Die for the Government

Anti-Flag: Justin Sane (vocals, guitar); Andy Flag (vocals, bass); Pat Thetic (drums). Admittedly, it's strange that an old school-sounding punk trio would criticize punk scene denizens thusly: "Covered in leather, or plaid patches, or metal studs/Your hair is dyed or spiked with glue/You only talk to those who look and act the way you do/You scoff at how the cops treat you/But they're no worse than dicks like you!" ("Punk by the Book"). It's even more strange in light of Anti-Flag's Discharge/Rancid haircuts, a dog collar, and even a shirt that says "destroy." But since they point out that what you think is more important than how you dress, fair enough, because they carry on a more crucial custom: warning MTV-polluted, 85-TV-channel youth that punk means doing something productive instead of being passive or getting drunk and into fights, and becoming aware of politics and history is a prerequisite before bitching about the government (such as the Pentagon's attempts to pretend there is no Gulf War syndrome, as Anti-Flag points out). Criticism from within is the only kind that's listened to. As well, on songs such as "Safe Tonight" and "Police State in the U.S.A.," Anti-Flag tosses up the kind of vintage, early-'80s, So-Cal, melodic punk that B.Y.O., Frontier, Posh Boy, and other labels specialized in, and a ska song is welcome. ~ Jack Rabid