Decemberunderground

Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week.^[3] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold more than 993,000 in the United States as of September 2009.^[4]^[5] It would eventually go Platinum in April 2013.^[6] The album was supported by four singles, "Miss Murder", "Love Like Winter", "The Missing Frame", and "Summer Shudder".

Regarding the album's title, lead singer Davey Havok said,

“

Decemberunderground is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation.^[6]

”

Release

Decemberunderground was released on May 29, in the United Kingdom, June 6, in the United States, and June 16 in Mexico. The album's lead single "Miss Murder" was given a thirty-second preview on LIVE 105 on April 11, 2006, and due to an overwhelming response, Interscope Records gave the station permission to play the entire track. The full track listing of the album was announced on April 25, 2006.^[7]

Customers who pre-ordered the album at special pre-listening events received a CD of the "Miss Murder" single, which also contained a cover of INXS's song "Don't Change". The first pressing of the CD in the United States contained a limited edition insert with one of four band member portraits.^[8] The album was re-released on November 7, 2006, on 6 "icy clear" 7" vinyl. The individual record sleeves featured band member portraits, as well as a portrait of the band's manager Smith Puget.^[9]

AFI began touring in support of Decemberunderground in April 2006 and held their last concert in promotion of the album at Download Fest in October 2007. Havok and Puget then began to promote their side-project Blaqk Audio before beginning work on the eighth AFI album, Crash Love.

"Summer Shudder" was featured in the soundtrack for the EA Sports video game Madden NFL 07.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Blender	^[10]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[11]
Exclaim!	(favorable)^[12]
IGN	8.9/10^[13]
Kerrang!	(3/5)
NME	^[14]
Robert Christgau	C+^[15]
Rolling Stone	^[16]
Stylus	C+^[17]
Slant Magazine	^[18]
Alternative Press	^[19]

Decemberunderground received generally positive reviews. The review aggregator Metacritic awarded the album a 72 out of 100, based on 15 reviews.^[20]

Entertainment Weekly awarded the album a grade of B+, and called it "the most melodically acute distillation of that style yet,"^[11] unlike their previous studio album Sing the Sorrow, which they awarded a D. AllMusic awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying the "core of AFI's sound never strays too far from what listeners have grown to love about them in the first place."^[1]

Rolling Stone awarded the album 3 out of 5 stars, one less star than their review of Sing the Sorrow, and claimed that "something isn't right in the world of AFI," because of their pop-rock musical structure "that would be at home on the soundtrack to the next Spider-Man movie".^[16]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by AFI, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
0.	Untitled (pre-gap hidden track)	0:20
1.	"Prelude 12/21"	1:34
2.	"Kill Caustic"	2:39
3.	"Miss Murder"	3:26
4.	"Summer Shudder"	3:06
5.	"The Interview"	4:16
6.	"Love Like Winter"	2:45
7.	"Affliction"	5:28
8.	"The Missing Frame"	4:40
9.	"Kiss and Control"	4:18
10.	"The Killing Lights"	4:04
11.	"37mm"	3:55
12.	"Endlessly, She Said"	4:28
Total length:		45:06

Vinyl box set bonus track
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Fallen Like the Sky"	3:22

International bonus track
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37"	3:51

UK bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37"		3:51
14.	"Head Like a Hole"	Trent Reznor	4:44

Japanese bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37"		3:51
14.	"Head Like a Hole"	Trent Reznor	4:44
15.	"Don't Change"	INXS	3:16

Japanese bonus DVD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Miss Murder" (video)	5:12
2.	"Love Like Winter" (video)	2:56
3.	"Silver & Cold" (video)	4:11
4.	"The Leaving Song Pt.II" (video)	3:36
5.	"Love Like Winter" (Live at Long Beach Arena, '06/9/15)	3:26
6.	"EPK"	16:15
Total length:		35:37

iTunes bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"On the Arrow"		3:06
14.	"Jack the Ripper" (Pre-order only)	Morrissey, Boorer	2:48
15.	"Interactive Booklet"

Target bonus track
No.	Title	Length
15.	"Fallen Like the Sky" (bonus downloadable track)	3:22

Personnel

Credits for Decemberunderground adapted from the album liner notes.

Keith Armstrong – assistant engineer
Keith Barney – additional background vocals
Adam Carson – drums
"Precious" Steve Cunningham – additional background vocals
The Despair Faction – additional background vocals
Ryan Downey – additional background vocals
Mike Fasano – drum tech
Jerry Finn – producer, mixing, additional background vocals
Jason Gossman – assistant engineer
Nikishia Grier – additional background vocals
Ronan Harris – additional programming and keyboards
Davey Havok – lead vocals
Hunter – bass guitar, additional programming and keyboards
Ten Jensen – mastering
Dimitar Krnjaic – assistant engineer
Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
Dave McCracken – additional programming and keyboards
Joe McGrath – recording, additional background vocals
Kevin Mills – assistant engineer
Nick 13 – additional background vocals
Jade Puget – guitar, programming, keyboards
Gavin Rattmann – additional background vocals
Ralph Saenz – additional background vocals
Jeff Sagud – additional background vocals
Brandan Schieppati – additional background vocals
Jacquelyn Simley – additional background vocals
Dan Under – additional background vocals
Seth Waldmann – assistant engineer
Eric Weaver – assistant engineer
Wedge – additional background vocals
Ryan Wilson – additional background vocals
Luke Wood – additional background vocals

Bonus tracks, B-sides, unreleased tracks, etc.

All tracks recorded during the Decemberunderground sessions unless otherwise noted.

"Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37" was recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions, and was eventually released on the MySpace Records: Volume 1 compilation and as a bonus track on the UK and Australian editions of Decemberunderground.
"Head Like a Hole" is a Nine Inch Nails cover and was included on the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack. It was re-released on the UK, Australian, German, and Japanese editions of Decemberunderground.
"Don't Change" is an INXS cover and was released on the "Miss Murder" 7" vinyl disc and the Japanese edition of Decemberunderground.
"Jack the Ripper" is a Morrissey cover and was available as a bonus track on the iTunes pre-ordered edition and the UK and Australian editions of the "Love Like Winter" single.
"On the Arrow" was available as a bonus track on the iTunes pre-ordered edition and the Australian edition of the "Love Like Winter" single.
"Fallen Like the Sky" was available as a Target bonus track download and available on the 7" vinyl disc box set edition of Decemberunderground.
"Carcinogen Crush" was recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions, but did not make the album. It was eventually re-recorded and available as a downloadable track on the video game Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock and as a digital single on December 4, 2007.
"Fainting Spells" was recorded during the Decemberunderground sessions, and was eventually released on the deluxe edition of Crash Love.
"Then I'll Be Home" can be heard at the end of the track "Affliction".
"The View From Here" was recorded during the Decemberunderground sessions, but remains unreleased.

Chart positions

Chart	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	3
Canadian Albums Chart	2
European Albums Chart	2
French Albums Chart	181
German Albums Chart	58
New Zealand Albums Chart	20
Irish Albums Chart	66
UK Albums Chart	16
UK Rock Albums Chart	2
US Billboard 200^[21]	1
US Billboard Comprehensive Albums^[21]	1
US Billboard Digital Albums Chart^[21]	2
US Billboard Rock Albums Chart^[21]	16
US Billboard Tastemakers Albums Chart^[21]	1
US Billboard Top Internet Albums^[21]	1

Certifications

Country	Certification	Sales
Australia	Gold^[22]	35,000+
United States	Platinum^[23]	1,000,000+

References

1 2 3 Apar, Corey (2006). "allmusic ((( Decemberunderground > Review ))):". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2006-06-17.
↑ Jamie Jones (September 18, 2015). "Can You Name The Classic Emo Album By The Cover Art?". Buzzfeed.
↑ "AFI Burns Brightly With No. 1 Debut". 2006-06-14.
↑ "Gold and Platinum Database Search". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
↑ Wood, Mikael. "AFI Revs Up The Rock On 'Crash Course'". billboard.com September 14, 2009.
1 2 "AFI Official Biography". AFI Official Website. Retrieved 2006-05-27.
↑ "AFI Reveals Track Listing". Aversion.com Music News. Retrieved 2006-05-27.
↑ AFI | Official Site
↑ [7] Archived November 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
↑ "Decemberunderground review".
1 2 Tom Sinclair (2006-06-05). "DECEMBERUNDERGOUND - Music - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly.
↑ Ariana Rock. "AFI - December Underground".
↑ Ed Thompson. "AFI - Decemberunderground - Music review at IGN".
↑ Dan Silver. "AFI: Decemberunderground - Album Reviews - NME.com".
↑ Robert Christgau. "Robert Christgau: Album: AFI: December Underground".
1 2 Strauss, Neil (2006). "Rolling Stone : Decemberunderground : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2006-06-17.
↑ "Decemberunderground review".
↑ Scott Shetler. "AFI: Decemberunderground rewvie".
↑ http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/decemberunderground
↑ AFI: Decemberunderground (2006): Reviews
1 2 3 4 5 6 "AFI Burns Brightly With No. 1 Debut". billboard.com. 2006.
↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2006 Albums". Ariacharts.com.au. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
↑ "Search Results for AFI". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Preceded by Taking the Long Way by Dixie Chicks	Billboard 200 number-one album June 18, 2006 – June 24, 2006	Succeeded by The Big Bang by Busta Rhymes

AFI

Davey Havok Adam Carson Hunter Burgan Jade Puget Vic Chalker Geoff Kresge Mark Stopholese

Studio albums	Answer That and Stay Fashionable Very Proud of Ya Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes Black Sails in the Sunset The Art of Drowning Sing the Sorrow Decemberunderground Crash Love Burials

Live albums	Eddie Picnic's All Wet I Heard a Voice – Live from Long Beach Arena

Compilation albums	AFI

Extended plays	Dork Behind the Times AFI / Heckle Bombing the Bay! Fly in the Ointment A Fire Inside EP Black Sails EP All Hallow's E.P. The Days of the Phoenix EP 336

Singles	"Totalimmortal" "The Days of the Phoenix" "Girl's Not Grey" "The Leaving Song Pt. II" "Silver and Cold" "Head Like a Hole" "Miss Murder" "Love Like Winter" "The Missing Frame" "Carcinogen Crush" "Medicate" "Beautiful Thieves" "I Hope You Suffer" "17 Crimes"

Related articles	Discography "Prelude 12/21" Key Lime Pie Records Adeline Records Nitro Records DreamWorks Records Interscope Records Republic Records Blaqk Audio HorrorPops Redemption 87 Son of Sam Tiger Army

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