10 Bands Destroyed By "Selling Out"

Like synchronised swimming (Ancient Rome), macaroni cheese (the 14th century), and Paul Rudd (50?!?), AFI are much older than you think. The Californians have been together under one guise or another since 1991, and are in the process of wrapping up their 13th album as we speak.

“What’s so wrong with that?”, I hear you cry. “Surely, if anything, that shows a serious amount of dedication and should give them an extra bit of kudos in the ol’ credibility stakes”. And you might be right too, if they hadn’t undergone such a ridiculous and frankly disappointing transformation.

When AFI started out they were hardcore punks of the purest concentration, churning out two-minute tracks over breakneck beats. By the time they reached their eventual major label debut in 2003, they had altered their sound somewhat, granted, but were still out gothic punk that hit has hard and carried as much intent ever.

Since the mid ‘00s, however, things have gone, well, downhill. 2006’s Decemberunderground was good, and for many would probably represent a high point in the band’s discography, but since then every release has veered closer and closer to the middle of the road, until now, nearly 30 years after their inception, AFI have essentially pigeon-holed themselves as whiney middle-aged vampire cosplayers.