AFI’s Black Sails in the Sunset

October 31, 2023by Mark & Thom

Play episode

On this edition of Once, Every Two Weeks, Mark and Thom discuss A Fire Inside (AFI)’s Black Sails in the Sunset.

Join Thom and Mark on the latest episode of the Once Every Two Weeks podcast as they delve deep into AFI’s iconic album, Black Sails in the Sunset. They kick off with a catch-up and talk about the Blink182 revival before sharing their personal histories and connection with the album. This episode takes listeners through a comprehensive exploration of AFI’s history, the creation and reception of Black Sails in the Sunset, and the different aesthetic periods of Davey Havoc. Mark takes the opportunity to air his grievances about Pitchfork and a missed concert that may still be a point of contention with Thom. The hosts then offer a detailed breakdown of each track on the album, culminating in their final thoughts and personal top three songs. Tune in to this insightful episode for an intriguing deep dive into one of AFI’s seminal works. You don’t want to miss it!

Show note

00:00:56- Catchup
00:02:14 – The Blink182 revival & a trip to the pumpkin patch
00:04:10 – Mark & Thom’s histories with Black Sails in the Sunset
00:05:56 – The different aesthetic periods of Davey Havoc
00:08:28 – AFI’s history
00:17:18 – The making of Black Sails in the Sunset and its reception
00:24:15 – Mark trashes Pitchfork and may still have beef with Thom after a missed concert over 24 years ago
00:32:14 – Strength Through Wounding
00:34:04 – Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
00:36:44 – Exsanguination
00:38:35 – Malleus Maleficarum
00:40:23 – Narrative of Soul Against Soul
00:40:59 – Clove Smoke Catharsis
00:42:58 – The Prayer Position
00:44:02 – No Poetic Device
00:45:51 – Weathered Tome
00:46:13 – The Last Kiss
00:47:59 – At a Glance
00:49:18 – God Called in Sick Today
00:50:29 – Midnight Sun
00:51:16 – Mark and Thom’s final thoughts
00:53:49 – Thom’s top 3
00:54:05 – Mark’s top 3

Hosted by

Mark & Thom

MARK:
Mark is the creative director and co-founder of Burro Borracho Records. After high school he spent a few years working as a manager with Wherehouse Music. He occasionally plays drums and has been in such non-productive go nowhere band start ups that no one has ever heard of like The Unsex, Avenue C, The Reaganauts, and Next Time I See Murphy (which also saw him play some guitar and take on vocal duties). He was the original drummer for Quiet Morning & the Calamity but left the band to pursue a degree in Motion Graphic Design.
During his college years, as photo editor of his school newspaper, his review of Radiohead's Kid A won first prize for Critical Review in a California statewide collegiate journalism contest. After graduating with his degree he filled in back on drums for QM&TC's first national tour in support of their debut EP Son of the Sad Soul, which features the song Gambling On Old Tires which Mark co-wrote.
Thanks to the influence of his mother who spent all her years playing guitar and singing folk songs, as well as three older brothers with drastically differing musical tastes, Mark has always known the important role music can and should play and has been a music fan all his life but he's only been a stubborn overly opinionated asshole about the superiority of his on musical tastes since his early teenage years. At the last count he had about 1,200 compact discs. Yes, he still collects cds.

THOM:
Thom's a digital marketer by day and armchair theologian, podcaster, writer, amateur home chef, and beer aficionado by night. When not working, he's a typical family man with a propensity to create.