This older era of AFI was something else, you didn't get many "casual" fans, everyone was more or less ingrained into this underground cult of AFI fandom, or didn't know who they were (at least here in the UK). Went to a show at the Astoria, the 2nd support band finished up and I don't think a single person went to the bar, as soon as the 2nd band had left the stage the entire crowd started chanting "Through our bleeding we are one" (from their track Strength Through Wounding) and didn't stop until AFI were actually on stage, was surreal!
Hey Mark, I got one you cannot pass up. 100 Proof by 88 fingers Louie. It changed my life as a bass player. Also the history of the band and who they went on to become is pretty awesome.
Dude I'm sooooo glad you're checking out oldschool AFI. I highly recommend you check out everything they did between Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and Sing the Sorrow!
Those were all great records. Not the biggest fan of StS, that's where they definitely started going more in the mainstream "emo" direction, but they still had piss on that record. Art of Drowning is still my favorite for some reason-probably nostalgia.
same! I remember hearing that song for Rodney Mullen's "I love skateboarding" video and at the time, I absolutely refused to believe that was the same band as Leaving Song and Miss Murder.
Totalimmortal is one of the best songs ever. Imagine seeing them live in their prime playing this. That was unreal. AFI was the best band I ever saw live.
It was amazing. I saw them 5 times between 98 and 2004-5... But I haven't seen them since. I'm sad to say I don't even know what they've done since December Underground.
That would be an INSANE show to see. Love all of those bands so much. I was too young at the time. Early AFI shows were a damn near spiritual experience, from what I've seen. I wanna punch everyone in my house every time I watch old footage lol. Rancid is one of favorite bands. Distillers kill, too. Man....
Fun fact, offspring literally did that for a movie soundtrack instead of letting AFI’s version be in it so they could get paid. AFI didn’t even know the greatest hits was coming out Dexter did it against their will.
@@PollyBonanzas it was to promote Nitro but that’s because afi were in talks of leaving to a major. It’s been so long ago I remember reading about it in like hit list magazine or somethin
I grew up in the 90s in the east bay…we were spoiled because AFI played shows almost every weekend between Berkeley, Oakland, and SF. I must’ve seen them more than a dozen times during their hardcore punk phase…such a rad band. It was crazy seeing them turn into a superstar rock band.
Interesting , were they east coast ? I’m west coast and used they used to play shows here in so cal back in the 90’s all the time too I seen em tons of times back then as well as blink 182 way back before they ever went radio
@@slaughterin-allbbnb8766 they were from NorCal. Anything across the SF bay bridge we call east bay. On any given weekend AFI, Link 80, Redemption 87, or Swingin Utters were playing somewhere in the bay. Yeah, I remember Blink playing a ton of shows in SoCal back then. They were my favorite band, but never really traveled up north.
Ahh gotcha ! Ya they played a lot down here Travis barker lived few blocks from me and blink played constantly down here in riverside Cali . Punk scene down here back then was pretty banging. I went to shows 3-4 times every week growing up as a teen.
@@MrVisdeJade was in Redemption 87 too. I remember that scene well, I spent most weekend nights at Gilman and Berkeley Square while it was open and saw a video or 2 get filmed. It feels like you named a lit of old friend and acquaintances there. Don’t forget Nuclear Rabbit, the Criminals or Screw 32.
AFI was my first concert in 1999 at the Phoenix Theater petaluma i was 13😂. The Theater "Days of the Phoenix" is about. I think that concert changed my life, I didn't know who AFI was, Tom gaffy just told my parents it was a good first concert for me to go to. He is the GM and let's Phoenix kids go to shows for free. Like 1000+ people packed in an opera house built in 1904, the walls would sweat, wooden floors bounced, and the only sight of Davy I got was when I crowd surfed. That venue is as important as the Gilman in Berkley. Thanks for the great song.
I think I might have been at that show. I saw them at the phoenix with The Nerve Agents and Death by Stereo. It had to have been 1999, maaaaybe 2000. Such a great show. “The walls sweat” is such a great way to describe the Phoenix. Just transported me right back there.
I was there! I spent practically every weekend at the Phoenix through the late 90s and early 2000s. My band was fortunate enough to open some big shows there. I remember AFI shows at the Phoenix with like 50-100 people max. Then there was the pepper spray incident on the 2nd night of back to back sold out shows. AFI didn’t come back for a while after that, but gave us “Days of The Phoenix.”
Oh man, Petaluma / Nor Cal in the 90’s and 2000’s. Love that theater and hearing AFI back then. (Local teen back then and loved their shows). Makes me miss that punk rock bathroom at the Pheonix lol. So many great shows there. (Remember catching the MMB’s back around 2002 there as well). Oh man remember Bottom of the Hill in SF? Soooo many great shows there as well
I grew up near these guys and went to high school with Hunter. They played super small places and were incredible. Love the fact they had so much success.
My life is comprised of two phases. The phase before I heard AFI and the phase after. They're THE band for me. Their albums from Black Sails in the Sunset through DecemberUnderground defined my teens and 20s. I'm nearly 40 and their music still gives me chills and explains things that I feel better than I could hope to. 4 inarguably great musicians.
i just ran into this video because im an AFI fan, i think they are so underrated. i think what i enjoy most about them is their Dynamics throughout their older songs and that Davey Havok has an impressive vocal range. Love them, thanks for this video
Strung Out shred hard. Probably the only punk/hardcore band I’ve seen play with double bass drums and Jacksons. Not really surprising though, considering a lot of late 80s/early 90s hardcore was very thrashy. Some of RKL’s stuff sounds like it could have been thrash metal.
imo, AFI's horror punk era is probably their best work. All Hallows EP is mandatory october listening, but Black sails in the sunset and The Art of Drowning are both from the same sort of time and are also really great albums.
Yeah, I never really got into their east bay hardcore/skate punk stuff, but those 20 or so months between Black Sails and Art Of Drowning are exactly the right amount of spooky and sucked me right in. Sing The Sorrow didn’t do it for me at the time (but then again, The Cure’s ‘Wish’ bummed me out when it was new and now it’s essential, maybe I give StS another shot) and everything after that was pop.
@@Dinsdale_Piranha_Innit StS has it's moments for me, but overall leans a bit too much towards the pop stuff that would follow. I don't mind a couple of tracks from their later work, but as a whole I lost interest after they phased out of the horror punk thing.
Love classic AFI. Hunter isnt a flashy player but he is really good at playing a groove with the drums and not just following the guitar like many pop punk bands do. Check out Third Season for a simple but weird bass line in the verse
@@joemiller7082I wasn’t diminishing his skills. He is really good and can absolutely shred but his approach is normally choosing well placed notes and creating a groove locking in with the drums over being technical and flashy. Jade isnt a typical punk guitar player either and Hunter’s bass lines really work well with and compliment his guitar parts.
I first heard Totalimmortal in 2000, and it still makes my soul dance to this day. But when I heard Miss Murder play on the radio, I literally cried... and not in a good way.
Ima be honest Decemberunderground underneath the poppy hooks is a hardcore punk band and it’s amazing they pulled that off while going #1 on the charts for there first time. That breakdown in miss murder is a breakdown hatebreed would do lmao.
I watched this twice and I am thinking how much all this bands have shaped my life and my musical intrests. It all started for me in 95 and sincer then day by day music was my companion. It's funny that probably if I never liked punk I would never picked a guitar or bass and for sure I would have missed your videos. Great job, thanks! ❤🎸👀
They were an amazing punk band. I can not get into the new stuff at all, but I still play the punk era stuff all the time. I'm going to see them in Aug, too.
Dude! Yes!! I love your videos and you just keep doing more and more of my favorite bands. This is hands down my favorite AFI song. Such a great breakdown of the bass! Hunter is a machine!
Love this band. 🔥 If you do a second AFI video, "Sacrifice Theory"; Hunter's basically soloing to the bass gods the entire song and the bass gods do in fact salute that from him on that track.
AFI...my high school and early college years aligned with this classic, golden era of AFI. So much cool and fun bass work from this band. From the same EP "The Boy Who Destroyed The World" absolutely rocks and "Sacrifice Theory" is wonderful as well. There are some vids of Hunter playing along to his own work floating around RUclips as well. Matt Freeman also posts vids playing along to Op Ivy and Rancid songs.
I'm not even a bass player and I can't stop watching these videos. Loving the dive into this style you're doing lately. So many bands I love coming up and really interesting to hear a bass player's perspective as someone who has always been guitar-centric. Can't wait for the next one!
One of the most underrated punk bands of all time. Saw them at the fireside bowl (rip) back in in Chicago. Changed my punk rock life. One of the best gang vocals bands of all time
Really glad you're doing AFI. This is the perfect channel for me, as everyone suggests songs and groups that I love. I would absolutely love to see you do a full bass line and tabs for songs. You're so talented at immediately picking up the key and playing the line in only a few seconds listening. I realise it's a lot more work than a reaction, but you're the man for the job. I hope you'll take a stab once or twice a week!
Just found your content while listening to some of my favorite old tracks on YT. A fan of old AFI is a great thing to find, didn't think there was too many of us left. Dropping a sub for sure.
I remember my friends and I being so bummed as AFI transitioned into more of a pop-punk kind of sound. I still liked Sing the Sorrow, but a lot of my friends did not. But this old stuff I really loved. Hearing this song for the first time in probably a decade as a man now in my 30's - this is still great. Very raw, lots of emotion, the group vocals. Great stuff, thanks for covering this.
STOKED TO SEE THIS ONE! AS ALWAYS YOUR ENERGY, EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM IS SO GREAT TO SEE! OLD SCHOOL AGI FAN HERE, IF YOU KEEP GOING INTO THEIR BACK CATALOG THERE IS ALOT TO CHECK OUT IF YOU DIG THE SOUND OF THIS EP. CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE COMING UP NEXT. LOVE THAT YOURE ON THIS PUNK RUN RIGHT NOW. ITS GREAT SEEING SO MUCH APPRECIATION AND RESPECT FOR THE GENRE
My absolute favourite AFI song, even got the t-shirt all a way back when. As a lifetime punk, to see someone new to it digging it so much is so cool and the track choices so far.. magnifique. So here's my weekly plug for Frenzal Rhomb's 'It's Up To You' - where are all the Aussies and Kiwis to back me up on this one?
This song instantly brings me back to being 16 and climbing over people in the crowd to get to that mic Davey was hanging out over the crown do them gang vocals. I love this band. They still get after it live to this song and the whole place turns into a mad house.
Man, you're getting some killer recommendations. AFI has been my favorite band since I was 14 (over 20 years ago) and this song is singlehandedly responsible.
Jason from Hot Water Music is a phenomenal bassist, plus they are just a great band in general. While I truly love their 98-04 era, Drag My Body off of Exister (2012) is a banger for sure.
Happy to hear old AFI. I was a huge fan until the release of Sing The Sorrow in 200 and completely gave up on the band. Great work as always Mark! Lovin the channel !!
For my money, the only series of albums that can compete with AFI's run of Black Sails in the Sunset -> The Art of Drowning -> Sing the Sorrow are Rancid's first 5 albums.
this band poured their heart and soul into their work leading up to their mainstream success. they put in all the work in the 90s and early 2000s and had so much respect from their fans. ultimately, the fans got them the success and recognition they deserved. i was one of their earlier fans who supported them though buying their merch and cds in the late 90s onward. when they started appearing on the radio and ended up on tv, it was one of the greatest feelings ever as a music fan. they were a tried and true hardcore punk band with unmatched creativity. they even helped pioneer mid to late 2000s post hardcore and emo with their influence and approach. this "totalimmortal" era of afi is considered their horror punk era and the underground's favorite. i actually feel bad for you and everyone else who discovered them by miss murder, even if it isnt a terrible song. by that time, they were experimenting with glam rock and pop. if you love punk that leans into the artistic side, definitely listen to black sails in the sunset, all hallows, and the art of drowning. if you want to hear them at their best, listen to sing the sorrow. that album is their magnum opus. alot of well written bass on it.
Totalimmortal is a classic. Seeing this song live in the early 2000's was something else. These guys were so influential on my local scene. As soon as the All Hallows EP dropped every local band had whoa's and was doing the horror/Misfits thing. AFI has gone through many phases but their punk and hardcore phases were by far my favorite. My favorite album by them is Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes. It's straight hardcore with old school two step break downs and everything. Like if the Misfits binged Gorilla Biscuits. I couldn't hang with their emo stuff but the goth phase they're in at the moment isn't terrible.
Their first two albums, "Answer That and Stay Fashionable", "Very Proud of Ya" have all kinds of bass although the recording quality isn't the best. The early era albums, "Shut Your Mouth" and "Black Sails" are powerful, raw and bass-heavy; insane albums! I am a bit biased toward their early stuff though, I'm just about their age and they were one of my favorite bands in high school in the Bay Area.
I don't know how I got here but I grew up listening to AFI and it was really fun to watch someone hear it now, for the first time and analyze it. Also, was great that you enioyed it so much.
The entire "Sing the Sorrow" album is a fucking masterpiece. And their bassist definitely gets a lot of foreward placement throughout their entire career. He's really good
Their horror punk era, from the release of the Fire Inside EP through the Black Sails in the Sunset album, the All Hallow’s EP, and the Art of Drowning album, will always be my favorite era of AFI. Fall Children on All Hallow’s is one my all time favorite songs by any band. Honorable mention to Sing the Sorrow, which still includes some of those elements, but feels more like some sort of gothic emo thing.
Don't comment on here often but started watching your vids here or there in the past year or so... may I say, it's kinda refreshing to think of a Bass teacher who I assumed would look down on punk as a genre for this stuff, looking at a lot of it on this channel lately
Thank you kindly! I love having an open mind with all music, because I used to be pretty close-minded. Trying to redeem myself and catch up on the areas I missed!
@@rigneynathan Ask anyone *outside* that community who they are and you'll get at worst blank stare and at best a passing acknowledgement. They deserve far more recognition, even with what you're saying. I appreciate the negativity, though.
@@matthewahler8662 lmao bro... Do some reading: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI_(band) They have been #5 on billboard top 200 for 51 weeks straight from sing the sorrow. The band is filthy rich and has notoriety. You're confused or gaslighting.
I'm not an AFI fan at all and I still go back and listen to this EP multiple times a year, especially this song. One of the best punk songs of all time.
Sing the Sorrow was still good. The reason you love Black Sails is the same reason you hate Sing the Sorrow. Honestly you should try to appreciate the later work. It's not as good, but Davey Havok grew out of it and you should too.
This was the first song that I ever heard from these guys. :) Then about 2-4 years later, they had the album before this game out, and I starting hearing more of them, on the radio.
Awesome song awesome video! AFI has wild good gang vocals and always wrote openers for the crowd to chant along to open shows. Hunter is so talented and his riffs are so out front with their best work. It’s funny how much Miss Murder changed the perception on them. They were crushed at first for being a “bad misfits clone”, then crushed for leaving hardcore with Sing the Sorrow (which sort of undercut that album when it came out), and after they were crushed for selling out with Miss Murder. At no point were they just enjoyed for where they were at, which was outstanding live as a Despair Faction fan who got to meet them at the Sing the Sorrow tour. Agree with another commentator, their run from Answer That through Sing the Sorrow is totally worth the listen and contains some really excellent anthems and playing.
Dope! As usual. I have an off-brand request but it's a nice dual bass vibe: Pinback Loro. Again, loving this channel it's fun as hell, keep up the great work.
Ok, now AFI? First comment? Can't wait to finish the day and go home to watch this confortable in my bed. I am so excited that you picked this one! Again, thanks for doin' this, you made my day! (again) ❤🎸👀
Man I stumbled across the All Hallows EP at 16 and picked up a bass two weeks later off of my first paycheck at Academy Sports. Hunter is single handedly responsible for 20+ years of bass playing. Synesthesia is a great one to check out.
Yeah AFI has truly had some eras. Were my favorite live band during this time too. Hearing all this again brings back all my resentments towards Miss murder.
one of my favourite bands since the late 90's (I have the 22 year old sleeve to prove it) and still cover a bunch of their songs busking and playing open mics.
Of Greetings and Goodbyes is probably my favorite AFI bassline. Its a great example of Hunter playing what the song needs, and then showing off. It really makes for a dynamic punk song
Early AFI is awesome. I was already done with my punk phase by the time Miss Murder released but I still go back to All Hallows EP and The Art of Drowning from time to time.
"Very Proud of Ya" is one of my favorite records. That band used to be something entirely different. They changed a lot in the early 2000s but the old stuff stands on it's own as some really really great punk rock.
This older era of AFI was something else, you didn't get many "casual" fans, everyone was more or less ingrained into this underground cult of AFI fandom, or didn't know who they were (at least here in the UK). Went to a show at the Astoria, the 2nd support band finished up and I don't think a single person went to the bar, as soon as the 2nd band had left the stage the entire crowd started chanting "Through our bleeding we are one" (from their track Strength Through Wounding) and didn't stop until AFI were actually on stage, was surreal!
I was there, and then the electric ballroom gig in 2003 also :)
I was there too for early AFI! What a time to be alive. So raw!
Same here. Also saw afi when they were the support for the offspring at Wembley stadium on the conspiracy of one tour
Hey Mark, I got one you cannot pass up. 100 Proof by 88 fingers Louie. It changed my life as a bass player. Also the history of the band and who they went on to become is pretty awesome.
Ohh that's a great one!
Just clicked to recommend this. Top shout
Keep requesting this one until he does it.
Oh wow deep cut, immediately listening to this again lol
Yup, recommended this one way back too! Let's get it done ✊
Dude I'm sooooo glad you're checking out oldschool AFI. I highly recommend you check out everything they did between Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and Sing the Sorrow!
Absolutely! StS is one of the greatest albums ever released imo lol
Agreed! Golden years!
💯
You are right!! I also like the stuff from when Geoff Kresge was in the band. Answer That and Stay Fashionable and Very Proud of Ya are great albums.
Those were all great records. Not the biggest fan of StS, that's where they definitely started going more in the mainstream "emo" direction, but they still had piss on that record. Art of Drowning is still my favorite for some reason-probably nostalgia.
The Boy Who Destroyed The World was the first song i heard from them on Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and i was HOOKED
The first song I heard of them was lost souls, loved them since then.
same! I remember hearing that song for Rodney Mullen's "I love skateboarding" video and at the time, I absolutely refused to believe that was the same band as Leaving Song and Miss Murder.
i wish they could stay in that era forever
"Once there was a boy who had a vibrant glow."
Both Rodney Mullen and that song still go so hard.
This is the AFI I fell in love with.
Early AFI is so fucking good
Up to The Art of Drowning is amazing. I do enjoy their later albums, but l understand why many others don’t.
Best horror punk music at the time too! Love blasting them around Halloween time
I did like some of Sing The Sorrow; The Art of Drowning and previous were way good before the radio treatment.
Totalimmortal, Days of the Phoenix, and God Called in Sick Today still delight my soul....
Crash Love is amazing idgaf whole album even the radio hits
Totalimmortal is one of the best songs ever. Imagine seeing them live in their prime playing this. That was unreal. AFI was the best band I ever saw live.
It was amazing. I saw them 5 times between 98 and 2004-5... But I haven't seen them since. I'm sad to say I don't even know what they've done since December Underground.
I saw them in 98 or 99, they were with The Distillers and US Bombs. Someone else played but I'm blanking. They were incredible
It wasn't their best song, but it was their last great song
Oh man AFI was one of my favorites. Saw them in 2000 with Rancid and Distillers.
“Sacrifice Theory” is ear candy for bass lines
One of the best shows I ever saw was this tour in Toronto!
I was gonna say the same lol
Sacrifice theory is ill
That would be an INSANE show to see. Love all of those bands so much. I was too young at the time. Early AFI shows were a damn near spiritual experience, from what I've seen. I wanna punch everyone in my house every time I watch old footage lol. Rancid is one of favorite bands. Distillers kill, too. Man....
Not a fan of Rancid, but getting to see AFI in their prime with Distillers would have been awesome. Very jealous.
Totalimmortal is 100% my favorite AFI song. It just hits so hard. I only learned about it through the cover by The Offspring, which I also love.
Fun fact, offspring literally did that for a movie soundtrack instead of letting AFI’s version be in it so they could get paid. AFI didn’t even know the greatest hits was coming out Dexter did it against their will.
@@bartonsamuelbanta Me, Myself & Irene. Is that true? I heard it was to help promote AFI and Nitro Records. Is there a source?
@@PollyBonanzas it was to promote
Nitro but that’s because afi were in talks of leaving to a major. It’s been so long ago I remember reading about it in like hit list magazine or somethin
Good choice. I'd say mine is Malleus Maleficarum.
offspring can get fcked.
I love AFI sooooo much! They've changed their sound several times. This is by far favorite era!
I grew up in the 90s in the east bay…we were spoiled because AFI played shows almost every weekend between Berkeley, Oakland, and SF. I must’ve seen them more than a dozen times during their hardcore punk phase…such a rad band. It was crazy seeing them turn into a superstar rock band.
Interesting , were they east coast ? I’m west coast and used they used to play shows here in so cal back in the 90’s all the time too I seen em tons of times back then as well as blink 182 way back before they ever went radio
@@slaughterin-allbbnb8766they were East Bay, not East Coast
@@slaughterin-allbbnb8766 they were from NorCal. Anything across the SF bay bridge we call east bay. On any given weekend AFI, Link 80, Redemption 87, or Swingin Utters were playing somewhere in the bay.
Yeah, I remember Blink playing a ton of shows in SoCal back then. They were my favorite band, but never really traveled up north.
Ahh gotcha ! Ya they played a lot down here Travis barker lived few blocks from me and blink played constantly down here in riverside Cali . Punk scene down here back then was pretty banging. I went to shows 3-4 times every week growing up as a teen.
@@MrVisdeJade was in Redemption 87 too. I remember that scene well, I spent most weekend nights at Gilman and Berkeley Square while it was open and saw a video or 2 get filmed. It feels like you named a lit of old friend and acquaintances there. Don’t forget Nuclear Rabbit, the Criminals or Screw 32.
AFI was my first concert in 1999 at the Phoenix Theater petaluma i was 13😂. The Theater "Days of the Phoenix" is about. I think that concert changed my life, I didn't know who AFI was, Tom gaffy just told my parents it was a good first concert for me to go to. He is the GM and let's Phoenix kids go to shows for free. Like 1000+ people packed in an opera house built in 1904, the walls would sweat, wooden floors bounced, and the only sight of Davy I got was when I crowd surfed. That venue is as important as the Gilman in Berkley.
Thanks for the great song.
Great read!!
I think I might have been at that show. I saw them at the phoenix with The Nerve Agents and Death by Stereo. It had to have been 1999, maaaaybe 2000. Such a great show. “The walls sweat” is such a great way to describe the Phoenix. Just transported me right back there.
I was there! I spent practically every weekend at the Phoenix through the late 90s and early 2000s. My band was fortunate enough to open some big shows there. I remember AFI shows at the Phoenix with like 50-100 people max. Then there was the pepper spray incident on the 2nd night of back to back sold out shows. AFI didn’t come back for a while after that, but gave us “Days of The Phoenix.”
Oh man, Petaluma / Nor Cal in the 90’s and 2000’s. Love that theater and hearing AFI back then. (Local teen back then and loved their shows). Makes me miss that punk rock bathroom at the Pheonix lol.
So many great shows there. (Remember catching the MMB’s back around 2002 there as well).
Oh man remember Bottom of the Hill in SF? Soooo many great shows there as well
The entirety of the early catalog is so good, Black Sails in the Sunset is forever my favorite album from them though.
💯
Every album of theirs is like a whole new band. Love it. You should do Sacrifice Theory for one of his most impressive bass lines.
I grew up near these guys and went to high school with Hunter. They played super small places and were incredible. Love the fact they had so much success.
My life is comprised of two phases. The phase before I heard AFI and the phase after. They're THE band for me. Their albums from Black Sails in the Sunset through DecemberUnderground defined my teens and 20s. I'm nearly 40 and their music still gives me chills and explains things that I feel better than I could hope to. 4 inarguably great musicians.
i just ran into this video because im an AFI fan, i think they are so underrated. i think what i enjoy most about them is their Dynamics throughout their older songs and that Davey Havok has an impressive vocal range. Love them, thanks for this video
Strung out - firecracker baseline is crazy amazing.
Strung Out shred hard. Probably the only punk/hardcore band I’ve seen play with double bass drums and Jacksons. Not really surprising though, considering a lot of late 80s/early 90s hardcore was very thrashy. Some of RKL’s stuff sounds like it could have been thrash metal.
Strung Out is an amazing band. Sadly, if you’ve heard the expression “never meet your idols” it’s true. Rob was a huge douche
imo, AFI's horror punk era is probably their best work. All Hallows EP is mandatory october listening, but Black sails in the sunset and The Art of Drowning are both from the same sort of time and are also really great albums.
Yeah, I never really got into their east bay hardcore/skate punk stuff, but those 20 or so months between Black Sails and Art Of Drowning are exactly the right amount of spooky and sucked me right in. Sing The Sorrow didn’t do it for me at the time (but then again, The Cure’s ‘Wish’ bummed me out when it was new and now it’s essential, maybe I give StS another shot) and everything after that was pop.
@@Dinsdale_Piranha_Innit StS has it's moments for me, but overall leans a bit too much towards the pop stuff that would follow. I don't mind a couple of tracks from their later work, but as a whole I lost interest after they phased out of the horror punk thing.
Ever listen to son of Sam?
@@rdgblading1813 That record goes hard. Guest appearances by Nick 13 and Danzig on multiple cuts. Just revisited it a minute ago, OG green vinyl.
Love classic AFI. Hunter isnt a flashy player but he is really good at playing a groove with the drums and not just following the guitar like many pop punk bands do. Check out Third Season for a simple but weird bass line in the verse
I think Art of Drowning shows off his talent really well. The mix puts his bass right up front.
Third season is so underrated. Love that song.
Never really thought of it that way, but you are right. Always very locked to the drums for a punk bassist.
@@joemiller7082I wasn’t diminishing his skills. He is really good and can absolutely shred but his approach is normally choosing well placed notes and creating a groove locking in with the drums over being technical and flashy. Jade isnt a typical punk guitar player either and Hunter’s bass lines really work well with and compliment his guitar parts.
I first heard Totalimmortal in 2000, and it still makes my soul dance to this day. But when I heard Miss Murder play on the radio, I literally cried... and not in a good way.
Ima be honest Decemberunderground underneath the poppy hooks is a hardcore punk band and it’s amazing they pulled that off while going #1 on the charts for there first time.
That breakdown in miss murder is a breakdown hatebreed would do lmao.
I just love hearing the mechanical/theoretical explanation to songs that just touch my soul. Thank you for appreciating that this is a f'ing tune man
I watched this twice and I am thinking how much all this bands have shaped my life and my musical intrests. It all started for me in 95 and sincer then day by day music was my companion. It's funny that probably if I never liked punk I would never picked a guitar or bass and for sure I would have missed your videos. Great job, thanks! ❤🎸👀
Cheers for that!! I feel the same about prog metal. Bass became irresistible once I saw what those guys were doing!
They were an amazing punk band. I can not get into the new stuff at all, but I still play the punk era stuff all the time. I'm going to see them in Aug, too.
I hope the show plays enough of the good old stuff for you!
Love this era of AFI! Can’t wait until you do a video on At the Drive In/The Mars Volta, Refused, and Thrice.
Would love to see him pick apart some Volta, not really sure what to suggest though. Juan is a killer.
Ew. No
@@flynnlivescmd wow you made some really good points there
Would love to see a breakdown on "100 Proof", from 88 Fingers Louie 🤘
I love playing that bass solo
Beyond stoked that it’s time for AFI. Treat yourself to a lil bit of Death of Seasons while you’re at it, sir!
Pretty darn good bass lines in that one.
Thank you for listening to my request. The afi of that era was incredible.
Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
My pleasure!!
bravo! bis!
man, hunter is such a beast. glad you checked this one out!
Dude! Yes!! I love your videos and you just keep doing more and more of my favorite bands. This is hands down my favorite AFI song. Such a great breakdown of the bass! Hunter is a machine!
Love this band. 🔥 If you do a second AFI video, "Sacrifice Theory"; Hunter's basically soloing to the bass gods the entire song and the bass gods do in fact salute that from him on that track.
Such a dam good song.
Thanks for this! Hunter from this era is beast and this bass tone is one of my favorites, inspired me to start playing back in the late 90s!
Great to hear!
AFI...my high school and early college years aligned with this classic, golden era of AFI. So much cool and fun bass work from this band. From the same EP "The Boy Who Destroyed The World" absolutely rocks and "Sacrifice Theory" is wonderful as well. There are some vids of Hunter playing along to his own work floating around RUclips as well. Matt Freeman also posts vids playing along to Op Ivy and Rancid songs.
I'm not even a bass player and I can't stop watching these videos. Loving the dive into this style you're doing lately. So many bands I love coming up and really interesting to hear a bass player's perspective as someone who has always been guitar-centric.
Can't wait for the next one!
Glad you enjoy it! 🙏🏼☺️
I can't recommend enough watching the official video for the song. Gives you a great visual idea of the energy they had back then.
Seriously, very surprised at the video chosen.
watching you explore AFI for the first time was awesome. keep going, their albums are riddled with clever changes and melodies
One of the most underrated punk bands of all time. Saw them at the fireside bowl (rip) back in in Chicago. Changed my punk rock life. One of the best gang vocals bands of all time
Really glad you're doing AFI. This is the perfect channel for me, as everyone suggests songs and groups that I love. I would absolutely love to see you do a full bass line and tabs for songs. You're so talented at immediately picking up the key and playing the line in only a few seconds listening. I realise it's a lot more work than a reaction, but you're the man for the job. I hope you'll take a stab once or twice a week!
Thanks for the nice words! Could be a fun idea, we shall see. Would be much more realistic if I could track down bass stems for some of them!
Seeing them in 2001, before Davey had vocal issues, was a great experience.
Just found your content while listening to some of my favorite old tracks on YT. A fan of old AFI is a great thing to find, didn't think there was too many of us left. Dropping a sub for sure.
Welcome aboard! Fell in love with them after this one.
Love this f*cking song. Hits ya like a runaway, fully loaded, 100 mph freight train. And the train is fully engulfed in flames. 🤘
Love it!!! Thanks so much for listening to us (requests that is, I'm not in the band)
Always! 😉
Has to be Propagandi next. Speculative Fiction
I second this!!
Never underestimate Todd the rod.
They def have an amazing progression from how to clean everything and present day.
Failed Imagineer maybe?
From my hometown ❤️. Fat Mike mentioned their excellent melodies once during a pod cast
I remember my friends and I being so bummed as AFI transitioned into more of a pop-punk kind of sound. I still liked Sing the Sorrow, but a lot of my friends did not.
But this old stuff I really loved. Hearing this song for the first time in probably a decade as a man now in my 30's - this is still great. Very raw, lots of emotion, the group vocals. Great stuff, thanks for covering this.
Oh yeah! They were a hardcore/goth punk staple for a decade before they went mainstream. Two very different phases of their career, both good
This was my shit in high school lol The best AFI Era. Love it dude keep it up!!
Congrats my friend. You just fell in love with every ingredient that makes us all love AFI! Unmatched originality....
I sure did!
STOKED TO SEE THIS ONE! AS ALWAYS YOUR ENERGY, EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM IS SO GREAT TO SEE! OLD SCHOOL AGI FAN HERE, IF YOU KEEP GOING INTO THEIR BACK CATALOG THERE IS ALOT TO CHECK OUT IF YOU DIG THE SOUND OF THIS EP. CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE COMING UP NEXT.
LOVE THAT YOURE ON THIS PUNK RUN RIGHT NOW. ITS GREAT SEEING SO MUCH APPRECIATION AND RESPECT FOR THE GENRE
Thank you man, always appreciate your comments! Much more punk coming up! 🙏🏼
Loving all these throwback punk tracks for me. Do prisoner of society by The Living End next the walking baselines will make you very happy.
Have they forgotten would be a cool Living End song to try too, and played on a double bass of course
Fantastic! Great band, talented as hell. Great suggestion.
My absolute favourite AFI song, even got the t-shirt all a way back when. As a lifetime punk, to see someone new to it digging it so much is so cool and the track choices so far.. magnifique. So here's my weekly plug for Frenzal Rhomb's 'It's Up To You' - where are all the Aussies and Kiwis to back me up on this one?
Fuck yes! They were sooooo good in their punk days!
This song instantly brings me back to being 16 and climbing over people in the crowd to get to that mic Davey was hanging out over the crown do them gang vocals. I love this band. They still get after it live to this song and the whole place turns into a mad house.
"OSKER" : "stop the bus" & "panic" big ones ..😎
Idle Will Kill is one of the best punk albums ever, imo.
Panic!!! Man I forgot about this tune.
They were sooo good!
Man, you're getting some killer recommendations. AFI has been my favorite band since I was 14 (over 20 years ago) and this song is singlehandedly responsible.
Jason from Hot Water Music is a phenomenal bassist, plus they are just a great band in general. While I truly love their 98-04 era, Drag My Body off of Exister (2012) is a banger for sure.
Good call! Drag my body is my fav!
Happy to hear old AFI. I was a huge fan until the release of Sing The Sorrow in 200 and completely gave up on the band. Great work as always Mark! Lovin the channel !!
Infectious Grooves - Violent & Funky
I second this
Sick band. Robert is too good for Metallica IMO. But I don't blame him for joining one bit.
@@nojuanatall3281 Isn't Robert's son playing with Suicidal Tendencies now?
Very proud of ya was my introduction to em. Love em.
For my money, the only series of albums that can compete with AFI's run of Black Sails in the Sunset -> The Art of Drowning -> Sing the Sorrow are Rancid's first 5 albums.
Black Sails is a phenomenal album
Black Sails leads the pack in my top 5 90s punk albums.
Yeah, their first handful of albums are all absolute gold.
this band poured their heart and soul into their work leading up to their mainstream success. they put in all the work in the 90s and early 2000s and had so much respect from their fans. ultimately, the fans got them the success and recognition they deserved. i was one of their earlier fans who supported them though buying their merch and cds in the late 90s onward. when they started appearing on the radio and ended up on tv, it was one of the greatest feelings ever as a music fan. they were a tried and true hardcore punk band with unmatched creativity. they even helped pioneer mid to late 2000s post hardcore and emo with their influence and approach. this "totalimmortal" era of afi is considered their horror punk era and the underground's favorite. i actually feel bad for you and everyone else who discovered them by miss murder, even if it isnt a terrible song. by that time, they were experimenting with glam rock and pop. if you love punk that leans into the artistic side, definitely listen to black sails in the sunset, all hallows, and the art of drowning. if you want to hear them at their best, listen to sing the sorrow. that album is their magnum opus. alot of well written bass on it.
Totalimmortal is a classic. Seeing this song live in the early 2000's was something else. These guys were so influential on my local scene. As soon as the All Hallows EP dropped every local band had whoa's and was doing the horror/Misfits thing. AFI has gone through many phases but their punk and hardcore phases were by far my favorite. My favorite album by them is Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes. It's straight hardcore with old school two step break downs and everything. Like if the Misfits binged Gorilla Biscuits. I couldn't hang with their emo stuff but the goth phase they're in at the moment isn't terrible.
I remember playing Totalimmortal in high school all the time, such a rad tune.
What about old school punk from '77? The Stranglers would be a great one to listen to. JJ influenced a huge number of Bass players.
Their first two albums, "Answer That and Stay Fashionable", "Very Proud of Ya" have all kinds of bass although the recording quality isn't the best. The early era albums, "Shut Your Mouth" and "Black Sails" are powerful, raw and bass-heavy; insane albums! I am a bit biased toward their early stuff though, I'm just about their age and they were one of my favorite bands in high school in the Bay Area.
AFI used to be so much better back in their early days
So happy you did song in particular!!
0:11 AFI is punk except for what made radio
Dude I got the black sails in the sunset 25th anniversary record also a great song by them is file 13
I don't know how I got here but I grew up listening to AFI and it was really fun to watch someone hear it now, for the first time and analyze it. Also, was great that you enioyed it so much.
Glad you enjoyed it!!
The entire "Sing the Sorrow" album is a fucking masterpiece. And their bassist definitely gets a lot of foreward placement throughout their entire career. He's really good
I don’t understand why this comment does not have a ton of likes
Just discovered your channel and your great mate! Your deep dive into punk rock remind me of my teenage years! thank you so much!
AFI sounded like this for longer than they haven't.
Their horror punk era, from the release of the Fire Inside EP through the Black Sails in the Sunset album, the All Hallow’s EP, and the Art of Drowning album, will always be my favorite era of AFI. Fall Children on All Hallow’s is one my all time favorite songs by any band.
Honorable mention to Sing the Sorrow, which still includes some of those elements, but feels more like some sort of gothic emo thing.
Between AFI and the offspring I don't think we need anyone else to sing whoa's
NOFX!
Davey havoks house is painted black
We’re against whoas!
Dexter actually features on their song 'Clove Smoke Catharsis' to add some more much needed "whoas".
Don't comment on here often but started watching your vids here or there in the past year or so... may I say, it's kinda refreshing to think of a Bass teacher who I assumed would look down on punk as a genre for this stuff, looking at a lot of it on this channel lately
Thank you kindly! I love having an open mind with all music, because I used to be pretty close-minded. Trying to redeem myself and catch up on the areas I missed!
AFI is one of, if not the, most criminally underrated band of the last 20 years. Take a chance to explore their catalog.
Yea they went through so many different sounds and all of them quite good!
What? They are a multi radio hit band... And in the punk community are highly regarded. This comment is overrated.
@@rigneynathan Ask anyone *outside* that community who they are and you'll get at worst blank stare and at best a passing acknowledgement. They deserve far more recognition, even with what you're saying.
I appreciate the negativity, though.
@@matthewahler8662 lmao bro...
Do some reading: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI_(band)
They have been #5 on billboard top 200 for 51 weeks straight from sing the sorrow. The band is filthy rich and has notoriety. You're confused or gaslighting.
I'm not an AFI fan at all and I still go back and listen to this EP multiple times a year, especially this song. One of the best punk songs of all time.
I'd say you're a fan my friend!
AFI died in 2003 with Sing the Sorrow.
Sing the Sorrow was still good. The reason you love Black Sails is the same reason you hate Sing the Sorrow. Honestly you should try to appreciate the later work. It's not as good, but Davey Havok grew out of it and you should too.
Thank you; thank you that evan if the only reason you care about them is for the channel; that you would care about them at all is reallyreally cool
Hey ..it’s so cool to hear your perspective..keep up the great work 😊
This was the first song that I ever heard from these guys. :) Then about 2-4 years later, they had the album before this game out, and I starting hearing more of them, on the radio.
Awesome song awesome video! AFI has wild good gang vocals and always wrote openers for the crowd to chant along to open shows. Hunter is so talented and his riffs are so out front with their best work. It’s funny how much Miss Murder changed the perception on them. They were crushed at first for being a “bad misfits clone”, then crushed for leaving hardcore with Sing the Sorrow (which sort of undercut that album when it came out), and after they were crushed for selling out with Miss Murder. At no point were they just enjoyed for where they were at, which was outstanding live as a Despair Faction fan who got to meet them at the Sing the Sorrow tour. Agree with another commentator, their run from Answer That through Sing the Sorrow is totally worth the listen and contains some really excellent anthems and playing.
I agree on the 88 Fingers Louie suggestions! Such an underrated punk band from back in the day
Those types of gang vocals were quite common in early AFI, particularly around the Black Sails/All Hallow's/Art of Drowning era.
I've started playing bass because of AFI, Nofx and Rancid. Needless to say, I really dig your videos on theses bands =)
He is truly showing what these popular punk bands do that set them apart. It's so great to see them get the credit they deserve
Glad you like them!
AFI from 96 to 2003 is a vibe. One of the most intense live bands of the era. The shows …..: the shows were so much fun !!!
Dope! As usual. I have an off-brand request but it's a nice dual bass vibe: Pinback Loro. Again, loving this channel it's fun as hell, keep up the great work.
Fully love AFI whole discography is brilliant! Hunter is such a great player too. 10/10 video
Great video, I'm going to lose my shit when you do that Paul Gray video. Love your channel, I learn a lot.
Ok, now AFI? First comment? Can't wait to finish the day and go home to watch this confortable in my bed. I am so excited that you picked this one! Again, thanks for doin' this, you made my day! (again) ❤🎸👀
Hope you enjoyed it!!
Man I stumbled across the All Hallows EP at 16 and picked up a bass two weeks later off of my first paycheck at Academy Sports. Hunter is single handedly responsible for 20+ years of bass playing. Synesthesia is a great one to check out.
One of the few bands to last from the 90s to 2000s change they’re style and stayed with a loyal fan base 🙌
Yeah AFI has truly had some eras. Were my favorite live band during this time too. Hearing all this again brings back all my resentments towards Miss murder.
Old AFI is a totally different animal. They were a great punk band.
one of my favourite bands since the late 90's (I have the 22 year old sleeve to prove it) and still cover a bunch of their songs busking and playing open mics.
Amazing video. I love this band. There's best era for them
Of Greetings and Goodbyes is probably my favorite AFI bassline. Its a great example of Hunter playing what the song needs, and then showing off. It really makes for a dynamic punk song
One of my favorite songs of all time when I was growing up. Ive always imagined this song being used in a sick driving sequence in a movie
Death of Seasons is definitely a track you should be digging into. There's an awesome video of Hunter playing it live in studio.
Early AFI is awesome. I was already done with my punk phase by the time Miss Murder released but I still go back to All Hallows EP and The Art of Drowning from time to time.
"Very Proud of Ya" is one of my favorite records. That band used to be something entirely different. They changed a lot in the early 2000s but the old stuff stands on it's own as some really really great punk rock.