There’s very little beating about the bush with an Anti-Flag album. The Man is the enemy, the rich elite are merrily fucking us all over, governments are corrupt, and the environment is being pummelled by the greed of the conglomerates.
The band’s fury is undimmed on their thirteenth album, and with good reason – 24 years after frontman Justin Sane laid the foundations of the band, the planet is more royally buggered than ever.
Lies They Tell Our Children is a taut collection of anthemic, chant-along, accessible pop-punk rock that gets the message across loud and clear, with the help of guests including Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach, Rise Against’s Tim McIlraith, Bad Religion’s Brian Baker and Die Toten Hosen’s Campino, who sprinkle on a little variety and a big sense of a community united.
There are a few musical twists too – Shallow Grave channels U2 with its chiming, Edge-influenced guitars. They may well be preaching to the converted, but there’s no questioning Anti-Flag’s dedication to activism.
