Spun: Anti-Flag

By Logan Niehaus

Fuck authority! Fuck government! Fuck your roots! Oh wait, what was that last one? After a few years of touring and relaxation, rebel punk rockers Anti-Flag have returned with power, enthusiasm and a new record label. That’s right, the fist pumping boys of summer signed with a major label. Sell-outs you say? Maybe, but it might not be too bad if you take their new album, For Blood and Empire, as evidence.

The album focuses mainly on the U.S. government’s situation over the past few years, taking the group in a more focused and meaningful direction than their previous work. Here, Anti-Flag’s sound is revitalized, energetic and powerful. Front to back, For Blood and Empire is one of the first worthwhile punk albums of the year. Anti-Flag has always had potential and whether a result of a major label or just finally reaching the needed level of maturity, they’ve finally unleashed it. Despite their apparent sell-out, Anti-Flag has found a way to stick with their original sound while bumping it up to a more significant and meaningful level.