AFI – Black Sails in the Sunset (25th Anniversary – Neon Orange LP) REVIEW
15th August 2024Black Sails in the Sunset by AFI is a record that knows how to work its listeners, hitting all the right spots with a perfect blend of raw aggression and dark, seductive allure. Celebrating 25 years of the band’s gothic-punk masterpiece, this Neon Orange LP is a sight to behold.
The vibrant vinyl practically glows, enticing you to run your hands over it, savoring every detail as it spins beneath your fingertips. The grooves of the record feel as smooth as the music itself, and once you drop the needle, you’re in for a wild ride.
From the opening track, “Strength Through Wounding,” the music thrusts you into a feverish frenzy, each riff sliding in with precision and force. The sharp guitars and pounding drums create a rhythm that’s impossible to resist, building tension with every song as Davey Havok’s voice alternates between seductive whispers and primal screams. His delivery on tracks like “The Prayer Position” is powerful and full of yearning, wrapping around you like a firm embrace, pulling you deeper into the album’s tight grasp.
Songs like “Malleus Maleficarum” are fast, furious, and relentless, while others like “God Called in Sick Today” offer a slow, deliberate build-up, teasing you with anticipation until it reaches a soul-shaking climax. The album as a whole delivers a satisfying mix of hard-hitting anthems and brooding melodies, leaving you breathless by the time it’s finished.
Black Sails in the Sunset may be celebrating 25 years, but it still delivers the same electrifying experience it always has.
This special edition LP is for those who crave music with intensity, passion, and just the right amount of darkness—an experience that draws you in, making sure you’ll return for more. As the last time someone didn’t, a clown with a hollow laugh, and a red balloon with his hands stained appeared at the door.
Score 7/10
Track List
Side A:
Strength Through Wounding
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
Exsanguination
Malleus Maleficarum
Narrative Of Soul Against Soul
Clove Smoke Catharsis
The Prayer Position
No Poetic Position
Side B:
Weathered Tome
The Last Kiss
At A Glance
God Called In Sick Today
Midnight Sun
Lower It
Who Knew?
Weight Of Words
Label – Craft Recordings
Release – 2nd August 2024
