Search - Anti-Flag :: For Blood & Empire

How do you "sell out" on your own terms?

TOMMY VICTOR | Olean NY | 02/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What's wrong with getting more money?...lol. Spending time worrying about someone else making money, only suggests that you are already engulfed thinking about money.

Who cares! ;)





I feel that Anti Flag stayed true to their art and themselves. After reading an interview in Verbicide I understand their position on signing to a major label and feel that they did it on their own terms. Using a major label to reach a broader audience isn't a crime.. especially if you feel that you have something important to say and want to reach a broader audience. (Anti Flag wants to be taken seriously by mainstream media, signing to a label is a strategic move for them)



Remember, there is no 401k in punk rock.

Do you work a job that you don't like? ..you shouldn't.

That's the beauty in all this.



To explain further:



Anti Flag is doing something that they love, getting their message out without restraints or censorship and making a living. I used to think way too much about the ideology of punk rock and then I grew up...lol



The reality is, you have to make money in order to survive.

Most kids are in and out of Punk by the time they are 23 (I'm 31) they can't continue to be in bands because they have to survive.



I give Anti Flag tons of credit and am envious of them.

Who wouldn't want to live out their dreams, educate people and work towards the betterment of society...all in a days work.



Many people are quick to complain and yell "sell out"

To deem Anti Flag as "sell outs" is unfair and somewhat hypocritical ...anybody for that mater that punches a time clock is a sell out.



A couple rhetorical questions:

Are you doing what you love? Are you making a difference with your time on this planet? When you work, is it on your own terms?

If not... you too may be a sell out!

Think about it.

"

A solid album

A. Long-Mendez | 12/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Being a newer fan to Anti-Flag and only catching their albums (The Terror State and For Blood and Empire) I will admit my ignorance along the lines of their earlier work with what little I know of it.



Something that I have noticed with a large majority of the negative reviews about this album is how they view the political aspects of the album and of the band, as well. Is this not a cd? Does the cd not have MUSIC. How about having a critic on just the music itself like how many of the songs have strong messages and I've been hearing some impressive bass parts along with very catchy songs.



I don't know who Crass is and I don't care. It's all a matter of opinion and if you don't like the album, that's your deal. I think it's pretty solid.



Though, I will say this. Something that I have never liked about Anti-Flag is their music is so limited. You can only write so many songs about the same topic before it gets old. Something that I have always appreciated with bands is versatility with writing songs. So far from what I've heard, it's just all politics... though that is the path that Anti-Flag has chosen to take and they have stuck with it ever since. So kudos to them."

Get in or get out

Bass player | NY | 07/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm sick and tired of hearing that this isn't punk. You know what, it isn't punk in the traditional sense. So all you people who think punk died when DK died are right, the punk scene was badly damaged at that time. But it's time for you people to begin to realize that this (along with what bands like The Unseen, The Casualties, Rise Against, and Against Me! are doing) is what the new punk scene is all about. So you need to shut your mouth and remove yourself from the punk scene because if punk is dead to you then you have no reason to stick around and complain about what you think punk should be. And if you think punk is a different way, grab a guitar and play, then we'll be able to complain how lame you are."