Weekend Discussion: What Do You Want From AFI's Next Album?

We've been in the depths of AFI dormancy for some months now, but we're not so far away from the first whispers of a new AFI album. As early as 2010, Jade had begun to write some music for the ninth studio album. There are recent rumors that the band has now begun the formal songwriting process, although we have not gotten any official updates.

It cannot be disputed that AFI has always redefined themselves with every new release. With that in mind, we want to know what you are hoping to find in AFI's next album. Feel free to be a realist or a dreamer. This discussion extends to any area of the creative process, from lyrics to music to atmosphere to art style and more. We look forward to seeing your ideas, and which ones turn into reality!

You can comment here, and share your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook.

Weekend Discussion: Vinyl or CD?

AFI has always released their material on CD format as well as vinyl. But, which is better? CDs can be easily ripped into MP3 format and carried around in your pocket, while a record player has almost no portability. However, vinyl is known to have better sound quality, while CDs are compressed in a limited number of digital bits.
So the real debate is: do you want better sound quality, or more portability? We all have our personal opinions, so it’ll be interesting to see what everyone thinks. A new poll will be up shortly so you can vote on your preference.

Weekend Discussion: Darling, I Want To Destroy You

What are your thoughts about Darling, I Want To Destroy You? I've read about an unusually big dislike for this song. Personally, it's my favorite song of the Crash Love sessions. I've seen people saying the distorted vocals ruin the song but for me they just add an amazing mood/atmosphere to the song.

So post in the comments how you feel about the song, which along End Transmission could easily be the third single. As a bonus, here is "Darling, I Want To Destroy You" being soundchecked. (It hasn't been played live yet)

Win!

Weekend Discussion: Favorite Music Video

We've decided to step away from the concept of albums and this week have our Weekend Discussion about what your favorite AFI music video is.

Was Silver and Cold's bizzare ending a great visual masterpiece or was Toalimmortal and Medicate's black and white montage the icing on the cake? Did The Leaving Song Pt. II capture an AFI show perfectly or did Miss Murder's deathly demeanor seduce you?

What about Davey's kidnap and murder on He Who Laughs Last? Or the skating teens of Third Season? And the Girl's Not Grey bunny entering to Jade's crotch world? Was there enough snow in Love Like Winter?

Let us know but back up your claim. We think this will be a fun discussion. Vote for your favorite in the new poll to the left.

Weekend Discussion: Best Cover Artwork?

There have been about 21 different AFI releases, including both LPs and EPs. Each one of those has its own unique cover art. At least two factors need to be taken into account when determining the best cover art: the actual aesthetic appeal of the art, and how well the art fits in with the music and themes of the album.

In this edition of Weekend Discussion, we'd like to hear your thoughts on which cover artwork reigns supreme over all of the rest. Does the simplicity and elegance of the last three album covers hold a candle to the granduer of the artwork of The Art of Drowning? Or does Adam's facial expression on the cover of Dork EP make all other competition irrelevant?

Or, does any cover artwork completely miss the mark in terms of representing what you feel the album is about? Let us know your thoughts, and we'll post a poll relating to this topic soon.

Weekend Discussion: AOD vs. Black Sails

The Art of Drowning and Black Sails in the Sunset are considered by many AFI fans to be the peak of the band's early career. They share punk roots and fast-paced songs. However, they are still markedly different in their style and sound. For this weekend's discussion, take off the gloves and convince us why one album is better than the other.

Do certain songs make or break one of the albums for you? Are the devastating screams of Black Sails just too much for The Art of Drowning's mellower songs to handle? Or does the sonic experimentatation with songs such as The Despair Factor or Morningstar making The Art of Drowning reign supreme? Tell us your reasons.

In addition, you can vote on this matter in our new poll to the left.

Weekend Discussion: What Opening Bands Would You Want To See?

There has been some harsh criticism of the opening bands on the Crash Love Tour. With Gallows cancelling due to illness and Ceremony replacing them for many dates, many have said both bands are too hardcore. So, this week's Weekend Discussion focuses on what bands you would want to see open for AFI on the Crash Love tour and why.

Also, be sure to vote in our poll on whether you like Gallows or Ceremony opening. We can't wait to see your choices.

Weekend Discussion: If You Directed The Beautiful Thieves Music Video, What Would The Concept Be?

With rumors swirling that the next single will be 'Beautiful Thieves' and the great possibility that there will be a music video to accompany the single, we want to know, if you were in the director's chair, what would your video concept be?

Share your directorial visions with one another.

Weekend Discussion: Songs You'd Kill To Hear Live

The setlists so far on the Crash Love tour have been pretty consistent, but a surprising old song is thrown into the mix every few nights. We've heard Triple Zero, No Poetic Device, Nyquil, Self Pity, Morningstar, Half-Empty Bottle, Don't Make Me Ill, and more. It seems as though no era is quite off-limits.

That being said, we want to know which songs YOU would most want to hear when you see AFI this tour. Feel free to make an entire dream setlist if you'd like. What songs can they still pull off well? What songs are best left unplayed?

Click here to download our Crash Love Tour Setlist Compilation Version 1.0! Click here for the Fan Projects page of the AFI Ignite Download Center where you can download updated versions every Saturday.

Weekend Discussion: AFI Acoustic or Orchestra?

Here's the second installment in our new weekly discussion series. Click here to see last week's discussion.

Many of us have seen AFI play live at one time or another, but I'm guessing most of you haven't seen AFI play live acoustically... or backed by an orchestra. Would you rather see them acoustic or orchestral? Which songs do you feel would be good to hear in those formats?

I know this is something I've never thought about, so this discussion should be interesting. Also, you can vote in the new poll on the left.

Weekend Discussion: Davey's STS or DU Look?

We're going to try out a new weekly feature here, to add a bit of general AFI discussion to our mix of posts. Every Friday or Saturday we'll post a question regarding the band (e.g. "AOD vs. BSITS" or "better live era: STS or AOD?") You can suggest a question by e-mailing us. Here's the first one, from Pablo:

Mary and I were having a conversation about what look was the best for Davey. One of us said the Decemberunderground look was the best and the other of us said it was the Sing The Sorrow look. Vote in the poll on the left, and tell us your thoughts in the comments. Keep the discussion intelligent and no fangirl/boying.

STS Look

DU Look