The Harrowing Tale of "The Lies They Tell Our Children" review by Jersey Lane

The Only way to listen to this album is so goddamn loud and

proud that the mayor of your city decides to follow the same “No more

music” rule that the pastor/mayor in footloose instated.

In all seriousness, This album is amazing. In fact, the first time I

listened to it from start to finish, the only note I could scribble down

was “Holy Shit”.

Trust me when I say this, You guys are not ready for the

evolution...or should I say revolution, that is Anti-Flag’s newest album

“The Lies They Tell Our Children” dropping on all streaming services

on January 6th. If you’re a fan of Anti-flag you know they are no

stranger to activism and fighting the good fucking fight. Since their first

album was released they have made it a mission to use this time they

have to speak up about the astronomical amount of events that have

happened since 1988. They even go as far as bringing local activists

from the audience up on stage to speak freely about their cause

during shows, as bass player and vocalist Chris #2 expands on the

bands doing “...We let the activists who come to the shows talk on

stage so that they can have someone clap for them. They are the

people who are doing the work on a daily basis”.

This new ten track masterpiece is Anti-flag’s first concept album

that they poured everything they have into (Trust me it shows) Chris

#2 proudly recalls the writing process “..We knew what we wanted

sonically and politically. I don’t think we’ve worked this hard on songs

since 2006 with ‘For Blood And Empire’”. This concept is not only

heavy but it’s eminently real as well, Anti-flag dives in deep with hard

hitting themes that become very evident as the album progresses.

Front man Justin Sane establishes a deep message to further the

explanation for this concept “How did we get to this place where we

have so much wealth inequality, inequality that only grew during the

pandemic, while people were desperate? You’re rolling toward a

trainwreck and meltdown when that’s the case. Extreme profits for a

very few people; it is completely unsustainable, and is an important

theme throughout the record.”

The band worked seamlessly with Jon Lundin in the producer's

chair helping create what I can honestly say is the best punk pop/

punk/ rock album I have heard in a very long time. I may even go as

far to say that this album truly restored my faith in not only music, but

humanity. So, with that being said.. Let's go ahead and light this

candle shall we?

The first mind melting track is “Sold Everything” It’s very pop

punk, and almost like a prologue, an entrance to a poetic and political

saga that expresses the need for change and equality. It’s almost like

the calm before the storm, it just sets the vibe for this album in the

most perfect way.

Laugh.Cry.Smile.Die. , the third track it’s so human and lonely its

damn near heartbreaking. A loud and fed up message to the lack of

mental health support and really just the general lack of general health

care. It’s an anguished cry for help.

The fourth stop on our journey here is ‘The Fight Of Our Lives’.

Probably my favorite song on this album due to its relatable feeling of

despair and helplessness. The first thing that came into my mind was

the tragic war that is still raging through the Ukraine. It’s a story told

from two sides. Us, and them. What I mean by that is, it’s the feeling

of complete and utter helplessness, hearing and seeing the news

coverage day in and day out with that same sinking feeling of ‘there is

nothing I can do’ . We are just left to try and fathom what soldiers and

civilians are feeling at this moment. Overall this song is a message

about seeing and fully understanding what is going on in our world,

what is happening to the very people who gaze at the same sky and

stars that we do. The type of hopelessness and helplessness is so

emotional and devastating that it just shakes you to the core. But don’t

be fooled it’s also a very big question and maybe even a slight fuck

you to the people surrounding us with the financial stability to make a

difference, but instead sit back and do nothing.

What I really and I mean REALLY love about this album is how

each song is a different genre almost, kind of like a palate cleanser for

your ears. Each song has a different message and tone to it,

personally i think that is just pure god given talent. Now, Imperialism

track five, baby. This song absolutely screams “it’s punk to give a fuck”

the punk vibe is imacualte in this track, something I think The

Ramones would be very proud of. Basically, this banger is the perfect

anthem for the happy graduates of 2023.

Victory Or Death (We Gave Em Hell) is another favorite of mine,

it is so many things all wrapped into three minutes and thirty two

seconds. It’s a beautiful ode to those making the ultimate sacrifice,

hitting every emotion along the way from every perspective. It’s

emotional yet patriotic in a prideful and respectful way. I feel this song

is such a gracious remembrance for the people who sacrificed

everything so that we can have a better tomorrow. We still have a long

way to go but this song makes my heart burst with pride for the men

and women living and gone, marked in graves and some not, who

wanted to see change and with this song we can join Anti-Flag in

rejoicing and remembering the many lives of the real heroes who may

be gone, but will never be forgotten.

Alright, hold onto your butts cause, this is my absolute favorite

track off this love letter to change. I’m talking about track seven, The

Hazardous. Listen to it and come back to this portion and it will all

make sense. As we all know, gun violence is at an all time high with

an all time low of government officials not doing a damn thing. As

always our faithfull heroes Anti-Flag have put their foot down and are

begging for change. It’s the perfect message to the NRA in the most

poetic and desperate plea for a solution. “Our dignity, our liberty, it's all

or nothing” “they got their gun to our heads, same walls, same

change, same house always wins” These are just a few lyrical

examples from this track, None the less they many be the most

important ones that we need to find a way to blare in the white house

and in parliament ASAP. The inequality and lack for human lives is

unbelievably crucial to finding positive change in our world and

protecting our children. The thundering drums and the riveting flow of

the guitar notes paint such a woeful picture that it’s hard to believe this

is our reality. “It’s an insonic cry inside our own lives, Injustice

precedes where the weapon resides”. If that isn't the perfect

description for gun violence then I truthfully don't know what is.

Shallow Graves, the eighth installment of this album. I’ll keep it

short but, this song is an absolute battle cry for the beaten and the

damned begging for change. The shattered image of the once all

american dream is a heavy theme in this song. “We are the sins, you

will not forget. The broken promise of the innocent” That lyric is so

heart wrenchingly true, but if you listen close enough you can hear a

small glimmer of hope in their voices, proving that there is in fact

strength in numbers.

Our time together is coming to an end my little punk rockers, But

to top this off lets get into the final track yeah?

Only In My Head; The absolute perfect ending to a perfect album. I

think the best way to dissect this song is with one sentence. I think this

song is describing how it feels to live in a country and world that has

so many empty promises,and so many let downs. A world in which

wealth is placed so much higher above the general well being of

humans.

I’m going to leave you with a thought, how can we all be more like

Anti-Flag? Its simple, Its Punk Rock to give a fuck about the issues we

deal with in our reality. If we want to make a real change i’d say this is

our first step to completing that. 10/10