A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime
Anti-Flag
A-F Records, $16.99
Anti-Flag have never been a band to shy away from the big issues and A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime, the latest EP from the Pittsburgh-based band proves to be no exception to this rule.
As Anti-Flag explain in their liner notes, violent crimes are too often written off as senseless acts when in fact there are often underlying social reasons for such events.
Anti-Flag see their new release as something that can not only raise money for a good cause but also to get people thinking about the underlying issues behind violent crimes that have touched the band personally through the death of bass player Chris #2's sister and her boyfriend.
The release includes five new songs and five live songs. The new tunes express the feelings felt by many young radicals growing up in today's world — of hate of the established order, the need for radical change and a certain hopelessness felt by those fighting for change. This sentiment can be seen in "No Future", "Anthem for the New Millennium Generation" and "No Paradise". "Corporate Rock Still Sucks" describes the many downsides of work in a corporate world.
The live tracks include tracks from their last few albums which have become crowd favourites during their hectic live show schedule over recent years, including "No Borders, No Nations", "One Trillion Dollars" and "911 For Peace".