The People or the Gun - Anti-Flag

The People or the Gun

Anti-Flag

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Released: June 9, 2009

Label: SideOneDummy

Reviewed by: Bill Jones

If it looks like an Anti-Flag album and sounds like an Anti-Flag album, it must be an Anti-Flag album. With the co-lead vocals of Justin Sane and Chris #2, it has become pretty hard to mistake an Anti-Flag album for anything else. Not to mention there is a bit of, let’s call it “consistency” to Anti-Flag’s work that lends it both familiarity (in a good way) and a somewhat basic, derivative feeling (in a bad way).

The People or the Gun isn’t an album that’s about to break the mold. Punk fans who absolutely can’t stand the music of the Pittsburgh four-piece aren’t going to be swayed by the band’s latest. But longtime fans will be pleased with the band’s return to a smaller label and the self-production of People or the Gun.

Immediately noticeable is the band’s aggressive approach in the opener, “Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C. (Sheep in Shepherd’s Clothing),” a melodic punk attack on the misuse of scripture. The band slows things down with two big sing-along choruses in “The Economy Is Suffering…Let it Die” and “The Gre(a)t Depression.” Both contain catchy riffs and deal with misguided capitalism and greed leading to today’s economic woes.

Things pick up again with “We Are the One” and don’t let up. “You Are Fired (Take This Job, Ah, Fuck It)” absolutely tears things up. It is almost a shame that it only accounts for one minute of this album’s length, as it is an intense throwback or crusty old hardcore, guaranteed to have kids on a path of destruction in the pit. Incredibly straightforward lyrics and downright violent music.

“This is the First Night” provides the mid-album change of pace, a song designed to be a sing-along for the end of the show. From here on out, the songs aren’t quite as noteworthy as those in the opening half, but the solid songwriting continues. As expected with Anti-Flag, every song has a very direct social message, with a healthy mix of straight-up punk tunes, ballads and anthems. The socially intense 10-track album does go out with a humorous hidden track called “Teenage Kennedy Lobotomy,” slamming bands in it for the wrong reasons, in which drummer Pat Thetic declares, “I get paid by the drum beat!”

Many bands have used SideOneDummy in recent years as a launching pad for career revivals, while others (Big D and the Kids Table, Gaslight Anthem) weren’t really in need of revivals, but signed to the label and released the best material in their respective discographies to date. The People or the Gun doesn’t quite hit the “best of career” mark, and Anti-Flag wasn’t in need of a revival. The band also doesn’t stray too far from its usual repertoire. It’s still a bit sophomoric and preachy enough to make the live rants wholly unnecessary, but The People or the Gun sounds like an album written by a band that has been refreshed. And the reinvigorated attack of Anti-Flag is definitely worth a listen.