Decemberunderground Explained

Decemberunderground
Type:studio
Artist:AFI
Cover:AFI - Decemberunderground cover.jpg
Border:yes
Released:June 6, 2006
Studio:
  • Conway Recording, Los Angeles, California
  • Sage & Sound Recording, Los Angeles, California
Genre:
Label:Interscope
Producer:Jerry Finn
Prev Title:Sing the Sorrow
Prev Year:2003
Next Title:Crash Love
Next Year:2009

Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American rock band AFI, released on June 6, 2006, through Interscope Records. The album was supported by three singles, "Miss Murder", "Love Like Winter", and "The Missing Frame".

Recording

Over 120 songs were written for the album, the majority of them never finished or released.[4]

Recording took place at Conway Recording Studios and Sage & Sound Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Sessions were produced by Jerry Finn with Joe McGrath handling recording. They were assisted by engineers Seth Waldmann, Jason Gossman, Kevin Mills, Eric Weaver, Dimitar Krnjaic and Keith Armstrong. In addition to Puget's programming and keyboards, Ronan Harris of VNV Nation and Dave McCracken contributed additional programming and keyboards. Finn and Chris Lord-Alge mixed the recordings at Conway Studios and Resonate Music. Ted Jensen mastered the recordings at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Music

Mainly described as a post-hardcore, alternative rock and emo album, Decemberunderground also contains a variety of genre elements, including EDM, new wave, gothic rock, hardcore punk, synthwave and synthpop. Ed Thompson of IGN compared the album to bands such as U2, the Cure, the Smiths, Depeche Mode and Alphaville. Alternative Press compared the album to 1980s synthwave music.

Regarding the album's title, lead singer Davey Havok said, "Decemberunderground is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation."[5] The album's title is sung in a lyric in the song "The Interview".

Release

In late March 2006, the upcoming album was promoted by a cryptic contest known as "The Charlotte Mystery" that culminated in fans who solved the puzzles being invited to April 2006 private shows in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.[6] Alongside this, the album's title was revealed, and was planned for release in three months' time.[7] The album's lead single, "Miss Murder", was released to radio on April 24, 2006.[8] The following day, the artwork and track listing for the album was posted online.[9] The music video for "Miss Murder" premiered through MTV's Overdrive program on May 9, 2006.[10] On May 24, 2006, a 10" picture disc was released featuring "Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37" as the B-side.

In May 2006, they appeared at The Bamboozle and HFStival.[11] [12] Leading up to the album's release, listening parties were held across Canada and the US.[13] Decemberunderground was made available for streaming on May 30, 2006,[14] before being released on June 6, 2006. The iTunes version included "On the Arrow" and a cover of the Morrissey song "Jack the Ripper" (1992) as bonus tracks.[15] Customers who pre-ordered the album at special pre-listening events received a CD of the "Miss Murder" single, which also contained a cover of INXS's song "Don't Change". The first pressing of the CD in the United States contained a limited edition insert with one of four band member portraits.[16]

On June 8, 2006, the band appeared on MTV Movie & TV Awards, where they performed "Miss Murder".[17] Between June and August 2006, the band appeared at select stops on the 2006 Warped Tour and played various headlining shows, with support from the Dillinger Escape Plan and Nightmare of You.[18] [19] [20] Darker My Love supported the last few dates of the tour.[21] In September 2006, the band appeared at the Bumbershoot festival, and went on a brief West Coast US tour with support from Tiger Army.[22] [23] "Love Like Winter" was released to radio on September 25, 2006; the song's music video was posted online two days later.[24] [25] Following this, the band played three shows in Germany, before embarking on a UK tour in October 2006, where they were supported by the Explosion and Dispute.[26] [27] [28]

The album was re-released on November 7, 2006, on 6 "icy clear" 7-inch vinyl. The individual record sleeves featured band member portraits, as well as a portrait of the band's tour manager Smith Puget.[29] That same month, they played three US shows with the Explosion and the Loved Ones that led into a short tour of New Zealand and Australia.[30] [31] They closed out the year headlining the 91X Nightmare Before Xmas radio festival, and playing an AOL Session, where they performed "Endlessly, She Said".[32] [33] On December 12, 2006, the band released the video album I Heard a Voice – Live from Long Beach Arena, which was filmed at Long Beach Arena earlier in the year.[34]

In February 2007, they played a few East Coast shows with Sick of It All, which was followed by a few West Coast shows in the next month with Viva Hate and Love Equals Death.[35] [36] [37] Preceded by one-off show in Mexico, AFI then went on a tour of Europe in April and May 2007, and appeared at Virgin Festival in Canada.[36] [38] [39] AFI held their last concert in promotion of the album at Download Fest in October 2007. Havok and Puget then began to promote their side-project Blaqk Audio before beginning work on the eighth AFI album, Crash Love (2009).

Reception

Critical response

Decemberunderground received generally positive reviews. The review aggregator Metacritic awarded the album a 72 out of 100, based on 15 reviews.

Entertainment Weekly awarded the album a grade of B+, and called it a further development of the band's earlier shift to "an eerie, metal-edged Cure sound", with Decemberunderground representing "the most melodically acute distillation of that style yet," unlike their previous studio album Sing the Sorrow, which they awarded a D. AllMusic awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying the band's "ever-evolving goth-punk" sound is present on Decemberunderground in a "tighter and lighter" form, showing that the "core of AFI's sound never strays too far from what listeners have grown to love about them in the first place."

Rolling Stone awarded the album 3 out of 5 stars, one less star than their review of Sing the Sorrow, and claimed that "something isn't right in the world of AFI," because of their pop-rock musical structure "that would be at home on the soundtrack to the next Spider-Man movie".

Commercial performance and accolades

It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 copies in its first week of being released.[40] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 30, 2006, and has sold at least 993,000 copies in the United States as of September 2009.[41] [42] The album was eligible for platinum certification in 2007 and received it from the RIAA in 2013.[5]

Cleveland.com ranked "Miss Murder" at number 45 on their list of the top 100 pop-punk songs.[43] Alternative Press ranked "Miss Murder" at number 30 on their list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s.[44]

Personnel

Credits for Decemberunderground adapted from the album liner notes.[45] AFI

Additional musicians

Production

Bonus tracks and outtakes

All tracks recorded during the Decemberunderground sessions unless otherwise noted.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)Position
US Billboard 200[51] 77
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[52] 16

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AFI - Burials . Punknews.org . Yancey . Bryne . October 22, 2013.
  2. Web site: With Decemberunderground, AFI rode tacit approval all the way to the top . . McFarland . Kevin . April 15, 2014 . April 12, 2018.
  3. Web site: 21 Emo Albums You Definitely Owned in 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160104163813/http://www.mtv.com/news/2692351/emo-albums-2006/ . dead . January 4, 2016 . mtv.com . Hosken . Patrick . January 1, 2016 .
  4. Feb 17, 2017. Backspin: AFI on 'AFI (The Blood Album)'. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/0vrGn_UsI8c . 2021-12-22 . live. 2020-12-18. Yahoo!. YouTube. 3.
  5. Web site: AFI Official Biography . AFI Official Website . 2006-05-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120224173931/http://www.afireinside.net/bio/ . 2012-02-24 .
  6. News: AFI Fans Surfing, Phoning, Traveling In Cryptic Treasure Hunt. en. MTV News. https://web.archive.org/web/20161222162923/http://www.mtv.com/news/1527079/afi-fans-surfing-phoning-traveling-in-cryptic-treasure-hunt/. dead. December 22, 2016. 2018-11-03.
  7. Web site: AFI confirm tour date, album title; talk about 'scavenger hunt'. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. March 29, 2006. January 23, 2022.
  8. Web site: AFI to release first single on April 24th. Punknews.org. August, Justin. March 23, 2006. January 22, 2022.
  9. Web site: AFI posts track listing, artwork for 'Decemberunderground'. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. April 25, 2006. January 23, 2022.
  10. Web site: AFI's 'Miss Murder' featured on MTV Overdrive. Punknews.org. White, Adam. May 9, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  11. Web site: AFI, Desole, Pink Spiders, Alexisonfire, Riverboat Gambers, Envy on the Coast added to Bamboozle. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. March 9, 2006. January 22, 2022.
  12. Web site: AFI, Panic! At the Disco, Boy Sets Fire, Rise Against, Misfits, Riverboat Gamblers, others at HFStiv. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. April 3, 2006. January 23, 2022.
  13. Web site: AFI plans nationwide listening parties. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. May 2, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  14. Web site: Full album stream for AFI's 'Decemberunderground'. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. May 30, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  15. Web site: AFI planning two bonus tracks for iTunes. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. May 24, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  16. http://www.afireinside.net/news/default.aspx/nid/1989 AFI | Official Site
  17. Web site: AFI plan MTV movie awards, talk about delay between albums. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. May 8, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  18. Web site: AFI on select Warped Tour dates. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. March 3, 2006. January 22, 2022.
  19. Web site: AFI on summer tour; Warped Tour, Bamboozle, 89X Bash, others. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. April 19, 2006. January 23, 2022.
  20. Web site: AFI / Dillinger Escape Plan / Nightmare of You. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. April 24, 2006. January 23, 2022.
  21. Web site: Darker My Love plans Spaceland Residency, dates with AFI. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. June 3, 2006. January 24, 2022.
  22. Web site: For The Record: Quick News On Kanye West, Hawthorne Heights, Fred Durst, Korn, Dilated Peoples, Jermaine Dupri & More. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730122329/https://www.mtv.com/news/dmwl2l/for-the-record-quick-news-on-kanye-west-hawthorne-heights-fred-durst-korn-dilated-peoples-jermaine-dupri-more. MTV. April 12, 2006. July 30, 2022. July 30, 2022.
  23. Web site: AFI / Tiger Army. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. August 4, 2006. January 30, 2022.
  24. Web site: FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock . Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated . October 30, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142732/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 . March 22, 2013 .
  25. Web site: AFI posts 'Love Like Winter' video. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. September 27, 2006. January 31, 2022.
  26. Web site: AFI (Germany/UK). Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. June 27, 2006. January 29, 2022.
  27. Web site: The Explosion with Rancid (US) and AFI (UK). Punknews.org. White, Adam. August 7, 2006. January 30, 2022.
  28. Web site: Dispute to support AFI, Explosion in Europe. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. September 19, 2006. January 31, 2022.
  29. http://www.cinderblock.com/wc.dll?WebStore%7ERViewItem%7EAFI%7EAFI-BOX1%7ESID=11 [7]
  30. Web site: AFI (Australia). Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. September 14, 2006. January 31, 2022.
  31. Web site: AFI / The Explosion / The Loved Ones. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. September 29, 2006. February 1, 2022.
  32. Web site: The Early November post new video. Punknews.org. Reinecker, Meg. October 31, 2006. February 3, 2022.
  33. Web site: AFI covers Bowie for AOL Sessions. Punknews.org. Moran, Chris. December 28, 2006. February 7, 2022.
  34. Web site: AFI posts trailer for DVD. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. December 12, 2006. February 7, 2022.
  35. Web site: AFI / Sick of it All. Punknews.org. Moran, Chris. November 29, 2006. February 7, 2022.
  36. Web site: AFI (Europe, USA). Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. January 24, 2007. February 8, 2022.
  37. Web site: Love Equals Death with AFI, Smoke or Fire. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. February 6, 2007. February 10, 2022.
  38. Web site: AFI adds Mexican show. Punknews.org. White, Adam. March 4, 2007. February 13, 2022.
  39. Web site: Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, AFI, Rise Against, Hot Hot Heat to appear at Virgin Fesivals. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. March 16, 2007. February 13, 2022.
  40. News: AFI Burns Brightly With No. 1 Debut . . 2006-06-14.
  41. Web site: Gold and Platinum Database Search . https://archive.today/20130202071516/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Decemberunderground&artist=afi&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 . dead . 2013-02-02 . Recording Industry Association of America. 2009-08-07 .
  42. Wood, Mikael. "AFI Revs Up The Rock On 'Crash Course'". Billboard September 14, 2009.
  43. Web site: The 100 greatest pop punk songs of all time. https://web.archive.org/web/20220303183529/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/03/the-100-greatest-pop-punk-songs-of-all-time.html. Cleveland.com. Smith, Troy L.. March 2, 2022. March 3, 2022. March 3, 2022.
  44. Web site: At The Drive-In's 'One Armed Scissor' tops AP's 'Haircut 100' singles countdown. Punknews.org. Paul, Aubin. November 20, 2009. October 13, 2022.
  45. Decemberunderground . . 2006. Booklet. Interscope Records. 9858643.
  46. Web site: Paul. Aubin. 2005. AFI cancels Big Day Out appearance. 2020-12-14. Punknews.org. en.
  47. Web site: Paul. Aubin. 2007. AFI detail upcoming EP. 2020-12-14. Punknews.org. en.
  48. Web site: 2007. AFI plans new EP, rarity for 'Guitar Hero III'. 2020-12-14. Punknews.org. en.
  49. AFI. 2020-12-14. Billboard.
  50. AFI. 2020-12-14. Billboard.
  51. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006. Billboard. January 2, 2013. August 15, 2021.
  52. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2006. Billboard. January 2, 2013. August 15, 2021.

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