AFI have released their eagerly-awaited new album Bodies, via Rise Records, marking their 11th studio album and the first since 2017.
“We are thrilled to finally see the release of Bodies,” AFI frontman Davey Havok said of the record. “For so long, we’ve wanted this record to be yours. Now it is.”
The new tunes are already getting the thumbs up from music critics, with SPIN praising the band for “fusing some experimental new steps into the tried and true AFI formula,” and calling their music “one of the most distinct and recognisable sounds today.”
Alternative Press also gave the new album a glowing review, noting that “AFI dish out sombre edge with outright elegance.”
Speaking of the band’s longevity and their shift in musical styles over the years, Havok said, “AFI is such an integral part of who I am. What we do with AFI together is a foundation for me. Coming back is a return to a home I’ve always known.”
It’s a sentiment shared by the entire band, who first formed as a punk group in 1991 when the band’s four founding members were attending high school in Ukiah.
“I couldn’t do what I do in AFI in any other place,” guitarist Jade Puget added of being a part of the group.
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“Davey and I have written songs together for over 20 years now. I couldn’t find the thing he and I have together anywhere else, nor the thing the four of us have when we come together. AFI is home for me and will always be that.”
Drummer Adam Carson concurred, saying, “At this point, it’s not even a choice. It’s just what I do.
“I started this band with Davey when I was 16. It’s something that I love so much. It’s just a part of me.”
I’m feeling a lot of excitement and gratitude…@AFI’s 11th studio album (my 9th with the band) is out now! I still can’t believe that I get to make music for a living. pic.twitter.com/2AwuGG65us
— Hunter Burgan (@TranquilMammoth) June 12, 2021
Bassist Hunter Burgan, added, “Every album is an opportunity to show people a snapshot of our evolution.
“And with this band, it’s always something fresh. We’ve been playing together for so long that I have a deep understanding of each of my bandmates‘ musical styles, and yet I am still pleasantly surprised by the new things they bring to each record.”
“Anyone who knows our catalogue knows that no two records really sit together,” Puget pointed out.
“Some sit a little closer, maybe. We do certain things, just by virtue of who we are, that are consistent, but those things come about organically. Every time we do something, I have to judge it on its own merits.
He added, “Some fans are going to judge a new album, or a new song, based on what’s come before. But as artists, we can’t do that, because it would only hinder our creativity.”
AFI’s Bodies is out now.
Check out ‘Far Too Near’ by AFI:
