Review: AFI – Andi Coulter

The latest book by Andi Coulter, called AFI, takes a comprehensive look at the meteoric rise of the legendary punk band AFI whom have been no strangers to reinvention throughout their storied musical career. While Coulter mentions in the Prelude that this book is “not an all-encompassing narrative” on the band, AFI still serves as a gripping tale of a band with a clear vision for their music, style, and ethos. From the early days of AFI finding their footing in the underground punk scene, to their breakthrough into the mainstream on Sing the Sorrow, everything flows with great pacing and intricate details that even the band’s most dedicated fans will devour. In an easily-digestable 130-plus page effort, Coulter does a fantastic job of getting to the core of what made AFI such a key major label “catch,” while offering clues as to why certain records didn’t resonate as firmly with their fans. It’s a book that you won’t be able to put down, and can easily swim through in one sitting.