AFI – AFI (The Blood Album)

As a longtime AFI fan, the announcement of their tenth album piqued my interest and had me hoping they would return to what made me fall in love with them in the first place. Whilst I haven’t been let down by AFI (The Blood Album), I am also not fully satiated.

Over the course of their almost three decade career AFI have drifted further and further away from their punk roots, however with this record they have recaptured the aggressive essence of some of those early records. Along with this newly rediscovered boldness, which is conveyed through faster tempos and more impactful emotional vocals from Davey Havok, this record captures the spirit of the Sing The Sorrow and Decemberunderground era.

Throughout these 14 tracks it appears AFI have found a middle ground which should appeal to fans from all generations of their career, although in an ideal world I would have liked to see them let the aggression run free a touch more. (JA)

★★★1/2