Black Sails In The Sunset - AFI > Reviews > "At A Glance"

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Interesting and appealing lyrics
Disadvantages:	None .  .  . unless you don't like punk

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

You're possibly considering buying this album because you own an AFI album already, and want to explore their work further. If you like Art of Drowning, Sing the Sorrow or their very early albums, then you're likely to enjoy this one. If you're a fan of DecemberUnderground, then maybe not, as this CD was made many years prior to that one [when, in my opinion, they became commercial sell outs].

AFI progressed from juvenile punk to thought-provoking punk in just a few albums; Black Sails In the Sunset is their CD that bridges the gap between one era and the other - possibly because it is the first full-length album that features Jade Puget.

The lyrics are intriguing, with an element of [enjoyable] pretentiousness, as you'll be able to see from some of the titles; the sound is a combination of shouted anthems, screaming interludes, and emotionally-stirring ballads [in a similar vein to Art of Drowning, but with more emphasis on speed and volume].
As with each AFI album, the music stands alone in its own right, although again comparisons can be made to Art of Drowning; clashing cymbals feature heavily, which is great.

The theme of self-harm is more explicit throughout this album than their others - particularly on 'Strength Through Wounding', 'The Last Kiss' and 'No Poetic Device'...just something to keep in mind.

As hoped, there is a hidden track at the end of this album, a song called 'Midnight Sun'; Davey Havok can be heard whispering Baudelair's 'De Profundis Clamavi' [a poem that influenced this track] during the bridge.

Overall, this album is definitely worth buying because it's a great music experience, and tends to grow on people as much as Art of Drowning, due to the similarity in lyrical drive and the raw effort that has clearly gone into creating those CDs. AFI fans who are disappointed with the newer work will especially find some relief in discovering this gem.
Enjoy.