The world can be a scary place. Wars have been going on since the beginning of time, and with the speed of the internet bringing information to our fingertips in seconds, it has become nearly impossible to block out all of the negativity in our lives. As a parent of three beautiful children, I have tried my best to shelter them from anything that could cause them any type of harm. With politicians in some states complicating matters by trying to re-write, or re-frame historical events in the way they see fit, it seems like a sense of urgency has been created to keep these people in check. Anti-Flag have returned at the perfect time with their 13th studio album, with the aptly titled Lies They Tell Our Children. The music that comes through the speakers sounds as passionate as these punk rockers have ever been, and seven out of the eleven songs found on the LP feature an outside collaborator. These contributions by their friends in other bands never seem out of place, and instead bring more voices into the “fight of our lives.”

What is a politically-charged punk rock band to do as the world crumbles around them? Fight back. Anti-Flag have made their most immediate record in quite some time on 20/20 Vision, one directly has the POTUS in mind with of all of the fist-pumping anthems to be found here. On their 12th studio album, the band has little left to prove, yet they continue to deliver some of the most consistently excellent punk rock found in music.

Opening up with the current single “Hate Conquers All,” one that intersperses Trump-dialogue about protesters, Anti-Flag waste little time getting down to the business at hand. With lyrics such as, “Hate conquers all / In the ashes of the fall / With our backs against the wall / Watch the empire fall / Watch the nation dissolve,” the band makes it crystal clear of the urgency of the political situation going on in DC. The song feels like a call to arms for people to wake the fuck up on all of the terror taking place in our very own country.

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”I hate a song that makes you think you are no good. I hate a song that makes you think you are just born to lose.” – Woody Guthrie

Give Anti-Flag credit for never being condescending or coming across as know-it-alls. This is a band made up of four guys who like punk rock, and are willing to scrap the chance at super-stardom in order to express their messages through song. Maybe that is why so many people were upset when they signed to RCA in 2006, but were still able to release an album that maintained their own values and stuck it to the man with an ironic iron fist that was full of sarcastic wit & pent-up angst.

So, after seven full-length studio albums, Anti-Flag rode the major-label wave and wasn’t feeling the surf. Now, they are back where they belong, on a label that has been gaining some serious clout the past year, thanks to in part to their highly-praised roster (including The Gaslight Anthem and Fake Problems). While this should ultimately have the band dancing on clouds and skipping through the woods, Anti-Flag’s brand of joy comes from being exceptionally pissed off and letting you pleasure from it.

Surprising everyone by signing to major label RCA, Anti-Flag, one of the ultimate anti-establishment proponents, was doing one of two things – committing career suicide and losing all their hardcore DIY fans, or getting a chance to create one of the best albums of their career and send their message to the entire world. It certainly appears the latter is about to happen. Anti-Flag created a great record with top-notch production, intelligent songs, and an unabashed political message. Full of gang vocals, simplistic and memorable choruses, For Blood and Empire is an impressive major-label debut which will expose the band and their message to more than ever before. As always, the band’s intention seems to be raising awareness about the political environment while calling out our nation’s wrong doings and ignorance.