Insanity
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