Grade: C-
Break out your guyliner and restore your devil lock haircut, AFI is back with a new album. Moody crooner Davey Havok returned from his solo career long enough to crank out AFI’s macabre new album, its first in four years. “Burials” is a harmonious marriage of ’90s goth (Depeche Mode) and Nu Metal (Avenged Sevenfold). Not much has changed for the band’s sound since you were listening to them in high school. Havok’s still over-annunciating his brooding lyrics, the instrumentals are largely forgettable save for a few solos and the Hot Topic crowd will eat it up. One notable difference would be “Burials’” slow metal overtones, which is a divergence from the group’s overall punk sound through the years. For a taste of AFI’s familiar horror punk style, check out the track “17 Crimes.”