I listened to every album back to back. Here’s what happened

So just got back from Australia. On the flights back to the UK I decided to listened to every album back to back, and then write anything that came into my head while listenening. These aren’t reviews just random musings. That may or more than likely may not be of interest, anyhoo, enjoy…

PERTH TO HONG KONG

Answer That And Stay Fashionable.

! My god this album sounds awful on Spotify. Definitely not my headphones. Can go back to itunes for the rest. For some reason I didn’t put this album on my phone. Actually do have a soft spot for this album. It’s grown on me over the years, even if it does have some questionable lyrics.

! Ahh yurf rendenmein. Think I prefer the VPOY version.

! Cereal Wars, lyrical genius right there :joy:. I know, it was written while they were in school yada yada. Don’t mess with hungry teenagers!

! Sound quality hasn’t improved

! Mr White loses his shit. Really need to watch Resevoir Dogs again. Must be at least 10 years

! Pause button hit. Baby bed has turned up. Better get kiddo settled before he announces to the whole flight that he is on board in that high pitched baby shout that everyone loves so much…

! Back in the game. Wonder if I’d even be listening to this album now had they remained with this sound. Probably not. Nothing bad about it, just really wasn’t my thing when I was 16. I appreciate it more now.

! Bands van has broken down. Keep meaning to watch the movie just for the sake of this album. I forget what it’s called. Will Google it when I get off the flight.

! Funky bass lines. Probably the best thing about the early albums. Not saying Hunter doesn’t do funky bass, but it was a lot more noticeable with the first couple of records

! High School Football Hero. I’m British. This song has literally zero meaning to me

Very Proud Of Ya!

! I need to find a better recording of No Dave Party. It’s a cool little Easter egg.

! This is more like it, doesn’t sound like I’m listening to the album in speakers that used to get down the market for a quid back in the day.

! While this might be many people’s least favourite AFI album and it is probably mine purely because it’s basically just an expanded ATASF. I do like the recording sound to it. It’s got a kind of muted quality to it, like someone has turned the white noise down to zero. It just sounds unique when compared to the rest of their stuff.

! Not much else to say at the minute . Foods arrived. I can have wine with my meal. Hopefully that will put me to sleep. The meat options were crap so I’ve gone veggie (just because I eat meat doesn’t mean I have to at every opportunity). Actually really tasty for plane food.

! Thinking this may have been a bad idea. I’ll be hitting Shut your mouth or Black Sails around the time I’m planning on sleeping. They aren’t exactly chill out albums. There were more than a couple of occasions back in the day when I was dozing off and then jumped out of my half asleep skin when God Called In Sick Today transitions into Midnight Sun.

! Think This Secret Ninja May be my favourite song on the album. Lucky enough to have seen it live. I’m pretty sure I have anyway. I’m now having second thoughts.

! Fuck you very much

! Yep, still prefer this version of Yerf Rendenmein

Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes

! This is an underrated intro song

! A Single Second is an absolute banger

! Definitely not a sleep album, however, that tired now, it’s doing a fair job

! That’s about it for this one. It’s solid without being standout. There are some strong moments to it, but just lacking something overall. Time for a nap.

Black Sails In The Sunset

! Nap was short lived, but now we’re talking. Really wish I could see Strength through wounding live

! Black Sails through to Sing The Sorrow was a godlike era.

! When I first got into this album i always missed the flow from porphyria into exsanguination and then got confused as to which song I was listening to

! I love prayer position. Thankfully seen this one live. Definitely!

! God called in sick today! Think I dozed off, don’t remember anything after prayer position.

! Bloody midnight sun. It’s done it again!

The Art Of Drowning

! My favourite album, by a hairs breadth. Wasn’t always that way. Took me ages to get into it. Think it was only that I loved days of the Phoenix so much that I persevered with it. Worth it in the end.

! Ever and a day always reminds me of one ex, whose MySpace name was ‘Sweet Calamity’

! Days of the Phoenix. The reason this whole obsession started. Never thought it would go this far. Just heard a song around 17 years ago that I loved and that was that. Seen this song every time I’ve seen them live (9)

! Wester. Another standout track from the album

! For the longest time I really disliked 6 to 8. Just wasn’t for me. I don’t dislike it quite so much now. I don’t skip it any more!

! Despair Factor. Another standout song. After days of the Phoenix, Morningstar was the next to jump at me, followed by The Despair Factor, then one by one over time tracks started to hit me.

! Only thing I dislike about Morningstar is the massive gap after it. Secret songs are cool n all, but it’s a pain in the ass when you want to just listen to that one song, or create a playlist.

HONG KONG TO LONDON

Sing The Sorrow

! Kiddo is wide awake, I need a distraction. This’ll do!

! I still remember the very first time I listened to this album. Where I was, what I was doing. In the car on the way home after skipping college to go pick up the album on release day. Straight from the off Miseria Cantare blew me away. It remains my favourite intro. Was also the opener the first couple of times I saw them live. It still on occasions gives me goosebumps listening to it if I’m in the right mood.

! The opening from the first time I saw them live (Miseria Cantare, Lost Souls, Prayer Position) is the start to any AFI playlist I make about 95% of the time. It was that strong of an opening.

! I’ve got a new found love for Leaving Song pt 2 after seeing them back in May. I love it when seeing a song live does that.

! Think Dancing through Sunday might be my least favourite song on the album

! The Great Disappointment is massively underrated. This and leaving song are the only standard songs I’ve not seen them play live.

! But Home Is Nowhere is another song I never fully appreciated until I saw it live. Now it’s another staple of the playlists I make.

! Of all the b-sides/bonus tracks they’ve done on albums I think Synethesia May be my favourite. I’m listening to the UK version. I can’t listen to any other version. Just doesn’t feel right not having synethesia or now the world in there.

Decemberumderground

! Aka the comedown album. Atleast for me anyway. Tried and tried to like it as much as Sing the Sorrow. Never happened.

! Lou Koller pulls off the Kill Caustic screams better than Dave Havok. Just suits him better. Another live reference.

! I rarely listen to this version of Miss Murder. I’ve got a copy where both the clean and non clean bridges have been stuck together back to back and it works a treat

! Still don’t like the phone number bit in Affliction

! 37mm is a great song, as is Endlessly she said. Got a soft spot for that one.

! Rabbits are roadkill is a cool bonus track. I can take or leave the head like a hole cover.

Crash Love

! Torch Song is a really strong opener. First time since VPOY that they’ve just dived straight in without an intro song. The album just doesn’t really need an ‘intro song’ with an opener like that.

! End Transmission is the standout. Think most people tend to pick it out as an album standout. I won’t argue with that one. One of the best songs they’ve done in the last 10 years.

! The same unfortunately cannot be said for Too Shy To Scream. Chorus annoys the tits out of me.

! I actually make my own cut of the album. Remove Too shy to scream, Veronica Sawyer smokes and I am Trying Very Hard To Be Here and replace them with We’ve Got The Knife, Where we used to play/Ether and Too Late For Gods and it’s a much more pleasant listen

! Flash flash car crash. What were they thinking!

! Make a mix of your favourite songs from crash love, burials and the blood album. You’ll find that the how they sound and fit together works a lot more than you’d expect

Burials

! A return to form for some, a continuation of the downward spiral for others. I’m in the first group. Intro song is back. I’d love to hear the full 5 minute version that they had in mind for it.

! I hope you suffer is actually one of my favourite AFI songs. Surprising because I don’t really go for the singles, but there we go.

! Not a popular opinion with some, but heart stops is the only blotch on an otherwise solid album. Just don’t like it. The tone just changes too much from the rest of the album for me and it grates on me like Too Shy To Scream.

! The Embrace is another super underrated song. It’s amazing.

! I love Wild. It’s like AFI got into a fight with a Super Nintendo and this was the outcome.

! How epic is The Face Beneath The Waves?! They outdone themselves with that one

Blood Album

! Album number 10 for the trip. I like this album. It’s not amazing but it’s pretty consistent

! Aurelia is amazing mind you. Ok the lyrics of the chorus are repetitive. But when the music is that good you can get passed that

! Ironically given how much I like Aurelia above the bridge doesn’t do it for me. Like the music, but this time the lyrics do just get on my nerves a bit too much.

! So beneath you was the song that instantly jumped out at me on the album on first listen. It’s probably in my top 3 for the album.

! I like the aggression to white offerings although as much as I like it’s just not as good as say their black Sails hardcore stuff. We’re not that band anymore but this will hopefully appease you a bit kind of thing.

! We’ve come to an end. Don’t think I’ve tried to listen to all 10 albums in less than 24 hours before. Not sure when I’m likely to do it again. It’s been a fun journey. Normally when I try this sort of thing I get bored after an hour.

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Loved it Bro! I’d rather die than be on flights that long though…my back hurt just thinking about it.

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The closest thing I’ve ever been on or ridden on was the 18hr drive to Daytona, FL. However, I was the only AFI addict during that drive.

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I listened to all their albums for Dave’s birthday. I felt I had to do something for it, then for Jade’s birthday I tried to learn some of their songs on guitar, I did the intro to Dancing Through Sunday, I felt accomplished

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I’m going to admit that I’m not a huge fan of anything before BSITS, so I don’t really listen to those albums. If they come on randomly I’m not mad, but I’m not going to go out of my way to listen to them.

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Awesome job @Hammonds, think I’ve managed this across 2 days at work. Love the comments too!

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I’ve attempted a similar feat before because I needed to convince one of my friends to go to the NYC AFI show with me after another friend canceled a week or less before the show. He had already known about my obsession with AFI but we haven’t discussed it in depth. I told him that I had this ticket/how my friend bailed and at first he was a little iffy because the weather that day was supposed to be AWFUL (and it was). However, he said he’d give it a shot and asked me what albums he should check out. So I told him to start from Black Sails in the Sunset and that I would re-listen to them too since I needed to prepare for the show. It was definitely interesting listening to his perspective because he’s a very analytical dude; I remember staying up very very very late. Needless to say, it ended up working out in my favor and we did go to the show together! It was a lot of fun and he said he’d never been to a concert that intense before (granted we did end up front and center in front of Davey for majority of the show).

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@Alina Hahahaha, I know who you’re talking about, and I remember how excited he was when I saw you guys that Monday following the show.

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