Anti-Flag Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
After spending a few years consorting with the big corporate enemy -- just long enough to make two albums that were commercially viable enough to reach the mainstream -- Anti-Flag jumped ship from RCA. The group chalked up their stint on a major label as a chance taken and an opportunity fulfilled, where they got their anti-authoritarianism /anti-establishment/anti-consumerist mission statements out to a broader range of kids, and after a switch to Side One Dummy, they vowed to return to the raw punk music of their roots. Ditching the slick production of For Blood and Empire and the especially glossy Tony Visconti produced Bright Lights of America for the grimier People or the Gun, their tenth album plays more like early day Rancid than latter day Green Day. That's not to say that they've toned down their unpatriotic American Idiot viewpoints. There's no sense Bush-bashing after George W. has left office, but there's still a lot to address, especially with the economy left in shambles. "The Economy Is Suffering -- Let It Die" speaks on this topic directly, stating that bail-out proposals only help the CEOs, banks, and corporate lawyers who caused the economy to crash; not the common people who actually need it. Justin Case and his band are as brash as ever here; rejuvenated and back in their comfort zone on an indie label. Taking yet another soapbox stand against big corporations, the government, organized religion, and even their Warped Tour peers, their pro-underdog, working class messages sound even more poignant in this crude, mid-'90s recording style. Even if People or the Gun does nothing to break new barriers musically, fans of their early work will be pleased to hear a return to form. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
'A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime'
Release Date 10/2/2007
Tracks 12
Label A-F
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Personal tragedy struck the Anti-Flag family in early 2007 when bassist Chris #2's sister was senselessly murdered alongside her boyfriend. As part of the grieving process, the band did what most musicians would do -- they turned to music. The group put together this benefit EP -- comprised of five new songs and five live tracks that were recorded in Anti-Flag's hometown of Pittsburgh -- with all proceeds going to the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime, an organization that assists families dealing with their own tragic losses of loved ones. However, despite the motivation behind the actual release, don't expect anything to be fueling this set except the same anti-establishment, vitriolic spit as always. It's mostly all surging choruses, stinging guitar lines, and machine-gun drumming to propel disenchanted talk of there being "No Paradise" and "No Future," while incendiary rallying cries, as in the defiant singalong "Anthem for the New Millennium Generation," implore people to stand up, fight, and not just blindly consent to orders. Anti-Flag top off A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime with a handful of live cuts, giving fans a bit more bang for the buck and adding up to a pretty solid set overall. In the end, it's a benefit album one can actually enjoy outside of simply knowing a worthy cause is being helped out. And that makes it worthwhile for everyone. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though adamantly anti-major-label at one point in their career, Anti-Flag finally decided to emerge from the underground and make the leap from the indie world to the realms of RCA in April 2005. Thus, after being together for over ten years and boasting almost as many releases, For Blood and Empire marks Anti-Flag's entry into the big leagues. Fans and naysayers alike couldn't help but question the band's new label status leading up to the album's release. Could a group with such a brash, heated political agenda and in-your-face leftist politics actually -- and believably -- fit alongside Kelly Clarkson and the Strokes with their credibility intact? At the very least, the band's outrage and frustration hadn't been tempered. Anti-Flag was conceived pissed-off at the government (among other subjects), and things sure hadn't cooled down with George W and crew comfortably residing in the White House throughout the early 2000s. As would be expected then, For Blood and Empire is boiling over with vehement anti-Bush attacks and confrontational lyrics that overwhelmingly target the war in Iraq -- from war profiteering to consequences of depleted uranium to omnipresent propaganda to casualties on both sides of the fight. With all of the singalong, fist-in-the-air anthems still present (and more than enough background "woahs"), fans should at least be happy to hear that their beloved Anti-Flag hasn't compromised its grasp of the surging chorus. After all, the scrappiness and raw rage of earlier efforts gave way to the more pop-oriented and melodic nature of later work a few albums back, and this effort is no different. Even the opening notes of "I'd Tell You But..." are comfortingly familiar, as there's always been something about their guitar work that makes a song utterly Anti-Flag even before Justin Sane's distinctive vocals kick in. There's a sort of a ska-ish feel to "The Press Corpse" and "The W.T.O. Kills Farmers," while "This Is the End (For You My Friend)," could just as easily fit on a Good Charlotte record. And though the slight ramble of the acoustic-driven "1 Trillion Dollar$" sounds like Sane's solo work, it gets as close to country balladry as Anti-Flag is probably ever going to get. The album is a tad clean and subdued, but this doesn't necessarily detract from Anti-Flag's message, which comes across as loud and clear as it always does. Kids picking this up won't necessarily have to figure politics out on their own, as Anti-Flag tells them exactly what to think and the liner notes brim with quotes and explanations backing their ideas up further. So with a new home on RCA, the band is now kind of like the Hot Topic version of Propagandhi. Leftist beliefs with rounded edges that are accessibly packaged yet still offensive enough to some to be "punk." And while their convictions are assuredly sincere -- and the topics brought up important to discuss -- something about the band can't help to cause one to step back and raise an eyebrow a bit. Overall, and despite its major label status, For Blood and Empire is through and through another Anti-Flag album. Thus, those who enjoy the guys' political snottiness will find plenty to like here, but the album won't do anything to convert those who have always found them slightly annoying. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
'* Terror State'
Release Date 10/21/2003
Tracks 13
Label Fat Wreck Chords
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On their fourth album, Anti-Flag position themselves as punk's foremost peace activists. And with the 2004 Presidential election looming at the time of its release, the Pittsburgh quartet's delivery of The Terror State couldn't have been better timed. Aiming fourteen aural bombs straight at George W. Bush, the group's incendiary musical charge is heightened by the contagious sloganeering of mouthpiece Justin Sane. "Turncoat" launches the disc, with the frontman painting Dubya as a war-happy liar. Escorted by an infectious chorus that even the staunchest Republicans would have trouble resisting, the fast, declarative tune makes way for alluring numbers like "Tearing Down The Borders," and the expansive "Death Of A Nation." The latter -- structured around a 40-year old "Woody Guthrie" lyric -- bears both the sonic and the non-conformist political influence of the disc's executive producer, former Rage Against The Machine, and current Audioslave, guitarist Tom Morello. At Morello's suggestion, Pearl Jam engineer Nick DiDia was brought in to give The Terror State its large and full sound. And judging by spirited, percolating items like "Mind The G.A.T.T." and "You Can Kill The Protestor," Anti-Flag's controversial messages are matched with volatile yet affable arrangements. Sure, its never-ending protest tact gets a little redundant after a while (even The Clash had a love song here and there) but questioning the motives of world leaders through the forum of punk is something will never go out of style. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Political punk rock has always felt pressure from society because of the extreme reaction many have to extreme political ideas. A good example of this situation was what Anti-Flag went through in the wake of the September 11th tragedy. Their name was viewed as "un-American" by many, and they found themselves on the receiving end of a minor album ban. On top of that, their anti-violence stance was very unpopular in the revenge-happy environment immediately following the attacks. Although it wasn't nearly as widespread as what some musicians had felt, it was enough to inspire them to address the issue on Mobilize, the first album they released since the incident. Brimming with anger, "911 for Peace" is one of the most literate songs to address the topic yet. Where some musicians simply mourned for the city or called out for blood, Anti-Flag took a stand and called for an end to the "eye for an eye" mentality that hit the nation. Of course the song never really took off (it was released for free on their website), but it fits in nicely with the punk rock anthems following it on the album. They address a number of other political topics throughout the album, including corporations, abortion, and carefully choosing who builds the future. Not every song has the insightful lyrics of "911 for Peace," but Justin Sane was never a Jello Biafra waiting to be discovered. Instead, the approach is similar to Ian MacKaye's Embrace project, spelling out the message with little room for subtlety or humor. But this is much more in tune with the innovators of punk rock, making hundreds of candy-coated bands floating around the underground just look silly. On top of that, the band writes songs that are easier to remember and absorb than anything it's done before. The album isn't a landmark, but instead it is a solid document from a band that continues to improve with every album. [Some copies of the album include a sampler from Anti-Flag's own A-F Records.] ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
'Underground Network'
Release Date 4/24/2001
Tracks 13
Label Fat Wreck Chords
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
As WTO has proven, the revolution will indeed be televised, and judging by Underground Network, Anti-Flag's anthemic songs will be wafting across the frontlines. From their earliest days, the group have worn their politics proudly on their sleeve, a shared belief which has seen them through lineup changes and expansion from trio to a quartet. Some things have changed over time, however, both sonically and lyrically. After several label moves, Anti-Flag are now happily denizened at Fat Wreck Chords, a melodic punk home far removed from their early purer hardcore sound. The sea change in style was evident on A New Kind of Army, and now crests in an ocean of powerful pop-punk melodies, which bind them firmly to the Southern Californian sounds of their labelmates. That said, Underground Network contains more than enough pugilistic hardcore to keep their old fans loyal, as well as enough echoes of punk's past to capture old-school geezers' hearts. It's this solidifying meld of styles past and present into a unique sound of their own that is making Anti-Flag such a force to be reckoned with in the punk scene. Lyrically, the group are maturing by leaps as well, as they turn anger to action. It's a multi-pronged attack that combines giving voice to society's ignored and oppressed, while also educating the listener. "Veques Puerto Rico: Bikini Revisited," for example, not only musically expresses the band's outrage that this small, inhabited island is used as target practice by the U.S. Navy, but gives further details in the liner notes, and even includes website addresses for reports and studies of its effects. Underground Network's melding of political awareness and anthemic songs is an exhortation to resistance, a manifesto set to music, packed with passion and information; in all, the perfect revolutionary handbook. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As obnoxious and confrontational as ever, Anti-Flag leave no doubts about which side of the fence they're on with A New Kind of Army, the follow-up to their cult hit, Die for the Government. Their style isn't markedly different, but it will definitely please the genre faithful. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Their System Doesn't Work for You'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 19
Label A-F
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
2000's Their System Doesn't Work for You resurrects the nine tracks from 1998's limited-edition EP, North America Sucks, and adds ten previously-unreleased, later-vintage tracks for good measure. The songs from the EP are prime Anti-Flag, political punk that never loses its sense of humor even when making its most important points. "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!" decries the Balkanization of the D.I.Y. scene in the '90s to the album's catchiest chorus, while the title track and "Anti-Violent" take aim at the usual suspects. Unfortunately, with only a couple of exceptions, the later tracks sound like half-baked filler; indeed, the beyond-lo-fi sound suggests that they might be rough demos not originally intended to be heard outside the band, a supposition backed up by the lazy, sluggish performances, and meandering song structures. There are a few promising tracks among the dross, particularly "Betty Sue Is Dead," which makes incredibly effective use of an old-school punk-reggae middle section in the style of the Ruts, but overall, the second half of Their System Doesn't Work for You doesn't work for anybody. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Die for the Government'
Release Date 1/1/1997
Tracks 17
Label New Red Archives
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Admittedly, it's strange that an old school-sounding punk trio would criticize punk scene denizens thusly: "Covered in leather, or plaid patches, or metal studs/Your hair is dyed or spiked with glue/You only talk to those who look and act the way you do/You scoff at how the cops treat you/But they're no worse than dicks like you!" ("Punk by the Book"). It's even more strange in light of Anti-Flag's Discharge/Rancid haircuts, a dog collar, and even a shirt that says "destroy." But since they point out that what you think is more important than how you dress, fair enough, because they carry on a more crucial custom: warning MTV-polluted, 85-TV-channel youth that punk means doing something productive instead of being passive or getting drunk and into fights, and becoming aware of politics and history is a prerequisite before bitching about the government (such as the Pentagon's attempts to pretend there is no Gulf War syndrome, as Anti-Flag points out). Criticism from within is the only kind that's listened to. As well, on songs such as "Safe Tonight" and "Police State in the U.S.A.," Anti-Flag tosses up the kind of vintage, early-'80s, So-Cal, melodic punk that B.Y.O., Frontier, Posh Boy, and other labels specialized in, and a ska song is welcome. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
