Black Sails in the Sunset

Music

While Black Sails in the Sunset is a hardcore punk album, it also is a horror punk album. Black Sails in the Sunset is more melodic than previous AFI albums.

Release

Black Sails in the Sunset was released on May 18, 1999 on 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. The album did not peak on any mainstream Billboard charts, however, it managed to peak at #6 on the Top Heatseekers (Pacific) chart.

Critical reception

Black Sails in the Sunset was received well by critics. Alternative Press gave the album four-and-a-half out of five stars, commenting that "with new guitarist Jade Puget adding a sense of brooding, thespian eloquence to the disc's shadowy post-hardcore, AFI all but reinvented themselves," and "With longer, deeper, richer, more complex compositions than they've ever attempted before, Black Sails tackles everything from brooding hardcore ... to shimmering balladry..." The publication also went as far as to say that Black Sails is "their first epic."

Decoy Music reviewer Aaron Yarborough praised Davey Havok's lyrical contribution to the album, commending his efforts to "find himself," saying "the way he expresses how he feels is pure poetry." Yarborough concluded by recommending the album to "anyone who likes heavy punk."

Track listing

Bonus tracks, B-sides, unreleased tracks, etc.

All tracks recorded during the Black Sails sessions unless otherwise noted.

Background

Personnel