ALBUM REVIEW ~ ANTI-FLAG ~ 'LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN'

I'm music magazine, anti-flag, lies they tell our children, spinefarm records, NVREVR, stacey dee, tim mcllrath, rise against, brian baker, campino, die toten hosen, bad religion, concept album, jesse leach, killswitch engage,

Pittsburgh Punk Rock Band Anti- Flag released their 13th album Lies They Tell Our Children January 6, 2023, on Spinefarm Records. Produced by John Lundin (Good Charlotte, Senses Fail, Sleeping With Sirens) this is the band’s first concept album in their thirty year career and centers around world issues like preserving the environment and the need for universal healthcare.

The band consists of Justin Sane (Vocals, Guitar), Chris Head (Guitar), Chris #2 (Bass, Vocals) and Pat Thetic (Drums). Chris #2 states, “The approach we took going into writing this record was to trace back the beginning of these issues. To have a better understanding on how we can confront them and how little amount of time they have actually been in existence. What you will continually find is that all these issues come back to a simple idea-putting profit above people.”

The album kicks off with the hard-hitting “Sold Everything.” The anti-capitalist theme is important to the concept of this album, as Sane sings “Well they sold all our bodies, collected our names. They sold everything. No, you don’t mean a goddamn thing.”

Anti-Flag put together an impressive list of guests for this album. “Modern Meta Medicine” with Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage) takes on issues with healthcare. The song’s driving guitars mixed with Sane, and Leach’s powerful vocals make this song a standout on the album. The rowdy “The Fight of Our Lives” features Tim Mcllrath (Rise Against) and Brian Baker (Bad Religion).” Victory or Death (We Gave ‘Em Hell)” with Campino (Die Toten Hosen) is a fiery punk rock anthem.

The album ends with the defiant “Only In My Head”, which centers on themes of government greed, as Sane sings, “The profit builds a living hell, Raise monuments to thieves…”

Lies They Tell Our Children is a profound concept album and shows beyond a doubt why Anti-Flag has such a long career. Thought-provoking lyrics and rousing choruses make this an important punk rock album for our times.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Meesha Walden