Sing the Sorrow

Sing the Sorrow is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. Recorded at Cello Studios in Los Angeles, California between 2002 and 2003, the album was produced by Jerry Finn and Butch Vig.

Sing the Sorrow
Studio album by
AFI
ReleasedMarch 11, 2003 (2003-03-11)
RecordedCello Studios, Los Angeles
Genre
Length55:54
LabelDreamWorks
ProducerJerry Finn, Butch Vig
AFI chronology
The Art of Drowning
(2000)		 Sing the Sorrow
(2003)		 AFI
(2004)
AFI video chronology
Clandestine
(2003)		 I Heard a Voice – Live from Long Beach Arena
(2006)
Singles from Sing the Sorrow
  1. "Girl's Not Grey"
    Released: January 12, 2003
  2. "The Leaving Song Pt. II"
    Released: August 3, 2003
  3. "Silver and Cold"
    Released: November 11, 2003

Sing the Sorrow received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised its melodies and musicianship, as well as its mature sound in comparison to the band's previous material. The album sold 96,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States,[2] reaching number 5 on the Billboard 200, and also charted in Canada and the United Kingdom. It has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as being certified Platinum in Canada. The album was supported by three singles: "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving Song Pt. II" and "Silver and Cold", which have since successfully charted within the Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts.

Music and lyrics

Musically, Sing the Sorrow is a departure from the hardcore punk and horror punk genres featured in the band's previous material. The album features elements of hardcore punk, post-hardcore, alternative rock, gothic rock, and emo.[3][4] The album is more experimental than previous AFI albums.[4] The album includes instruments other than guitar, bass and drums, including instruments such as piano and strings.[3] Lyrically, the album is darker and more poetic than previous material. The opening track features some electronic programming from Jade Puget.[5] The album includes a hidden song, which leads into a spoken word poem accompanied by piano keys and distorted synth sounds.[6]

Artwork and liner notes

The album was released with three different covers, featuring different colors for the text, logo, and iconography.[lower-alpha 1] The colors were red, silver and black. The original cover features red artwork.[9] Several of the first pressings in the United States and United Kingdom featured the silver cover,[10] but the pressings are now rare and out of print, although the digital version of Sing the Sorrow among iTunes still features the silver artwork. The black cover was solely available at performing shows within the United States tour following the album's release, and through the official fan club's online store as well. The black cover is now rare and out of print, with only 2,500 copies in circulation.[11]

All versions of the back cover feature a small encircled picture of an ocean horizon, a reference to the artwork of AFI's fourth studio album, Black Sails in the Sunset.[12] Although the album was released through DreamWorks Records, a logo of Nitro Records is found on the back cover of all versions, AFI's previous record label.

International versions of the album use different artwork on the album label. Often contain a picture of an inverted octopus whilst other contain a foraminifer or a dead bird. All of the pictures are taken from the book Animals by Jim Harter. Some versions, including the Ukrainian edition, feature no artwork on the album label, and have inconsistent cover artwork from other versions.

Sing the Sorrow's seventh track, "Death of Seasons", features the only use of profanity on the album. "Fuck" is used twice: once at 1:33 as "all of this hatred is fucking real", and later at 2:52 as "'cause this hate is fucking real." The album managed to avoid receiving the RIAA's Parental Advisory label by printing the lyric as "scuking" [sic] within the booklet ("****ing" in latter pressings), as the band thought the label would ruin the album artwork.

Release

The album was released on March 11, 2003, through DreamWorks Records. In mid-to-late June and mid-to-late July, the group appeared on the Warped Tour.[13]

The hard-book cover of the limited edition

Special limited edition

A special limited edition was released that included the short film Clandestine on DVD,[14] directed by Norwood Cheek.[15] It also contained a 60-page booklet featuring extensive artwork and lyrics as well.[9]

The film is eight minutes in length and stars all four band members.[15] The film contains references to imagery and concepts from the album. The film focuses on the four band members trying to obtain a mysterious box which bears resemblance to the Sing the Sorrow album cover. The film features two playable soundtracks, one by bassist Hunter Burgan and the other by guitarist Jade Puget.[15] Only 20,000 copies were pressed.

Extra tracks

Extra tracks are featured on several international versions of the CD release. US editions of the CD release included links to the bonus tracks "Synesthesia" and "Now the World" on a 'secret site' that is now defunct. These tracks are also featured on the UK edition.[12]

All versions of Sing the Sorrow contain a spoken poem and the song "This Time Imperfect" as a hidden track, altogether ten minutes long.[12] After a brief silence, piano music begins to play as Jade Puget's younger brother Gibson speaks the first third of the poem. After the poem is concluded, the song plays, bookended by the sound of a guitar playing backwards and extensive sampling.

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Alternative Press5/5[17]
Blender[18]
Entertainment WeeklyD[19]
Los Angeles Times[20]
Q[21]
Rolling Stone[22]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[23]
Slant Magazine[6]
SpinB+[24]

Critical response to Sing the Sorrow was mostly very positive. The review aggregator Metacritic scored the album an 81 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, with the mention of "universal acclaim".[16] E! Online called it a "well-crafted mix of hardcore bluster, determined melody and anthemic grandness that boasts depth and texture rarely heard from the Warped Tour ilk."[16] Alternative Press awarded the album a perfect score, saying that, "Sing the Sorrow soars with the kind of melodies hit singles are made of, yet it somehow persists with AFI's esoteric darkness."[16] Allmusic awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Emerging in early 2003 with Sing the Sorrow, it's clear the molting process AFI began with Black Sails in Sunset is complete," and concluded that, "Whatever factions of the band's longterm fans might think of their major-label affiliation, Sing the Sorrow represents a coalescing of the band's sound."[3] Rolling Stone awarded the album a 4 out of 5, claiming that "Sing the Sorrow is not exactly a concept album, but it does have a singleness of dark purpose that builds in momentum as the disc progresses."[16] In further support, The New York Times rated Sing the Sorrow as the tenth-best album of 2003. Conversely, Entertainment Weekly gave the album a 'D', commenting that "The songs combine the most pretentious and overworked elements of their influences."[16] The New York Times listed the album as one of the best of 2003.[25]

It ranked #77 in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine's List of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. The album's lead single "Girl's Not Grey" received a 2003 VMA for the 'Best MTV2 Music Video' category.[26] The track is also a playable track on the video game Rock Band 2, and a downloadable track for the video game Guitar Hero 5 and iPhone/iPod touch application Tap Tap Revenge. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. "Dancing Through Sunday" was featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. "Miseria Cantare" was used in the trailer for the 2014 short film Interference, which premiered at the Roxbury Film Festival.

Certifications and chart positions

Chart positions
Chart Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[27] 65
Canadian Albums Chart[28] 10
UK Albums Chart[29] 52
US Billboard 200[28] 5

Certifications
Territory Provider Certification
Australia ARIA Gold[30]
Canada CRIA Platinum[31]
United States RIAA Platinum[32]

Singles

Three singles, each with an accompanying music video, were released from Sing the Sorrow: "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving Song Pt. II," and "Silver and Cold." "Girl's Not Grey" was the highest charting single, reaching #7 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart,[33] #33 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #22 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, "The Leaving Song Pt. II" charted at #16 on the Alternative Songs chart,[33] #31 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, #27 in Australia, and #43 in the UK. The third and final single, "Silver and Cold" reached #7 on the Alternative Songs chart[33] and #39 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Track listing

All tracks are written by AFI.

No.TitleLength
1."Miseria Cantare - The Beginning"2:57
2."The Leaving Song Pt. II"3:31
3."Bleed Black"4:15
4."Silver and Cold"4:11
5."Dancing Through Sunday"2:26
6."Girl's Not Grey"3:10
7."Death of Seasons"3:59
8."The Great Disappointment"5:27
9."Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)"3:58
10."This Celluloid Dream"4:11
11."The Leaving Song"2:44
12."...but home is nowhere" (includes hidden tracks "The Spoken Word" and "This Time Imperfect")15:07
Total length:55:54
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
13."Now the World"4:03
Total length:59:57
UK edition
No.TitleLength
13."Synesthesia"3:30
14."Now the World" (4:03, includes hidden tracks "The Spoken Word" and "This Time Imperfect")15:19
Total length:1:03:28
Special limited edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Clandestine" (short film) (playable in two versions; Jade's soundtrack and Hunter's soundtrack)8:06
2."Death of Seasons" (Audio 5.1 Mix)3:59
3."Silver and Cold" (Audio 5.1 Mix)4:11
4."...but home is nowhere" (Audio 5.1 Mix)3:51
5."The Great Disappointment" (Audio 5.1 Mix)5:27
6."Reivers' Music" (Audio 5.1 Mix)3:22
Total length:28:16

B-sides and outtakes

All songs recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions unless otherwise noted.

  • Demo versions of "Synesthesia", "This Celluloid Dream", "The Great Disappointment", "Paper Airplanes (makeshift wings)", "...But Home is Nowhere", "The Leaving Song", and "Now the World" can be found as b-sides on the album's single releases.
  • "Reivers' Music" is featured on the DVD of the special limited edition album, as well as the "Girl's Not Grey" single and the 336 EP.[34][lower-alpha 2]
  • "Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37" was recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions, and was eventually released on the MySpace Records: Volume 1 compilation[35] in November 2005 and as a bonus track on the UK and Australian editions of Decemberunderground.[36]
  • "Carcinogen Crush" was recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions, but the band felt that it did not fit the album.[lower-alpha 3] It was eventually re-recorded during the Decemberunderground sessions, but remained unreleased.[37] It was eventually released as a bonus track on the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and as a digital single on December 4, 2007. It is also featured on the "Medicate" UK vinyl and the Japanese version of Crash Love. Jade Puget confirmed in a blog entry that Hunter Burgan is the sole songwriter of the song. The Sing the Sorrow version remains unreleased.
  • "100 Words" was recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions,[lower-alpha 3] and was not released until 2009 on the deluxe version of Crash Love.

Personnel

Release history

References

Footnotes
  1. An early idea for the album cover depicted a burning rose.[7] This was repurposed as the cover for some releasees of the "Girl's Not Grey" single.[8]
  2. Released in 2002, the two-song EP also includes the demo version of "Now the World".[34]
  3. The title can be found in the special limited edition book of Sing the Sorrow.

Citations
  1. "Review: AFI - Sing the Sorrow - Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  2. "AFI Burns Brightly With No. 1 Debut". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  3. Loftus, Johnny. "Sing the Sorrow – AFI". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  4. Punknews.org. "AFI - Sing The Sorrow". www.punknews.org. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  5. "Backspin: AFI on 'Sing the Sorrow'". Yahoo!. February 17, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2020 – via YouTube.
  6. Scott, Aaron (March 21, 2003). "AFI: Sing the Sorrow". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  7. Puget, Jade (January 3, 2020). "Early idea for the cover of Sing the Sorrow". Instagram. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  8. "AFI - Girl's Not Grey". Discogs. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  9. Heisel, Scott (2003). "Sing The Sorrow formats and releases / new AFI tour dates". Punknews.org. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  10. "AFI - Sing The Sorrow". Discogs. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  11. "AFI - Sing The Sorrow". Discogs. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  12. "AFI – Sing The Sorrow (CD)". Subjective Sounds. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  13. "Final Band List Announced". Warped Tour. February 6, 2003. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  14. "AFI - Sing The Sorrow". Discogs. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  15. "Clandestine Movie. Where To Watch Streaming Online & Reviews", Moviefit, retrieved December 20, 2020
  16. "Reviews for Sing The Sorrow by AFI". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  17. "AFI: Sing the Sorrow". Alternative Press (177): 69. April 2003.
  18. Miccio, Anthony (April 2003). "A.F.I.: Sing The Sorrow". Blender (15): 120. Archived from the original on August 3, 2004. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  19. Farber, Jim (March 21, 2003). "Sing the Sorrow". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  20. Hochman, Steve (March 9, 2003). "Punk and beyond from A.F.I. quartet". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  21. "AFI: Sing the Sorrow". Q (201): 101. April 2003.
  22. Cherry, Robert (February 25, 2003). "AFI: Sing The Sorrow". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  23. McLeod, Kembrew (2004). "A.F.I.". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 10. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  24. Gross, Joe (April 2003). "Nü Day Rising". Spin. 19 (4): 101–02. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  25. "MUSIC: THE HIGHS; The Albums and Songs of the Year". The New York Times. December 28, 2003.
  26. "MTV Video Music Awards". MTV. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  27. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  28. "Sing the Sorrow - AFI". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  29. "Chart Log: A – Azzido Da Bass". Zobbel. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  30. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  31. "Gold & Platinum Certification – June 2006". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  32. "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  33. https://www.billboard.com/music/afi/chart-history/alternative-songs
  34. "AFI - 336". Discogs. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  35. Paul, Aubin (2005). "AFI cancels Big Day Out appearance". Punknews.org. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  36. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Original Game Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits", AllMusic, retrieved December 14, 2020
  37. "Billboard Bits: 'Guitar Hero III,' Os Mutantes, Isis".
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