Words by: Amanda Marano

Just in time for the 2020 Presidential Election, punk legends Anti-Flag has shared a deluxe version of 20/20 Division, featuring five new songs! The album starts off with a bang with the booming opener of “Hate Conquers All.”  Starting off with scattered audio clips from Trump’s speeches [and a morphed picture of him on the album cover], Anti-Flag holds true in their punk roots of calling out all the messed up things surrounding politics. The title track, “20/20 Vision”, brings a rock and roll feel with a catchy chorus as they sing about unity.

Aggressive yet hopeful, “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down” is a sure crowd pleaser, with more of an 80s punk vibe. “Unbreakable” comes with an upbeat sound and the promise that, “What doesn’t kill us now will lead us back from hell.”  “Un-American” brings a softer, acoustic sound — building and anthemic, the stripped down track brings elements of melancholy yet hopeful country sounds.

“Resistance Frequencies” comes in hot as honest, bold, and unafraid. A true anthem, the track is hopeful and boasts a unifying, revolutionary feel. With lush instrumentation and an uplifting chorus, the track is a sure fire favorite. “Concrete Breeds Apathy” comes in with powerful booming vocals and bold guitar. “Fight Like Hell” closes up the album with an inspiring message and a full soundscape. It’s a reminder of who Anti-Flag is at heart, and how they’ll never stop fighting for what they believe in.

“To say this year hasn’t gone according to plan for anyone may be one of the greatest understatements of all time,” the band tells. “But through it all, the sadness that overwhelms in the world during a global pandemic, the constant pain American justice systems deliver on a daily basis, and the fear that comes along with watching our planet squeezed like a lemon for profit, we must actively choose optimism over cynicism.”

Anti-Flag explains further, “It’s hard. It takes work. But if you look for it, hope is still there. In the face of neo-fascism, relentless police murder, the still-burning forests, people are becoming activated, taking note of those who perpetuate this pain, and standing on the side of freedom. This record was a warning of the path we were on — but with an underlining hope that this all could change. In an effort to continue to be a member of the countless activists, artists, and communities calling for social, racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice, we wanted to refresh our conversation with 20/20 Division and these five new songs.”

They urge, “With the election looming, we have to remain vigilant. Voting is only a VERY SMALL act that we can participate in to reduce harm. But when partnered with strikes, boycotts, protests, and more, this is how WE WILL win and the soundtrack to it all just got a little larger.”

Anti-Flag has been keeping busy with the release of the band’s Beyond the Barricades: The Story of Anti-Flag documentary. The film tells the story of the political punk band’s history in punk rock, activism and human rights. With their endless drive to help others, Anti-Flag puts empathy over apathy and fight cynicism with optimism. The film features interviews with the band and their contemporaries such as Tom Morello [Rage Against the Machine], Billy Bragg, Tim McIlrath [Rise Against], Brian Baker [Bad Religion], Chris Cresswell [The Flatliners, Hot Water Music], Tom May and Greg Barnett [The Menzingers], and many more to help tell their inspiring story.

“It’s hard to sum up the life of a band in an hour and a half,” says frontman Justin Sane. “We started Anti-Flag out of a passion for punk rock with the belief that punk music had the power to change people’s lives and have a positive impact on the world. With this documentary, we hope people will see that while life may not be as straightforward as that idealistic philosophy, it isn’t so far from the truth, either. Regardless of what others take from this film, for us, the experience of looking back on the history of Anti-Flag — sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes unbelievable — leaves us grateful to have had the opportunity to live a very rare and at times extraordinary life as part of this punk rock band.”

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK