"My whole life is a dark room" is the sentiment expressed by AFI on the appropriately titled "The Despair Factor", and there's no denying the uniformly bleak outlook of this young band. If they made music to match, this would be a rather dull ride, but they work the contrast nicely by backing their worrisome lyrics with explosion after sonic explosion of blistering punk.
AFI might be said to practice a variant of horrorcore, but not of the stylised, play-acting, Slipknot kind. Rather, the group comes off as a junior branch of the Misfits, mating the grim and the grisly with energetic, old-school punk bashing, and even a fairly conventional melodic sense. For those who think Halloween rock started with Marilyn Manson, THE ART OF DROWNING will provide a quick and infectious history lesson.

Jul 2006

This album is an essential purchase for any fan of punk rock music, marking a vital transition in style for one of the genres most influential bands. It sees a shift away from the furious onslaught of earlier albums (such as the seminal 'Answer That And Stay Fashionable'), towards the anthemic melodies that have catapulted the group to stardom.

While the release lacks none of the energy of other AFI albums, the more measured songwriting and timekeeping is an obvious improvement. Davey Havok's voice twists between ethereal clarity and a tortured roar, against a sonic backdrop of drumbeat and memorable punk guitar. The album remains a firm favourite with fans, opening with 'Initiation' (one of the groups' most powerful introductions), crowd pleasers such as 'The Lost Souls', 'Days of the Phoenix' and 'Wester' and closes with the stunningly poignant 'Morningstar'. So, if you want to hear the point when AFI graduated from being the cream of the Californian underground to celebrated global stars, pick it up!

Luke Fojut, HMV

• Spin (4/03, p.102) - "...DROWNING features bigger hooks, a more ornate sound, and shout-along choruses that dominate nearly every tune..."

A.F.I.: Davey Havok (vocals): Jade Puget (guitar): Hunter (bass): Adam Carson (drums).
Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California.
"My whole life is a dark room" is the sentiment expressed by AFI on the appropriately titled "The Despair Factor," and there's no denying the uniformly bleak outlook of this young band. If they made music to match, this would be a rather dull ride, but they work the contrast nicely by backing their worrisome lyrics with explosion after sonic explosion of blistering punk.
AFI might be said to practice a variant of horrorcore, but not of the stylized, play-acting, Slipknot kind. Rather, the group comes off as a junior branch of the Misfits, mating the grim and the grisly with energetic, old-school punk bashing, and even a fairly conventional melodic sense. For those who think Halloween rock started with Marilyn Manson, THE ART OF DROWNING will provide a quick and infectious history lesson.

Hardcore revivalists-turned-goth-punks AFI ascended to a new level of stardom when they decided to slap on some eyeliner and embrace their inner Robert Smiths. After several independent releases, the Southern California-based outfit released their major-label debut, SING THE SORROW, in 2003 to much acclaim. That album's darker new-wave tendencies were taken one step further on 2006's DECEMBERUNDERGROUND. AFI's gloomier aesthetic was only given further validation by their legions of fans who dubbed themselves the Despair Faction.