With the Occupy movement, WikiLeaks and U.S. troops still on foreign soil, 2012 was made for an Anti-Flag album… The General Strike

Anti-Flag

SideOneDummy

Rocks like: Woody Guthrie, Crass, NOFX

Grade: A-

With the Occupy movement, WikiLeaks and U.S. troops still on foreign soil, 2012 was made for an Anti-Flag album.

On The General Strike, Pittsburgh’s political punk band doesn’t just deliver new slogans in the same musical template, but rather explores the sonic versatility of both punk and folk with an eye toward the stories they tell.

The first track, “Controlled Opposition,” jets forward with screeching guitars, tantalizing drum rolls and lead singer Justin Sane’s signature snarl — all in less than 30 seconds.

“1915” rocks with articulate lead guitar from Chris Head and a hypnotically in-sync rhythm provided by drummer Pat Thetic. Thematically, it focuses on the controversial execution of songwriter and labor activist Joe Hill. “Every word he wrote, he spoke, he sung,” the group sings in unison, “We are still singing.”

Chris #2’s heavy bass lines still frame tracks like “The New Sound,” and while the group maintains their punk rock sound, they’ve also moved toward a articulately sung — and heavily related — style of folk-rock. “That alarm clock ringin’ in your ear / Radio playing sports report cheer / But you got nothing to cheer or shout about / Just a nine-to-five in a lousy town.”

“Resist” begins with a 30-second assault of wailing guitars and screamed vocals before slowing itself down to about midtempo, then speeding back up again in about one minute. They never lost the punk rock.

The last track, “The Ghosts of Alexandria,” shines with some of Anti-Flag’s most beautiful songwriting to date. A melancholy bass and contemplative lead guitar will scorch your ears while the song’s refrain echoes, “And we watched the summer turn to the Autumn of Glory.”

While not as consistent or groundbreaking as The Terror State or For Blood and Empire, The General Strike is a strong document by punk’s pre-eminent political commentators.