I’m a huge AFI fan. I’ve seen them live 7 times. I’ve met the band and have shaken their hands. I own three copies of “Sing The Sorrow” (1 regular CD, 1 limited edition release and 1 copy of the album on vinyl. That’s right, vinyl). On lousy days, the thing that lifts my spirits more often than not is a line from “The Leaving Song”. AFI’s music is as much an ingrained part of me as The Beatles are for people many who grew up in that generation.

With all of that being said, I knew after hearing “Medicate” and “Torch Song” that “Crash Love” would not be a return to the AFI I love and would, instead, continue along the path leading further away from being awesome. I tried to listen to this release pretending they were a new band and this was their first release.

The Bad

Cover Art – A shimmery, shiny gold cover with an even more shimmery and shiny gold heart?! What’s the deal with that? I heard someone describe the album cover as something that “looks like a Hallmark anniversary card”. This new, scarey place AFI has ventured to apparently no longer has room for the artistic genius of Alan Forbes.

Where’s the Intro? – It sounds like a sily thing, but AFI has become known for their killer intro tracks. My favorite is the intro track on “Black Sails In The Sunset”. There really is no better way to begin a punk rock show, mosh pit about to take form, then with fist pumping into the air, shouting along with the band: “Through our bleeding we are one!”

Sadly, “Crash Love” does not have an intro. Even the disappointment of “DECEMBERUNDERGROUND” was lessened by the presence of a very cool intro.

No Screaming – Okay, like it or not, lead singer Davey Havock is a screamer on albums. He’s no Chester Bennington or Corey Taylor, but he can get the job done. With “Crash Love” we find only a disturbing lack of screaming in an overly soft, unmoving album.

The Good

Instrumentals – Jade’s guitar work and Adam’s drumming have definitely improved and is really what keeps this album from being a flop.

Songs – There are three tracks that stand out and, thanks to places like iTunes, I can purchase just those tracks and listen to them without skipping past the rest of the CD every time. Those tracks are “Beautiful Thieves,” “Torch Song,” and “Medicate”. On the Deluxe Edition, the best track is one that SHOULD have been included on “DECEMBERUNDERGROUND” called “Fainting Spells”.

The Bottom Line

Keeping in mind everything I said at the beginning of this post, “Crash Love” is disappointing to me because it’s simply too unremarkable. There’s nothing about it that jumps out at me and says “Well, at least this album has ______.”

Would I buy this album again, if I had to do it all over again? If I had a gift card, sure I would. But I don’t think I would spend my hard-earned money on it.

If AFI begins and ends for you with “Black Sails In The Sunset” do not buy this album. You will be disappointed.

If the AFI you identify with is “Sing The Sorrow” then I recommend you take the money you were going to spend on “Crash Love” and buy “Black Sails In The Sunset” or “The Art Of Drowning” instead.

If “DECEMBERUNDERGOUND” was the post-punk-rock-bathed-in-synthesizer-button-pushing-AFI you were introduced to, then you’ll probably like “Crash Love”. I do encourage you to check out their older albums because, quite honestly, they’re the albums born out of the spirit of punk rock that sneak out at night and stomp the living hell out of their Interscope Records counterparts.