The General Strike by Anti-Flag (Side One Dummy Records)

Political antics is something not estranged to Anti-Flag. The only difference is that Anti-Flag has never beaten around the bush at it. They try and stay as politically and as up to date as possible. They are the band that stands up and wants a challenging fight for the underclass and underdog. They sum up the scenes in real life that are happening politically around us. There are so many reasons to be scared from how the state of society is these days. Riots and shooting and robberies you would think we were in a war zone locally. This doesn’t even begin the argument of where freedom of speech lies that seems to want to be slammed down us to be quiet instead of fighting back at least verbally. It’s not just here in the states with the Occupy Movement but it’s all over the world stuff going on as well. Mayhem, protest and demonstrations have gotten out of hand. So political charged musicians like Anti-Flag have started to have their say too.

Right from the start of this CD it’s heavy in politics with a twenty second rage of attack on the judicial process that is happening in the United States. The other 11 tracks that follow this discuss openly stated views about social issues in the United States, economic protest and middle–east violence are all at a very out spoken in the lyrics. You need to retain a strong political mind listening on this cd. This marks the bands ninth release. Besides the great messages throughout the CD, the music is melodic punk with some innovative arrangements and with different instruments being over aggressive at times. So this aggressive message outcry for real listening and then doing something afterwards will either get you politically charged and involved or it will get you bouncing all over your room maybe even to tear up things and throw them around in a frenzy. Some of the best songs here are: Nothing Recedes Like Progress, The Ranks Of The Masses Rising, Broken Bones and The Neoliberal Anthem (which would make for a great video). 2012 is here and we are all living in it as this band tells it like it really is. The is a standout Cd just like Green Day’s hit American Idiot.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

THE PEOPLE OR THE GUN by ANTI-FLAG (Side One Dummy Records)

Bush might be gone out of office but the influence of anger and frustration still hits punk bands. Waves of anti government, fighting for the people and sticking up for the poor are still anthems of Anti-Flag, even with this CD. With such new songs as On Independence Day and The Old Guard, you feel disrespect and freedom from the regime of the old ways the Bush government was. The record is up to date though with the songs The Economy Is Suffering… Let It Die, We Are The One, and The Great Depression. Anti-Flag has been telling things like it is and this CD proves that. Go see them and support the punk movement with them on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour.  (Jonathan D. Wright)