| The Art of Drowning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 19, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | June 2000 | |||
| Studio | Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:33 | |||
| Label | Nitro | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| AFI chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Art of Drowning | ||||
| ||||
The Art of Drowning is the fifth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on September 19, 2000, through Nitro Records.
In June 2000, the band finished recording The Art of Drowning. [5]
The album's second track, "The Lost Souls", was originally titled "The Art of Drowning". [6] "The Despair Factor" features AFI's first notable use of electronic drums. [7] On the song, vocalist Davey Havok states: "My whole life is a dark room... one big dark room," a line spoken by Winona Ryder in the film Beetlejuice (1988). [7] The track title inspired the name of the band's official fan club, The Despair Faction. [8]
The band name and album title appear in orange in a hand-designed horror punk-esque typeface. The front cover illustration depicts a wintry graveyard with deformed stone sculptures resembling either angels or demons. The central figure sits atop a frozen fountain and holds its hands in the prayer position. On the back cover, the scene continues to the left with more tombstones and a gate.
The CD booklet features additional illustrations: a man behind a fence (later sold as a toy named Art), [9] a bed with candles on each bedpost, demonic forms convulsing in the corner of a room, an eye with fiery skull shapes inside, skeletal forms in front of a fire and a heart motif, and a demonic figure which also appears on the CD label, as well as behind the CD tray (and on the cover of The Days of the Phoenix EP ). On the case's inner spine appears the hidden message "Battled", the title of the album's hidden track. The lyrics and spine use the Caslon Antique font, prominently featured on the band's previous album, Black Sails in the Sunset .
The album's art was produced by Alan Forbes - a San Francisco artist, and long-time collaborator with the band. Alan had previously produced the album art for 1999's Black Sails in the Sunset, as well as number of the band's merchandise designs, and tour posters.
The Art of Drowning was released in September 2000, through Nitro Records. [5] In November, the band supported Rancid on their tour of the US. [10] The lead single, "The Days of the Phoenix", experienced moderate airplay on modern rock stations, the most notable being KROQ-FM. A music video was released for the song, directed by Marc Webb. [11] "Wester" was released in the form of a promotional single. [12] In March 2001, the band toured across Canada with Death by Stereo, Catch 22, Ann Beretta, and Rise Against. [13] "The Days of the Phoenix" was released as an EP in May 2001, to coincide with some UK shows; it included "Wester", and the outtake "A Winter's Tale". [14] Between June and August 2001, the group performed on the Warped Tour. [15] Following the September 11 attacks, the band were stuck in Japan for a time due to an air-travel lockdown in the US. As a result of this, the first half of the band's headlining US tour were postponed to November. [16] [17] In November 2002, the album was included as part of a vinyl box of the band's albums on Nitro Records. [18] [19]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [20] |
| Alternative Press | [21] |
| Decoy Music | [22] |
| Ox-Fanzine | Favorable [23] |
| Punknews | [24] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [25] |
In an AllMusic review, MacKenzie Wilson says "Punk rawkers AFI exude another powerful disposition on their fifth album, The Art of Drowning. Issued on Dexter Holland's Nitro Records, AFI's quick and haughty, spiraling guitar riffs and crashing percussion make for another mishmash for single-fisted anthems for punk revivalists and enigmatic pop kids raging against the machine. Nothing short of Pennywise, D Generation, and Powerman 5000, AFI is rowdy with their old-school-inspired rants like "Ever and a Day" and "Of Greetings and Goodbyes." Frontman Davey Havok casts a rough demeanor, but certainly not anything intimidating because punk rock became friendly after the war of early-'90s grunge. The snarl and sweat are not as fashionable as it once was, but the attitude remains the same." [26]
The album was listed by Alternative Press as one of the ten most influential punk albums of the year 2000. [27] The album was included in Rock Sound 's 101 Modern Classics list at number 40. [28] In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine. [29] Alternative Press ranked "The Days of the Phoenix" at number 80 on their list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s. [30]
The album was the band's first to chart on the Billboard 200, [31] at #174 for the week of October 13, 2000. [32] It sold around 8,000 copies in its first week. [33]
All lyrics are written by Davey Havok; all music is composed by AFI
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Initiation" | 0:39 |
| 2. | "The Lost Souls" | 2:42 |
| 3. | "The Nephilim" | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Ever and a Day" | 3:06 |
| 5. | "Sacrifice Theory" | 1:58 |
| 6. | "Of Greetings and Goodbyes" | 3:04 |
| 7. | "Smile" | 1:31 |
| 8. | "A Story at Three" | 3:53 |
| 9. | "The Days of the Phoenix" | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Catch a Hot One" | 2:54 |
| 11. | "Wester" | 3:02 |
| 12. | "6 to 8" | 4:21 |
| 13. | "The Despair Factor" | 3:54 |
| 14. | "Morningstar" | 3:16 |
| 15. | "Battled" (hidden track) | 1:03 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Dream of Waking" | 3:03 |
All tracks recorded during The Art of Drowning sessions.
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [39] | 174 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [40] | 9 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [41] | 12 |
AFI is an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres, starting with horror punk and following through post-hardcore and emo into alternative rock and gothic rock.
Rancid is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released on August 1, 2000. It is the second eponymous album and the first to be released through frontman Tim Armstrong's label, Hellcat Records. It also features the return of producer Brett Gurewitz, who has produced every subsequent album by the band.
David Paden Marchand, known professionally as Davey Havok, is an American singer and musician who is the lead vocalist of the rock band AFI, the synth-pop band Blaqk Audio, the hardcore punk band XTRMST, and the new wave band Dreamcar. Among various other ventures, he performed lead vocals for Son of Sam's debut album and for fictional band My Purple Agony in the animated series Harvey Girls Forever!.
The New America is the eleventh studio album by punk band Bad Religion. It was released in 2000 and is their last album on Atlantic Records.
Jade Errol Puget is an American musician and producer, best known as the guitarist for the rock band AFI, the guitarist/writer for the straight edge hardcore band XTRMST, and the keyboardist/synthesizer operator for the electronic duo Blaqk Audio. Puget is vegetarian and straight edge.
Black Sails in the Sunset is the fourth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on May 18, 1999, through Nitro Records. With the addition of guitarist Jade Puget as a permanent member, it is the first AFI album to feature the current line-up of the band.
Very Proud of Ya is the second studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on June 18, 1996, through Nitro Records.
AFI is an album by the American rock band AFI, compiling tracks from their releases on Nitro Records between 1996 and 2001, before the band signed to DreamWorks Records and achieved mainstream success. Released on November 2, 2004, the compilation peaked at #88 on the Billboard 200. The compilation focuses on the band's hardcore punk sound during this era.
Adam Alexander Carson is the drummer of the alternative rock band AFI. He and Davey Havok are the two original members left in the lineup. Carson also filled in as drummer for the psychobilly band Tiger Army. His drumming can be found on Tiger Army's Early Years EP as well as their debut album Tiger Army. Carson was also a member of Influence 13 – a band formed by Nick 13, Jade Puget, Geoff Kresge, and two other friends.
Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes is the third studio album by American punk rock band AFI. It was released on November 11, 1997, through Nitro Records.
Panic is the seventh studio album by punk rock band MxPx.
Look What I Almost Stepped In... is the eighth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2000 by Nitro Records. It was recorded in April 2000. It was the band's final album for Nitro, as they moved to their own label Kung Fu Records the following year.
Internet Dating Superstuds is the ninth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals. An independent music video was filmed for the song "43210-1."
All Hallow's E.P. is an extended play by American punk rock band AFI. It was released on October 5, 1999, through Nitro Records. It contains three original songs and a cover of the Misfits song "Halloween".
Son of Sam is an American horror punk band that is a side project created by Todd Youth in 2000, during his tenure as the guitarist for Danzig. The band's initial line up featured members of Samhain, Danzig, and AFI. Much like its members' other work, Son of Sam plays in the horror punk style, and also infuses metal and deathrock elements into their music. The name of the band was inspired by the iconic serial killer David Berkowitz, known as the notorious "Son of Sam". This also draws reference to the band Samhain.
Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American rock band AFI, released on June 6, 2006, through Interscope Records. The album was supported by three singles, "Miss Murder", "Love Like Winter", and "The Missing Frame".
"The Days of the Phoenix" is a song by the American rock band AFI. It was released to radio as the only single from their fifth studio album The Art of Drowning in 2000. On the album's track listing, the song's title is written as "Days of the Phoenix".
Blaqk Audio is an American electronic music duo, formed by current AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget under Interscope Records.
Coaster is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on April 28, 2009 through Fat Wreck Chords.
Crash Love is the eighth studio album by the rock band AFI. Produced by Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee, it was released on September 29, 2009, through Interscope Records.
A.F.I. The Art of Drowning - The best of East-Bay (SF area) hardcore.
