For Blood and Empire,
Anti-FlagRight, I want to make clear from the outset that I have no issues whatsoever with major labels. Sure, everyone's read Steve Albini's rant about how they fuck you over and blah, blah, blah, but if people want to use them to get their message across and are happy taking the big bucks and promo along the way, then good luck to them. If it's fine by them, then it's fine by me. After all, if getting your music out to a wider audience is your aim, then use the major distro to do that. However, I do have a problem if bands make a hypocritical u-turn. For me, you cannot be a band that slays major labels or one that rants about global corporations taking over the world and then join one. That, to me, is hypocritical. And because of that I cannot take a band's message seriously. If you base yourself as a band with strong beliefs, then go back on those beliefs - for whatever reason - why should I believe a word you say? While Anti-Flag haven't changed their sound too much - although there are more accessible moments here than on previous records - I find their major label switch difficult to stomach. And you can write as many messageboard justifications as you like, but my opinion won't change. It's why I can no longer take Rancid seriously. So to some up - I don't dislike majors. I don't dislike bands that sign to majors. But it does get my goat when bands who slag off majors then join one. Rant over.
Their first record for RCA is, in my eyes, a bit of a disappointment. While the subject matter is still Bush-baiting and Iraq-taunting, on most songs it's just the same old topics. While I think the band do deserve some admiration for trying to raise these topics to a larger audience, it's not something we haven't heard before. The media get slagged off, always an easy target, but for me too many songs scream of 'down with Bush' or the Government and I feel it's too easy a way to take on a major label debut. You can probably sense I don't like this all that much.
The songs themselves...well I guess if you're an AF fan then your blood will already be boiling by the time you make it this far down. But the songs just aren't that great. Sure, the production is as good as it ever has been and the arrangements are perfectly fine, but for me it seems like the band are trying too hard to be overly political or socially aware in a bid to justify their move to a major. I've read many reviews comparing Anti Flag to a modern day Rage Against The Machine - a comparison I find crass and insulting. At the end of the day, 'This Is the End (For You My Friend)' is nothing more than a pop-punk song with socially-aware lyrics. And while other songs do have strong (if not obvious) messages, the songs often don't stand out behind them. I read a review that described 'every song is a single', which isn't something I'd particularly want to hear if I was an Anti Flag fan. But I'd actually disagree with the statement anyway - yes, some songs are more accessible, but not enough are good enough to be played to a wider audience.
Credit where it's due, they've not bowed to any major label pressure and this will be lapped up by rebelling teenagers across the world. It does raise the profile of some important topics, even if I think the way they are approached is far from great. And the band, while easier on the ear, certainly haven't sold out from their roots. Undoubtedly the band's profile will raise and this will sell by the bucketload, but I just think bearing in mind their past this was probably one move they shouldn't have made. Still, that's only one person's opinion. It'll be interesting to see what album number two, if indeed there is a second major label release, brings.
www.anti-flag.com
RCA
paul
