Brisbane’s pop-punk upstarts Two Times Shy are soaring lofty heights as they let loose their …
Anti-Flag are a band who have existed on the fringes of the popular mainstream for over two decades.
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This is not a failing of a band reaching for the spotlight; rather it is a crazy anomaly in the system of checks-and-balances that would normally keep a band like Anti-Flag firmly in the underground until they died. They are a punk band, in the most specific possible meaning, complete with memorably stupid stage-names, extremely Punk-with-a-capital-P visuals, and a 25-year back-catalogue teeming with bouncy, four-chord songs about sticking it to The Man. But more than that, Anti-Flag have always meant every word they sing, standing as one of the most seditious bands ever to be signed to a major label. They have pedigree and–thanks in no small part to the members’ various activism and charity endeavours–credibility, and with their upcoming album 20/20 Vision they are as clear and energised in their message as they have been since their 1996 debut.
Announcing the release of their 12th album in October via Facebook, the band touts the themes of the record clearly as one “that aims to draw a line in the sand against the fascistic hate mongering of the Trump administration and all global political leaders that use racist, Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic or bigoted agendas to create a culture of fear and disillusionment to maintain their power.” It is a strong and timely message, delivered with passion and rage and no small amount of anarchistic hope, and the band have channelled a lifetime of punk-rock history into a punchy, anthemic package.
What we’ve seen with this White House is that there’s no grey area anymore.
[ Justin Sane ]
They aren’t a gloomy band, by any stretch of the imagination, and Anti-Flag have always held firm on their message of resistance and inclusion. You aren’t meant to step away from their music feeling hopeless for the future; you are meant to step away ready to fight for one. But this is angry music, make no mistake. This is a “fuck you” to the governments of the world and a portent of mayhem for anybody who is listening with the right kind of ears.
“This record is a warning to people holding neo-fascist ideas or people who are enabling these types of positions,” guitarist Justin Sane opines. “You need to make a choice at this point. What we’ve seen with this White House is that there’s no grey area anymore.”
As far as punk bands go, there aren’t many with the staying power of Anti-Flag, and this has been in part thanks to their preference for writing about timeless topics of injustice and rebellion. They can maintain their vision of their music without dating it too specifically by never naming their targets. But this time they have shied very consciously from that to make a statement about the here-and-now.
“We have actively chosen not to attack Presidents directly, either with album art or songs about certain times in history, because we recognise that the issues we’re dealing with are cyclical,” says bassist Chris #2, “but this record in particular, we kind of said ‘well fuck that, we need to be on the record in opposition to the policies of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.’”
“We hope that when someone trips over this record in the sand of the post-apocalypse, they’ll know that there were people who once stood in opposition to all of this,” Chris #2 adds.
And so this album trades any quaint notions of subtlety for bilious fury and irascible sarcasm. Tracks like Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down and Resistance Frequencies are rock and roll good-time jams primed for festival audiences across the world while songs like A Nation Sleeps and recent single Hate Conquers All spit and snarl with hardcore freneticism. The band tackles big-issue topics and home-town troubles with equal ferocity and there is a credible rebellious spirit that shines on this album as much as it does when the band talk about their music.
With production duties handled by talented engineer and From First To Last guitarist Matt Good, 20/20 Vision is a rollicking punk-rock masterclass taking reference from classic bands and styles with the kind of adolescent enthusiasm that marks this breed of punk music. The album is out now as the Pittsburgh punks kick off a European tour, and they no doubt have eyes on Australia as our nation becomes very publicly divided by issues they so loudly protest on this very album. It is timely, it speaks to worldwide concerns, and it is the work of a band who have been warning us all for a very long time.
20/20 Vision is out now via Caroline Australia.
