All Things Anti Flag
Happy New Year everyone and we are under starters orders as our dear friends Anti Flag kick things off with the proverbial bang. Cunningly titled ‘2020 Vision’ we find ourselves wallowing in the same misery despite our efforts and we don’t seem to have turned a corner. Thank fuck for this timely reminder then folks, as we ring in the new year with songs from our socially aware and passionate and take no prisoners band, who excel in the art of expression.
Their songs are simple but not simplistic, in fact we are faced with highly complex ideas which are told in a fashion that we can understand and hopefully learn from and act in the correct manner.
‘Hate Conquers All’ opens this record with our own Funcle Trump giving his tuppence worth, like him or loathe him, people find his views attractive just as much as those who find him abhorrent. Anti -Flag have always supported the vulnerable, the weak and the marginalised, they offer a home, they offer sustenance, they offer peace. They have no fear in calling out the wrong-doers and they have no fear in trying to right the wrongs. They are brave, generous and accepting in their attitude and their vision for a better world for us all. God bless Anti Flag!
The sparkling and spine-tingling ‘It Went Off Like A Bomb’ is just superb, with verse and chorus combining quite deliciously to wake you and shake you.
The title track appeals for better days, it fills us with hope and comforts our wounds like a soothing ointment. With optimistic lyrics to leave you misty-eyed ‘no more hate, no division’ just breathe it all in folks. Inspired by the hate that white supremacy brings , we have ‘Christian Nationalist’ with a look at the nasty side of human nature in the unsavoury lyric ‘you got queers to convert’, and teamed with the scathing chant of ‘we all know who you are’ this brings us all together, unified. I think this song can apply to other extremist groups too. The riffs here are mighty fine, especially on ‘The Disease’, it is contagious and will chase you down until you succumb. The fight continues with a barrage of insults in ‘You Make Me Sick’ and you can guess where this is headed, so let’s sock it to them good and proper folks!
With ‘Un-American’ we see the harsh reality of the American Dream, which is more of a nightmare for many and how ‘ no peace comes from a greedy hand’ is explicit in its delivery, immersed in sadness yet thoughtful and sympathetic. There is nothing star spangled here my friends. Once again these guys know how to make you sit up and listen, I recall my interview with Chris No.2 in 2018 and how the band are spirited in their efforts to heal our world, they admit that it is not down to just them but at least their legacy will prove that they cared. They are a band of everyday heroes, in a corrupt and unfair society.
Don’t be shy ladies and gents, it’s time to wave your Anti Flag.
Anti Flag – 20/20 Vision out now via Spinefarm Records.