Craft Recordings celebrates the 25th anniversary of AFI’s formative studio album, Black Sails in the Sunset, with a special vinyl reissue. Originally released in 1999, the album marked the band’s first release to feature their current lineup. Available July 19th, this expanded edition features fan favorites “Malleus Maleficarum,” “Porphyria” and “The Prayer Position,” plus three bonus tracks: the previously unreleased “Weight of Words,” rarity “Who Knew?” (originally issued as a Japanese B-side) and the vinyl-exclusive “Lower It.”
In addition to a wide Neon Orange pressing, fans can also find several limited color variants of Black Sails in the Sunset, including a “Sunspot” variant (available exclusively through AFI’s official store), “Tropical Sunset” (via Craft Recordings/Nitro Records) and “Oriole” (Revolver). Click here to pre-order the album today.
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Formed in 1991 by California high school students Davey Havok (vocals) and Adam Carson (drums, backing vocals), AFI (short for A Fire Inside) began as a hardcore act. After gaining traction in the Bay Area scene and releasing their 1995 debut, Answer That and Stay Fashionable, the band signed to Nitro Records. Over the next few years, AFI built a steady following through releases like 1997’s Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and 1998’s A Fire Inside EP, while they cemented their long-running lineup with the addition of bassist Hunter Burgan in 1997 and, finally, guitarist Jade Puget in 1998.
The band’s sound was evolving as well, as they began to move beyond their hardcore roots. That creative evolution would become most apparent with their fourth studio album, 1999’s Black Sails in the Sunset. “Black Sails definitely set the tone of what AFI is,” said Havok in a 2017 Yahoo! interview. “When people envision AFI, whether they picture what we sound like, or look like, or what a show is ... they’re picturing what began at Black Sails in the Sunset.”
The 12-track album marked a significant stylistic shift for the band, as they ventured into increasingly melodic territory. The breadth of their songwriting is showcased in such standout tracks as the menacing “Malleus Maleficarum,” the breakneck “Porphyria” and the dramatic, anthemic opener, “Strength Through Wounding.” The group also reveals their softer side through songs like “Clove Smoke Catharsis,” in which Havok delivers a melancholic and emotionally raw vocal performance, and the impassioned ballad “God Called in Sick Today.”
Reflecting on the album turning 25, Havok notes “Black Sails will always be very dear to me. It represents the most profound artistic turning point of the band. With this record came Hunter’s permanence and Jade’s arrival. It is the inchoate definition of what AFI would become and is today.” adding with regards to the never-before-released bonus track “Weight of Words” is one of my favorites from the session. On this edition it may be heard for the first time.”
Black Sails in the Sunset has long been hailed as a turning point in AFI’s prolific career. Upon its release, Alternative Press gave the album 4.5/5 stars, declaring it “their first epic. . . . With longer, deeper, richer, more complex compositions than they’ve ever attempted before, Black Sails tackles everything from brooding hardcore... to shimmering balladry.” Over the years, the album has been reflected upon fondly by the likes of Neil Strauss at the New York Times (who called it AFI’s “artistic breakthrough... in which Davey Havok developed into a singer and songwriter of substance”) and the UK’s Metal Hammer, which included Black Sails in the Sunset on their 20 Best Metal Albums of 1999 roundup, writing “Davey Havok and co truly embraced the dark side. . . . AFI’s great transformation was underway.”
In the years following Black Sails in the Sunset, AFI found significant commercial success, breaking into the mainstream with Platinum-selling albums like 2003’s Sing the Sorrow and 2006’s Decemberunderground, which topped the Billboard 200. Along the way, the band scored a variety of hit singles, including “Girl’s Not Grey,” “Love Like Winter,” “Medicate” and “Miss Murder,” which landed atop Billboard’s Alternative chart in 2006.
Today, with 11 studio albums, 10 EPs, four MTV Video Music Awards and a GRAMMY® nomination to their name, AFI shows no signs of slowing down, much to the delight of their multi-generational, global fanbase. This summer, the band will embark on an extensive North American tour supporting Thirty Seconds to Mars, with shows beginning in late July and running through September. Scroll down to view a list of dates or visit the band’s official site for tickets and more info.
Click here to pre-order Black Sails in the Sunset.
Track Listing:
Side A:
- Strength Through Wounding
- Porphyria
- Exsanguination
- Malleus Maleficarum
- Narrative Of Soul Against Soul
- Clove Smoke Catharsis
- The Prayer Position
- No Poetic Device
Side B:
- Weathered Tome
- The Last Kiss
- At A Glance
- God Called In Sick Today
- Midnight Sun*
- Lower It**
- Who Knew?**
- Weight Of Words***
* Previous hidden track
** Bonus track
*** Previously unreleased
AFI North American Tour Dates:
7/26: Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
7/27: Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheatre
7/30: West Valley City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/31: Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/2: Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/3: Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
8/6: Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
8/7: Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
8/9: Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
8/10: Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
8/12: Toronto, Ontario – Budweiser Stage
8/14: Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8/15: Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
8/17: Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
8/18: Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
8/20: Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
8/21: Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
8/23: West Palm Beach, FL – iThink Financial Amphitheatre
8/24: Tampa, FL – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/27: Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
8/29: The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/30: Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
9/1: Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
9/4: Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
