Album Description"DECEMBERUNDERGROUND is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation. It is a community of those detached and disillusioned who flee to love, like winter, in the recesses below the rest of the world."-Davey Havok
DECEMBERUNDERGROUND is also the title of AFI's seventh album. And like much of the record's lyrical and visual imagery, it seems to stand in stark contrast to the name behind the band's world-renowned moniker: A Fire Inside. Then again, the brightest flames burn white-they just don't burn bright for long•
"There's a lot more attention to detail on this record," Jade recalls. "We spent a long time writing it. We refused to rush ourselves. We took our time not just on every song but on each guitar part, each vocal, each bass line. We definitely didn't rush into the studio."
The fruit of this labor is a record that Davey Havok is confident "should break us out of any preconceived genres." And even on a cursory listen, the wealth and diversity of material backs him up from the first note: "Prelude 12/21" is a rhythm/vocal-oriented curveball that differs radically from the customary calls to arms that have opened all AFI albums since Black Sails. From there, DECEMBERUNDERGROUND veers from AFI's first straight-up vintage glam style shuffle on first single "Miss Murder" (complete with backing chants from The Despair Faction) to the stark and stunning soundscape of "Love Like Winter" and the epic suite "The Interview." The longtime AFI faithful need not worry, as DECEMBERUNDERGROUND features more than a fair share of familiar AFI hallmarks, from the slash and burn of "Kill Caustic" and "Affliction" to the balladic finale' "Endlessly, She Said."
Of AFI fans' reaction to the new record, Davey says, "Our fans always come with us every step of the way. I think they recognize honesty in our music, that this is the only way we can express ourselves, to make music that we love. Nothing else. That's what allowed us to make the jump way back when and what continues to keep us going now."
"Some artists fear change and their fans' reaction to it," Jade says. "A big part of our relationship with our fans is that we do change with every record. It's expected and embraced."
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This album was, in my opinion, the greatest album of its time. It will never be like the classic AFI we all know and love but it's still an AMAZING album with sex appeal. With beautiful, passionate vocals from lead singer Davey Havok, heart strumming riffs from guitarist Jade Puget, mellow, emotional sounds from bassist Hunter, and wonderful beats from drummer Adam Carson, this album earns 5 stars from me.
The this album left me in tears with the beautiful ending ballad "Endlessly, She Said." The songs conveyed a fusion of emotion with songs like "The Interview", "Summer Shudder", "Kiss and Control" and my personal favourite, "Love Like Winter." Listening to this album, it never grew old. When I first listened to this album, I didn't want it to end. I wanted it to go on forever. The songs on this album do more then just portray music, they make you think. They make you feel the emotion. The album paints a beautiful mental picture with every changing song. This album is probably one of my favourite album of the 21st century. This album greatly inspired me to pursue my dream and start a band of my own. AFI continues to be my musical inspiration right down to the end. I highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys romantic, emotional, yet hardcore lyrics and music.
Prelude 12/21: When I first heard this song, it was in the Director's Cut version of the music video "Miss Murder". It left me curious and was a bit of a mystery and at the same time it was haunting. When I bought the album and heard it at the beginning, it sent chills up my spine. A wonderful opening. (9/10)
Kill Caustic: Possibly one song I would LOVE to hear at an AFI concert. Which I have. It's completely fun to mosh to with it's punk rock "I don't give a crap about you" feel. Extremely fun to scream along to. The chanting at the end of the bridge when everyone yells "DON'T SPEAK MY NAME!" is truly fun. Especially at a concert when the whole building (or arena) shouts it simultaneously. (9/10)
Miss Murder: When I first heard this, I was in shock. It had been a while since I heard AFI since Sing The Sorrow and hearing this catchy song got me moving. With the awesome bass intro that everyone loves followed by a little riff from Jade and Davey singing the chorus, this is probably the song that led me to buy the album. And the screaming bit Davey adds into the bridge is extremely fun. (9/10)
Summer Shudder: The beginning to song is soft yet haunting. The lyrics are truly beautiful and poetic and really emits a wonderful emotion. (9/10)
The Interview: I view this song as the prelude to Love Like Winter. (I don't know why though.) It's haunting, romantic, emotional, beautiful. The chorus is just amazing and the ending verse "Calm down, come down cold resides with me" sends chills up my spine with it's beautiful pipe organ. It's hauntingly beautiful. (10/10)
Love Like Winter: Possibly my favourite song on the album. I love the foots steps in the beginning. It really gets me into the song. The music video to this was simply gorgeous. Davey's vocals are upbeat and the music is an awesome blend of rock and techno. An upbeat sound with haunting lyrics. (15/10)
Affliction: Awesome song with AFI's old "punk rock" feel. Whereas it's not my favourite song on the album, I can honestly say that I choke up every time I hear the bridge "so stay sweetly numb. remain lifeless love". The hidden bonus track at the end is a great and haunting closure. (8/10)
The Missing Frame: When I heard this song at first, I wasn't really into it. After a couple of listens it grew on me. Hearing it at the concert really made me excited whenever it played. I truly love the bridge "Will the flood behind me put out the fire inside me?". To me, it portrays the longing to put away the evilness that might have been festering up inside. It's also a beautiful counteract to the band's true name (A Fire Inside). (8/10)
Kiss And Control: Okay, first off, this song is beautiful. Just downright beautiful. From the lyrics to the music to the screaming, it's beautiful. A close runner up favourite to Love Like Winter. I love the bridge wear Davey isn't singing, but SPEAKING. "We all wanna die like movie stars you said as you jumped from the height of our cutting room floor." This song is truly a beautiful ballad and leaves me feeling emotional every time. (10/10)
The Killing Lights: A song that's sort of brings back the glory days of their old sound of punk rock. With the neat little "oh!" at the beginning, this song is truly fun with a chilling ending. (8/10)
37mm: I love the way this song twists. It starts out haunting and creepy with a bit of turn towards a more poppy sound with a little piano bit in the bridge. The ending is neat with "We're no one... We're no one..." repeating with the neat "oh" in the background. (9/10)
Endlessly, She Said: Possibly the BEST ending song they've ever done. This ballad is beautiful and filled with much longing. I always end up blubbering at the end. It's a song that if you don't feel ANY emotion, you probably need your head examined. This just strums at your heartstrings and chilling ending just JERKS at them. My third favourite song on this album. (10/10)
2009-01-24 Growth And Development...
Fist off im writing this review for all you cry babys out there that keep trashing on present AFI. Yes we all know older AFI is the best Shut your mouth... Black sails... Art of Drowing...But you need to understand that bands change were not in the 90's anymore. I Love older AFI but i dont want to here the same album remade more then once. The music has to change thats what makes this band so great! Growth and development is what music is all about.
Anyways about DECEMBERUNDERGROUND it is a really good well writin album that has a cold feel to it. The guitar riffs and solos are writin better then ever, Daveys vocals have gottin better i just cant see why fans are complaining AFI always changes. I think if your looking to get into AFI start off with Black sails and shut your mouth then go from there...But i do thinkyou should get this Album because AFI is very different from any other band out there and every Album is a different story...
2008-09-16 Not exactly their best disc
I'm a huge AFI fan. I've got all their full length albums and almost all of them see heavy rotation in my stereo/CD player. All of them except this one, which might be their worst. It's not so much that it's a bad CD (it's actually kind of okay), it's just that it can't hold a candle to some of their other work.
The biggest problem with this album is how detached it sounds. Maybe they're doing it intentionally (december...cold, you know) but I really don't like this sound as much as I like their older albums. Even StS was more warm and inviting. Their even older albums are even more so, with this gritty sort of "this is what we'd sound like in our garage, if only you could be there" kind of sound. But decemberunderground doesn't have that. It's too clean, too well-produced and the music is like a bland and neutered version of what was found on StS.
One of my favorite things about AFI has always been the lyrics. They're the kind of things kids get tattoed on themselves, either because it was inspirational or beautiful. Their early lyrics were less serious and extremely relatable, while their later lyrics are poetic and gorgeous. Here, we're somewhere in between, and that really kills me. Davey's words (and occasionally, vocals) sound dispassionate and blunt, like a combination of both lyrical eras worst points. He claims this is his most personal album, lyrically, but I don't buy it.
Speaking of buying, I wouldn't suggest buying this album unless you're some kind of diehard completionist. Stick with either The Art of Drowning or Black Sails in the Sunset if you want to hear AFI at their best.
2008-08-20 This album sucks
A friend let me borrow this album because she thought I wasn't giving the new AFI a fair chance. Turned out I was, their music just sucks.
2008-08-11 Love at first listen
My daughter is the one who introduced me to A.F.I., and the first time I heard December Underground, I fell in love.
My favorite song is "Love like Winter", and of course, I love "Miss Murder".
Listening to this CD made me want to listen to all of A.F.I.'s other CDs, which I also fell in love with.
I don't think they're sellouts at all...just a great band making a name for themselves.