Initially labeled by some as a Misfits-type band when they arrived on the Punk Rock scene in the mid-90s, AFI (A Fire Inside) began their career as just that —misfits making music for other misfits. However, the band struck a chord with the audience, eventually leading to commercial success later on.
Looking back, early on, the original members, Davey Havok (lead vocals) and Adam Carson (drummer/backing vocals), shuffled through several different bassists and guitarists, eventually bringing in Jade Puget as the lead guitarist and Hunter Burgan as the bassist and keyboardist by the time they had three studio albums in. With the band settled, AFI would go on to be a significant force for decades to come.
Historically recognized as a Hardcore Punk band, AFI soon adopted a more Punk, Emo, and Goth-influenced style with the release of their 2006 album, Decemberunderground, and this sound has remained their signature since then. A focal point in their career, Decemberunderground yielded hits like “Miss Murder,” which contributed to the album achieving a number one chart position in the US Billboard Modern Rock Charts. All this being said, AFI has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, the band is set to return in 2025 with their latest album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…. Released on October 3, 2025, through Run for Cover, the band’s twelfth studio album finds AFI leveling up their ‘goth’ sound, all while striking up a new beginning.
Their first studio album since 2021’s Bodies, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… was preceded by the single “Behind the Clock” (which arrived in August), with a total of ten new songs in tow. Jumping in at under thirty-five minutes, “The Bird of Prey” begins the album with a fast-paced drumbeat and an acoustic set that evokes an ’80s goth sound. A grand opening, it encapsulates the essence of the album and its sound. With Havok’s uniquely dramatic vocals, the lyrics take on a darker, deeper tone. With a reminiscent sound of She Wants Revenge and Type O Negative, AFI seems to have gone completely Goth.
Furthermore, the single “Behind The Clock,” joined by “Holy Visions” and “Ash Speck in a Green Eye,” incorporates the ’80s Goth vibe not only in the music but also in the lyrical style. While Havok has always shown their true self with their writing, it becomes even more dramatic and possibly overwhelming in their newest album. As Bauhaus is a massive inspiration for this album, one definitely hears the reminiscences of some of the greatest geniuses of that era.
Later on, “A World Unmade” takes a more profound and more dramatic turn. With more of a darker synth sound and a deeper tone during the verses, this one tends to send shivers down the spine in the beginning. This is before “Nooneunderground” wraps up the album, hinting at the more Punk side of AFI. The song is led by bass and drums, but Havok’s voice takes on that faster and louder punk-heavy sound, along with the lyrics “atomic attack, atomic attack” ringing out in the chorus. Beyond this, the bridge stands out as it has an interesting combination of reverb, while Havok repeats “Empty House Empty House Empty Home, The family isn’t there” with a siren of sorts in the back picking up.
Though AFI started in the Hardcore Punk scene, many of their fans have stuck around so long that it does not really matter the genre of the band as long as Davey Havok’s dramatic vocals are still present. Granted, the Punk style did in fact work for the band, but the Goth style seems to do them full justice. This album shows the AFI’s true colors and shines a light on a bright future. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… 5 out of 5 stars.
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