Around this time, they coined the term 'East Bay hardcore' to describe their genre.
AFI signed on toNitro Records, a record label started byThe Offspring'sDexter HollandandGreg K.AFI would remain with the label until the release of the336 EP(2002). In 1996, they released their second album,Very Proud of Ya. Two songs from their previous album, "Yurf Rendenmein" and "Two of A Kind", were re-recorded for this album. After several tours in support of the album, Kresge decided to leave the group. His spot was filled by current AFI bassistHunter Burganfor the remaining album tour dates.
Burgan went on to help AFI recordShut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes(1997) and was invited to become their full-time bassist.Jade Puget, a former member of Influence 13 and Havok's close friend, also provided background vocals and additional guitar on the album, making it the first to feature all four current members of the band. It is also the first album to be copyrighted to the band's official moniker, A Fire Inside.Subsequently, theA Fire Inside EP(1998) was released, after which Stopholese left the band and was replaced by Puget.
The band's next album,Black Sails in the Sunset(1999), was a musical turning point which featured a darker sound,mixing the band's original hardcore roots withdark romanticinfluencesand an emphasis on a more somber atmosphere and lyrics.The New York Timeslater referred to this as the point where Havok "developed into a singer and songwriter of substance".During this period, AFI's style was consideredpunk rock.The influence ofdeath rockandgothic rockwas also apparent. Offspring frontman Dexter Holland was featured as a backing vocalist on two tracks.
TheAll Hallow's E.P.(1999) further explored thehorror punkgenre, featuring artwork and lyrics containing Halloween themes, including a cover of theMisfitssong "Halloween". The song "The Boy Who Destroyed the World" was featured in the video gameTony Hawk's Pro Skater 3,and the single "Totalimmortal" was later covered by The Offspring.
On September 19, 2000, AFI releasedThe Art of Drowning, which debuted on the Billboard Charts at number 174, and peaked at number 9 on the Heatseekers chart.It continued to touch base with the horror punk genre, but expanded into styles that were a departure from previous works.The album featured slower, more melodic songs that were more reminiscent ofalternative rock, such as "Ever and a Day" and "6 to 8". Hardcore influences were present, more overtly on some tracks. The album sold over 100,000 copies."The Days of the Phoenix" was released as a single and video and had some moderate mainstream success, garnering the band more TV and radio airplay. The song reached theUK Singles Chartwithits titular EPin 2001, peaking at number 152.The success ofThe Art of Drowninghelped to encourage the band to pursue higher mainstream notoriety.
In 2002, AFI left Nitro Records.DreamWorks Recordsartists and repertoireexecutiveLuke Woodsigned them to the label following intense interest.Their first album for the label,Sing the Sorrow, was released in 2003. The album opened inBillboard's top ten and scored enthusiastic lead reviews in major music magazines.The songs "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving Song Pt. II", and "Silver and Cold" had some Billboard chart success and exposed the band to even larger audiences. They were nominated in the 2003MTV Video Music Awardsfor theMTV2award category for the "Girl's Not Grey" video, which came to be their first VMA.
In June 2006, AFI's seventh studio album,Decemberunderground, was released onInterscope Records. The album's first single, "Miss Murder", reached No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts.The release reflects the continually changing and growing fan base of the band, and the album debuted as No. 1 on theBillboard charts.The album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies of the album.The album's second single, "Love Like Winter", was successful onMTV'sTotal Request Liveand was retired after 40 days on the countdown.
On December 12, 2006, AFI released their first DVD,I Heard a Voice – Live from Long Beach Arena, featuring a live performance shot inLong Beach, California. The performance was later released on December 13, 2007, as a live album, and charted at number 133 on the Billboard 200, and number 16 on theHard Rock Albumschart.The album was well-received, with punknews.org giving it a four-star rating and commenting that when hearing or seeing the performance "you begin to realize AFI are truly a great live band," and that at some points "Panterawould say turn the noise down."
On July 7, 2007, AFI performed onthe American legofLive Earth. They performed "The Missing Frame", "Love Like Winter", "Miss Murder", and a cover ofDavid Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust".
In July 2009, Havok announced that after two years of writing and recording, a new album titledCrash Lovewould be released on September 29, 2009.It was recorded with producer David Bottrill (who was later dismissed in favor of Joe McGrath andJacknife Lee).The first single from the album, "Medicate", was released on August 25, 2009, and reached number 7 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart. Another single, "Beautiful Thieves", followed later in the year. Havok calledCrash Love"the album by which we'll be remembered".It was the band's first release to make a significantly smaller impact than their previous effort,but peaked at number 12 on theBillboard200.
From April to June 2013, several teaser videos were released on AFI's website.The band was announced to playRiot Fest2013, as well as being signed to Republic Records.A single titled "I Hope You Suffer" was released on July 23,and the title of the album,Burials, was announced.Another single, "17 Crimes", was released on August 6.The third single from the album, titled "The Conductor", was released on September 9. The album was released on October 22, produced byGil Norton. It peaked at number 9 on theBillboard200.
In a June 2016 interview with Aggressive Tendencies, Puget confirmed that AFI had begun working on new material for their tenth studio album.On October 27, the band released two new songs viaSpotify, "Snow Cats" and "White Offerings".
The band's tenth album,AFI(also known asThe Blood Album), was released on January 20, 2017. Puget served as the main producer. The album peaked at number 5 on theBillboard200.Other singles were released, including "Aurelia" and "Hidden Knives".
On October 26, 2018, the band surprise-released a new single called "Get Dark" on Spotify and iTunes. This was followed byThe Missing ManEP on December 7, featuring five new songs.
On March 25, 2020, AFI was announced as a headliner for theTwo Thousand Trees Festivalon July 10 of the same year. Puget was interviewed byKerrang!to promote the festival appearance and said that "hopefully at least a couple of songs" from the band's eleventh album would be released by then.On April 27, 2020, Puget said that the album was finished, but that its release date was being pushed back as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.The next day, it was announced that the Two Thousand Trees Festival was being pushed back to 2021, also due to the pandemic.
On January 15, 2021, the band released the tracks "Twisted Tongues" and "Escape from Los Angeles".On February 25, it was revealed that the album would be calledBodies, and be released on June 11. Along with the announcement, the band revealed two new songs as another joint single, "Looking Tragic / Begging for Trouble".On April 9, "Dulceria / Far Too Near" were released,followed by "Tied to a Tree" on May 25.
On March 11, 2023, AFI playedSing the Sorrowin full for the first and last time at theKia Forumon the album's 20th anniversary, supported byJawbreaker,Chelsea WolfeandChoir Boy.
AFI's music has been classified under many genres of music, includingpunk rock,hardcore punk,emo,gothic rock,horror punk,post-hardcore,skate punk,alternative rock,screamo,garage punk,andpop-punk.
AFI's sound has constantly changed.AFI originally were a hardcore punk band.AFI's first three albums,Answer That and Stay Fashionable(1995),Very Proud of Ya(1996),andShut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes(1997),all have been described as hardcore punk. AFI's fourth albumBlack Sails in the Sunsetand the band's fifth albumThe Art of Drowningboth have been described as horror punk.AFI's 2003 albumSing the Sorrowis considered post-hardcoreand emo.Decemberunderground, which features elements of music genres likeelectronic,new wave,industrial, punk rock, hardcore punk, andsynthpop,is considered alternative rock,post-hardcoreand emo.AFI's 2009 albumCrash Loveis considered alternative rockandpop rock.AFI's 2013 albumBurialsis considered alternative rockand gothic rock.AFI's 2017 self-titled album, also referred to asThe Blood Album, has been described as new wave,post-punkand gothic rock.In 2021 AFI released their 11th albumBodies, which has been described as continuing their gothic rock sound and taking a greater influence fromnew wave.
Louderwrote, "Long beforeMy Chemical Romancetopped the charts with the anthemic ‘'Welcome to the Black Parade'’, California's AFI were already injecting their brand of punk withgothicimagery and a sense of theatricality. By the timeGerard Way’s band arrived, AFI had already built a devoted fan base incorporating punks, hardcore fans,goths,metallersand every other type of musical pariah imaginable. They were a band that couldn't help but stand out everywhere they went."AllMusicdescribed AFI as "Northern Californiahardcore punkrevivalists" whose style "evolved to includealternative rock,post-punk,emo, andnew waveflair".The Chicago Tribunesaid that the band "morphed from a conventionalgarage-punkband into agothic-rockarena act."Loudwiresaid that the band "developed from more of a SoCal punk style into a somewhat gothicpost-hardcoreband".The Encyclopedia of Popular Musicsaid that "Although often described as a cross between goth rock and hardcore punk, by the time of their commercial breakthrough in 2003, [AFI] started out as a straight aheadskate/punkband."PopMatterswrote, "To call California-based hardcore/screamoquartet A.F.I. a band without a flag in the current modern rock landscape is not an unfair assessment of their situation."Rolling Stonecategorized the band as pop-punk.AFI has often been labeled as "gothic punk" due to the band's appearance, but AFI band members never considered the label accurate. Jade Puget has said, "Goth-punk isn't a style of music, it doesn't even exist."
Puget, who has produced much of the band's music, stated in 2021:
AFI have drawn inspiration from a diverse range of artists. "We have many, many influences that span the musical spectrum", Havok toldthe Boston Globe. "Each of us grew up on everything from punk to hardcore to dark '80s UK stuff likethe Cure,Bauhaus,Joy Division, and[the] Sisters of Mercy. And there were rock bands likeGuns N' RosesandMetallicaand industrial bands likeSkinny Puppy,Ministry,Front 242andAlien Sex Fiend. And we all lovethe Smiths."Other groups that have inspired AFI includethe Teen Idles,Dag Nasty,Government Issue,Negative Approach,Earth Crisis,Snapcase,Refused,Sick of it All, theCro-Mags,Minor Threat,Black Flag, theMisfits, theGerms, andState of Alert.AFI have also been influenced byelectronicbandOMD, whom Havok said "have and will continue to musically and emotionally inspire" him.
According to theSydney Morning Herald, AFI have been "hailed as being responsible for bringing back the big '80s rock chorus."The band has received much praise in particular fromAlternative Press, which has supported the group since the mid-1990s. The publication rated the band's major-label debut,Sing the Sorrow, as the most anticipated album of 2003, and noted that it "blew the doors off goth-punk as we knew it".AFI has also been granted responsibility for paving the way for the rise of the visual element of rock bands in the 2000s; in a December 2006 article,Revolver Magazinewrote that "AFI have increased the importance of a band's visual identity and the flair for the theatrical," adding that "when a group likePanic! at the Discoborrows imagery from a movie such asMoulin Rouge!, you have to consider the precedent AFI set when they borrowed cues fromTim Burton'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas."Shoutmouth.complaced AFI at number 22 on its list of the 25 most influential punk bands, noting that the band "have evolved with each album, showing that a punk band can not only change, but stay true to their sound at the same time. AFI have been on a constant rise through their career, and as such, eeked [sic] out the honors".AfterSing The Sorrow'srelease,Yorkshire Evening Postdescribed Havok's voice as one of those "you'll love or hate, but one thing can't be denied, this guy has range beyond belief".Recognized by his trademark flair and vocal style, Havok has been recognized as "a bona fide rock god" byAlternative Press.
In 2003,The Pitchdescribed the band's fan club as a "particularly excitable bunch", adding that "there's also the type of sentiments that put thecultback into cult success, such as links to something called 'the Church of Havok'."
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