Band : Anti-Flag

Album title : The Bright Lights Of America

Label : RCA

Distributor : Sony-BMG

Release date : 01/04/2008

Release : CD

Nothing but respect and love for this socio-politically aware American PunkRock quartet from Pittsburgh, with a history that goes back to 1988, when lead singer/ guitarist Justin Sane and drummer Pat Thetic first formed the band, just to steer away from becoming either drug addicts or criminals, and picking their name as an anti-facist statement.

In its first incarnation the band saw several guitarists and bassist moving in and out of the band (including Justin's sister Lucy Fester), and due to the failure to solidify the line-up, the band split after playing their first gig. But in 1993 Justin and Pat formed a new band with bassist Andy "Flag" Wright, again using Anti-Flag as bandname. Following a couple of 7-inch releases (1993's split EP with Bad Genes on Ripe Records and 1995's Kill Kill Kill 7-inch on same label), the very fruitful year of 1996 came along, and besides issuing their debut full-length Die For The Government on the New Red Archives imprint, the band also saw the release of   the Reject split 7-inch with Against Authority (in a split release on the band's own A-F Records imprint – which has become the home for numerous other bands over the years – and Records Of Rebellion), a split 7-inch with God Squad, and the full-length North America Sucks split with d.b.s. (on Nefer Records). But Summer 1996 was also when the bassist left due to personal disagreements with Justin. For a short while his place was taken by Sean Whelan from Pittsburgh based Bad Genes. At the same time Whelan was also active in 57 Defective with guitarist Chris Head, whom he introduced to Anti-Flag. Head started filling in on the bass in early 1997. Later that same year, when Jamie Cook took over on the bass, Head shifted to his preferred spot on the second guitar. The band's current line-up came to be when Chris Barker (further known as Chris #2) took over from Cook in1999. But before that, the band's strong DIY ethics would see 'em issue another slew of releases: 1997's I'd Rather Be In Japan split 7-inch with Obnoxious (on NAT Records), 1998's full-length Their System Doesn't Work (on A-F Records) and full-length split with The Dread (on Six Weeks and Clearview), and the band's 3 rd full-length A New Kind Of Army (on A-F Records and Go-Kart).

For Anti-Flag, this was the first album that would bring 'em under the attention of a far bigger audience than before, and not surprisingly it led to an invitation to join the Vans Warped Tour the year after (having just released the live album Live At The Fireside Bowl through Liberation Records), which is when they met and mad friends with Fat Mike, owner of infamous Punk label Fat Wreck Chords, on which the band woiuld release their break-through albums Underground Network (2001, recorded with legendary Punk producer Mass Giorgini, it was the band's break-through from the pure Hardcore scene to a more mainstream one) and The Terror State (2003). In between, the guys still found time to record their full-length Mobilize (released through A-F Records, it contained both live versions of songs on other albums, and a couple of new ones; main theme was the band's view against the push for war by the US government following the 9/11 attack on New York's Twin Towers – as a result many stores pulled Anti-Flag records from their shelves, deeming the band to be anti-American. In spite of this, the 2003 album – recorded by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello – still contained criticisms against the Bush administration and their "War On Terrorism". Funnily enough, the band was praised in a speech by a US representative at the House Of Representatives on October 8, 2008, for their efforts in encouraging young people to register and vote) and the full-length split album with(Bouncing Souls)BYO Split Series Vol.4 (released by BYO; both releases 2002).

In 2005 Anti-Flag signed a 2-album deal with major label RCA, the first of which would be the March 21, 2006 released For Blood And Empire, it's main theme again the band's critical views against War On Terrorism as handled by the US government. The band's signing to RCA was an issue with both fans and press alike, who felt they were "selling out", finding the decision somewhat hypocritical in view of the band's previous anti-capitalist lyrics. Justin explained this away by stating that the band had been approached by major labels (who'd never been willing to give the band total control over what they would record, the artwork, the bands they'd tour with) for about 7 years, but in this case total control was handed over to the band, devoid of any censoring! Besides, distribution through a major label meant getting out to parts in the US (mainly the central of the US) where the band had failed to make a stronghold of fans before, due to the fact that no one wanted to deal with 'em. Of course, with a major label to back you with all its means of promotion (and pressure, why not admit it!), things change somewhat! But signing to the major didn't mean the band couldn't still be active in several side-projects (African Well Fund, Start To Finish MS) and even release the A Benefit For Victims Of Violent Crime album (2007) on their own label! Anyway, the signing to RCA indeed helped the band to bring their message to a broader public, as proven by the fact that the album shot through to the #100 position on the US album charts! The album sprouted no less than 4 videos!

Leading up to the April 1 release of The Bright Lights Of America, the album opening song "Good And Ready" was featured on the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Hanuk-Comp From The Dreidel To The Grave, and much of the album (12 out of the 13 tracks) was then released on the band's MySpaceon March 24. In an interview preceeding the release, Justin told that the album was going to be different from the last, with new styles and elements including orchestral instruments and child choirs. And for sure, the new album is the most polished one in the band's career, all without loosing the band's typical Melodic PunkRock feeling. This is definitely the most versatile album in the band's career, and still as socio-politically laden as before. Two songs include spoken word samples (death row's Mumia Abu-Jamal speaking about the US' "passion" for emprisoning its people at the end of the song "Vices": with a population being 5% of the world, the US harbors no less than 23% of the world's prisoners in its penal facilities...the other sample taken from a speech by Jeremy Scahill at the 2007 Socialism Conference, talking about the US' (ab)use of the private sector for their war efforts, and put at the end of the anthemic "Shadow Of The Dead", a song with a somewhat Ska-influence due to the horns incorporated into the song). The use of cellos in combination with child choirs ("Good And Ready", "The Modern Rome Burning", "The Ink And The Quill") occasionally make for some truly nice bombastic moments, and in two cases the use of piano (courtesy of one Kristeen Young, whom also brings her nice voice into several of the songs) adds yet another atmosphere to a couple of intros ("Vices", the very up-tempo and somewhat Bad Religion remeniscent "Spit In The Face"). Most surprising on the record is the unannounced (but not hidden) album closing acoustic track, which sees Justin accompanied only by mandolin! Each and every track (except perhaps the somewhat weird and Woody Guthrie-ish bonus) is a potential hit, and it is therfore surprising that Sony first decided against the release of the album in the Benelux (I'm not sure about the rest of Europe). Well, that's a major label still using its prerogative to do whatever théy fucking want, regardless of contracts (or, most possibly, exactly becàuse of small-print stuff)! Speaking versatility, he band will just as well bring up-paced songs, as somewhat calmer ones, but at all instants will you find the most efficient rhythm/ lead guitar display, with a lead guitarist who's not afraid to use distoryion and sustain to let his guitar "sing"!

For your introduction of the album, you can still surf to myspace.com/antiflag, but don't expect to still find the bulk of the album there. In fact, you'll only find the album title track, the beautifully versatile "The Modern Rome Burning", and "Spit In The Face", next to a couple of songs from earlier albums. Well, gotta stop this review now...I hope I do so befóre you find it long-winded, but then I simply hàd to pay this band the kind of tribute it deserves! As I said in the beginning: nothing but love and respect for this socio-politically engaged PunkRock act!

95/100

Tony.