Customer Reviews

For Blood & Empire (Clean)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

For Blood and Empire covers all the hard angst you'd want from any punk band while being danceable and teaching stuff to the blind masses.
"One Trillion Dollars" is my favorite song on the CD. It really showcases lead singer Justin Sane's heartwrenching voice. The tone he sings it in combined with the lyrics themselves are really heartbreaking, but the truth hurts as they say. This CD helps us process the awful truth about the current state of our government, understand it better, and maybe even feel like doing something about it. Right after we've finished getting beat up in the circle pit.
"The Press Corpse" and "I'd tell you but..." are close seconds. I'm willing to forgive Anti-Flag's ever more closely edging pop into their punk because every song is so packed full of facts, pleas, and energy.
Long live "For Blood and Empire". I hope this record can inspire the kids to make changes.

A bit more mainstream of a sound, but still nothing close to the pop-punk crap that's on the radio and the video channels (fall out boy, etc.). This is pure punk at it's best. These guys are on their way to make a name for themselves without selling out. Their message remians the same and clearer than ever. Buy this album. 10% goes to a good cause.

This is one fine record done by the political boys of Anti Flag. THe Album is extremely political but what do you expect their Anti Flag. And they are political in a good way. They can pull it off without being cheesy. ANyway, every song on here was a hit to me. But i do have a couple of favorites and they are, This is the End (for you my friend), State Funeral, and Cities BUrn. But all the other songs are pretty much just as good. If you werent happy with The Terror State, then pick this up for sure cuz its 10 times better than that. This album gave me a refound respect for the band

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.

I have been an Anti-Flag fan for about 5 years and I have always thought that the political messages in their songs sounded a bit pretentious and contrived. However I thought that they were great political anthems so to speak. The music on their previous albums is what drew me in to their work. I thought that the raw punk sound and angry vocals were what made them. On For Blood and Empire Anti-Flag has greatly improved on their lyrical abilities. The songs have more meaning and also have more rallying points around them. The music on the other hand isn't as raw or energetic as albums such as Underground Network or A New Kind of Army. I do like the music and feel that they are going towards a wider audience with a better message than they had before. I have come to the conclusion that big record labels don't even spend time looking at the lyrical content they just look for a "mainstream" sound to the music. If they did spend analyzing the lyrics they wouldn't let this album ship to retailers. All in all I really like this CD and strongly encourage any Anti-Flag fan, any punk rock fan, or anyone who is interested in protest music to buy this album.

This CD is killer and it just hit us like a ton of bricks. No one new when it was coming out or even if it was coming out and then it did. We walked in saw it, bought it, and got blown away. This one is a underground masterpiece and Anti-Flag really did a mazing job making this album work. By it now. Totally Rad Dude!

If you want to just tear stuff up and dance around and mosh like a crazy person, there are some good songs on here for that. I can't stop listening to this CD actually. Yes, Ant-Flag sold out, so what? The music hasn't changed a bit. They are still political and controversial as always. I don't understand why people think Terror State and This CD are "poppier" Justin Sane has always had a whiny voice, but it goes well with the music. Anyways, im not huge on all their political beliefs although i agree with most of what they say. Anyways, the First song and "Hymn for the Dead" are my favorites. this CD pumps you up, its great punk music.

The Terror State wasn't very good. I mean, it was OKAY, but it got boring after a while, and some of the songs had stupidly written lyrics. On this one, it seems that they've taken more time with their writing. The lyrics seem less sloppy, and they make me think more than the ones on the last album. Musically, it is similar to TS, in the way that it has a poppy sound, but a punky attitude. Depleted Uranium Is A War Crime is definately punk all the way around, though. So, yeah... I would say buy this if you've been a fan for a while, or if you're just getting into them, or whatever. Just pick it up!

I'm not sure why everyone thinks that Anti-Flag 'sold out' while they are still playing quality music with a powerful message. I'd give this album a 4.5...but that's not an option so I'll give it a 4, 'cause it's not exactly 'perfect' in my opinion. 'For Blood and Empire' is a really solid album with a lot of variety, something many 'punk' bands can sometimes forget about. And since they're Anti-Flag, you can expect to get an idea of what's going on in the world today (if you couldn't tell by the song titles). But instead of jumping on the band wagon and saying "Oh Bush sucks cuz my daddy said so", the band writes about issues in a way that's real and thought provoking. My top 5 would be: I'd Tell You But... (a very original approach, the song is through the eyes of civilian in war I think), Hymn for the Dead (very catchy), This is the End (For You My Friend) (one of the stronger songs lyrically), 1 Trillion Dollar$ (this one is really sad!), Depleted Uranium is a War Crime (same here), and Project for a New American Century (encouraging you to 'stand up for democracy'. thank god, a punk band that doesn't run around preaching anarchy).

Anti-Flag have won me over again with their latest record, For Blood and Empire. I have been one of their biggest critics ever since the release of the mediocre Terror State up until their signing to RCA. For Blood and Empire has made me a fan again, it's that good. Definitely one of the best punk albums of the year. Best tracks: I'd tell you but, Press Corpse, One Trillion Dollars, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, Cities Burn, and DU is a warcrime.