DECEMBER- UNDERGROUND - AFI
On “December- underground,” AFI is comfortable whether flaunting minimalist hardcore attire (”Kill Caustic”) or donning poppier modern threads (”Summer Shudder”). The California quartet tightly knits genres together, keeping the sonic patterns from becoming too busy. “Miss Murder” meshes Green Day’s “Minority” with the bouncing tempo of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” “The Missing Frame” is the piece de resistance: ’80s New Wave synths and “oh, oh, oh” shout-outs that evoke U2 for a rousing anthem. Then there’s “Prelude 12/21,” whose music-box chime and thunking undertone make it an unsettling lullaby. There is plenty to love here.Billboard
