Sensations Press

Sensations Press is a one-stop shop for all things music. We provide music news, reviews, and interviews, as well as showcasing photography and other forms of media. business inquiries: [email protected] Please don't hesitate to contact us! Tweets by @SensationsPress !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");

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Emarosa- We Will Detonate Tour- The Fillmore- 5/3/17- Silver Spring, MD

Photos by: Maggie Friedman (maggie london photography)

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Sum 41- We Will Detonate Tour- The Fillmore- 5/3/17- Silver Spring, MD

Photos by: Maggie Friedman (maggie london photography)

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Of Mice & Men released a new song called “Unbreakable”.

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Riot Fest tickets are on sale!

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Check out Paramore’s new single, Hard Times. After Laughter is available on May 12th.

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AFI & Circa Survive are heading out with Citizen this summer.

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Here’s the lineup for Vans Warped Tour 2017!

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Pierce the Veil are heading out with Sum 41, Emarosa, and Chapel. Check out the dates above!

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All Time Low announced a summer tour with support from SWMRS, Night Riots, Waterparks, and The Wrecks.

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AFI- The Blood Tour- Rams Head Live- 2/8/17- Baltimore, MD

Photos by: Maggie Friedman (maggie london photography)

More photos can be viewed at: http://maggielondonphoto.wixsite.com/portfolio/single-post/2017/02/14/AFI–Rams-Head-Live–2817

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AFI- The Blood Tour- Rams Head Live- 2/8/17- Baltimore, MD

Photos by: Maggie Friedman (maggie london photography)

More photos can be viewed at: http://maggielondonphoto.wixsite.com/portfolio/single-post/2017/02/14/AFI--Rams-Head-Live--2817

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Check out the full So What! Music Festival lineup above!

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As It Is are heading out with Roam and Grayscale in the spring. Check out the dates below!

Apr 26 New Jersey, NJ - Gamechanger World Apr 27 New York, NY - Webster Hall (Marlin Room) Apr 28 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall Apr 29 Montreal, QC - Turbo Haus Apr 30 Toronto, ON - Hard Luck Bar May 2 Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache at Intersection May 3 Chicago, IL - Subterranean May 4 Minneapolis, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall May 5 Lincoln, NE - Vega May 6 Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep May 7 Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex May 9 Portland, OR - Analog Theater May 10 Seattle, WA - The Funhouse May 12 Reno, NV - Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor May 13 Oakland, CA - Metro Operahouse May 14 West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy May 16 Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction May 17 San Diego, CA - SOMA May 18 Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock May 20 Dallas, TX - The Prophet Bar May 21 San Antonio, TX - Jack’s Patio Bar & Grill May 22 Houston, TX - Walter’s Downtown May 24 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell) May 25 Nashville, TN - The End May 26 Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater May 27 Columbus, OH - Double Happiness

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Muse are heading out with Thirty Seconds to Mars and PVRIS. Check out the dates above.

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Memphis May Fire are heading out with Blessthefall, The Color Morale, Sylar, and Bad Seed Rising. Check out the dates above!

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I See Stars are heading out with Echos for the Treehouse Tour.

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           AFI are a lot like Green Day.  Both bands released a lot of music in the 90’s that people will claim was the peak of their success.  Both released albums in the early 2000’s that re-boosted their careers.  Both of those albums were followed by albums that were lackluster by comparison.  The two bands have toured together, even seeing Davey Havok come onstage to sing “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?”  Frontmen Billie Joe Armstrong and Havok both had stints playing Saint Jimmy in the stage-adaption of Green Day’s American Idiot.  Lastly, both bands had pretty passable comeback albums within the past six months. While AFI probably won’t have the same fanfare that Green Day’s had during their return to the spotlight, their latest effort AFI (The Blood Album) is worth the listen.

           Like a number of people in their early 20’s, my first exposure to AFI was with the “Miss Murder” and “Love Like Winter” videos, and The Blood Album certainly plays off a certain level of nostalgia for those that loved the Decemberunderground era.  “Dark Snow” is more of a full-fledged song than “Prelude 12/21,” but Havok’s singing is more of a chant and the “oh’s” at the end certainly make the song only serve as an introduction.  In fact, most of the album sounds in line with the likes of Decemberunderground and Sing the Sorrow.  The bridge of “Still a Stranger” almost has Havok screaming what sounds like a goth break up anthem.  “Dumb Kids” even feels like a nod to the band’s work in the 90’s.  The Blood Album’s two best songs are in the dead center of the album.  “So Beneath You” is a furious anti-church album that sees Havok taunting, “strike me down.”  Havok’s lyrics are cliché, but he delivers them with such fury that it’s impossible not to get enticed.  “Snow Cats” is much less focused thematically, but Havok’s warbly vocals are reminiscent of the early aughts era of AFI, plus Jade Puget’s solo compliments it nicely.

           The album does lose its rhythm in the back half.  “White Offerings” sounds like the nu-metal stylings of Trapt, and “Feed From the Floor” is a weak attempt at gothy pop-rock.  “Feed from the Floor” sounds like a bad rip off of Nothing (who will be touring with AFI this Winter).  “Pink Eyes” should have served as the album closer.  It’s very reminiscent of great post-punk, and it has some great guitar licks from Puget, while having the hugeness that made AFI great in the first place.  Instead, the album closes on “The Wind that Carries Me Away,” a blues song with bad middle school Myspace poetry for lyrics.

           While the similarities between both Green Day and AFI can be made, there should be one difference to be highlighted: Green Day are a group of global, stadium-level Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, and AFI, well, they’ve opened for Green Day.  Maybe, that’s for the best.

By Jimmy Crowley