I heard they have a new record label that's more mainstream-appeal-to-everyone? I don't know. That's my biggest thing to blame
2) JC....
And I concur, if the next album is "I love jesus even though i've been a jew my whole life" I might have to kill myself xD I mean, don't get me wrong it's great if you wanna believe something new but it's all kinda sudden. Especially since he was such.. proclaimed jew XD

honestly i think the new cd is really good, i do like the old say anything stuff a little better. but its good to have a change an you never no he could go back to doing some of the old stuff...

religion doesnt dull music, there are plenty of religous bands that have edge, mewtihoutyou, august burns red,manchester orchestra, further seems forever, underoath, maylene and the sons of disaster, haste the day, the chariot, norma jean, the showdown, oh sleeper, as cities burn..i could go on. songs can be angry without cuss words as well. there are some stupid people on this forum

Holy shit so you are going to base off all the bad music off material about jesus or god? Note that Max isn't really a true christian with the same ideals as a typical christian he as already said this, he was christian way before he met sherri. You do realize he probably meant about God as in a way that Organized religion is a problem in society and it just ruins peoples lives. Max talks about meaningful things. If all he did was down shit talk god, what kind of message would he be sending, definetly not one he supports now.You act as if he is someone that is going to support cutting habits for all you emo kids, but thats just not the idea. Max bemis is a musical genius, he's not like Switch foot or some crap like that. He's not trying to convert anybody, he's just expressing himself. While some of his music just indicates punk undertones because most of his anger that is driven from politics is based off the politics that effects personal relationships in society. Most of his music before and now are just his personal work. If you don't like it move on to another band.

This new album was not overproduced, it was about as produced as the first album was. He hasn't changed his ideals. He just hasn't decided to become a drug addict, sex fiend, hypocrite which is what he would be if he didn't believe. The record has many punk tones as he as always had, because he isn't down with the system of christian stereotypes and the way people do things in reaction to what happens around them. Good record, will become more valuable in time, because remember that IARB was made when he was about 18 roughly

this thread is started by the same tweenie whos upset w/ clean lyrical content, you dont like what a musician has to sing about gtfo go listen to brokencyde i hope his records doo get more preachy so it will get ride of babies. im not defending his religion im apathetic as far as religion goes its not gonna hurt me to hear what other people have to say though. ...

"I definitely feel like some of the songs, like "Do Better", "Hate Everyone", "Crush'd", "Death for my Birthday" and "Eloise" are just way too poppy, manufactured and mainstream. The feeling and emotion seems to be gone. I just don't see myself listening to this album much in the future. When I listen now, I skip most of the songs.

This is a big change from IDOTG, which I still listen to a few times a week. That CD just got better and better and better after repeated listenings."

as far as poppy goes, say anything have always been poppy thats just a copout ...is a real boy is a POP punk album. idotg is a POP punk album....s/t is a pop rock album deal w/ it baseball was a POP punk album

I'm sure someone has already addressed this, but the "This is Forever" stuff is from like two years ago. It was the title of the self-titled record before Max changed his focus slightly/realized She Wants Revenge had already used that album title.

Also, the "If you're gonna sing about jesus, why not become a christian rock band" line is offensively stupid. Are people not allowed to express their beliefs and opinions without classifying their art as "christian rock music"? There's not a clean line between Christian music (outside the CCM genre) and non-Christian music; an opinion about Jesus is an idea or belief just like any other idea or belief someone may choose to sing about.

im tempted to tag this as offensive... the new album is the only thing ive listened to since it came out and i feel like i still cant get enough... ill be honest it may be different but its just as good if not better because its the same real lyrics and catchy rythmn that theyve had all along and i feel that if you listen to it a little more you will agree that his opinion on religion doesnt really matter if the music is still amazing... i just wish there were more bands like say anything out there

Well, for the record, I'm not religous, but I did get in some trouble last year and got court ordered to NA. Well, it's a spiritual, not religious program. I'm very skeptical and had trouble with the whole idea. But, it's not Christian or religious. You need to find a power greater than yourself (besides drugs and alcohol or even sex) to help you deal with life on life's terms.

I've been a fan of Say Anything for years and years and have seen them live many times, but I have to say that this record is very disappointing. Mostly because the lyrics have lame name dropping and it sounds too poppy and over produced. I already took it out of my CD player, after like 2 days. I have ISARB in there now. So sad. I'm not giving up on them, but I hope Max brings out more good music. I must say, I'm glad I was at the second date of their tour so I only had to listen to a few of the new songs. I sort of like a few of the songs, but disappointment in the overall quality made me put on some great music.

Opal, I get where you are coming from, I really do, but given that most SA songs are a chronicle of Max's life, this is the path his life has taken, so by design this is the path the music has followed as well.

The new album has a great sound. I really REALLY like it. I you take it into your own hands that you do sinful things in a rock band and it's really confusing that a mindful person like max is full of jesus's love or something now. I understand that when you become a believer that the feeling of being loved by god is something you can't shrug off, it seems very real to you. But it does go to show that anyone as cocky as max can have these feelings too. It's not like he has a rigid exterior, but he always wore his heart on his sleeve, which is why it surprises me he's taken this direction in life.

Well, I've already said that I'm down with him being happy, and the video chat cleared a lot of things up.

i looked into it a bit. max went to the menninger clinic in houston in 2005. and yes they do use 12-step programs.

if the hospital max was at uses a 12-step program then yes it was probably forced on him. but i believe he was there because of his bipolar disorder more so than drug addiction.

still thinking about AA... and other rehabilitation programs... I wonder if Max was pressured into religion in the hospital as well... what kind of hospital was it?

religion is the cause of so much hate. *sigh* prop 8. man...

deism for me always leads me to atlantis honestly, but it's fun to think about. Elantris is my favorite novel at the moment.

Bahai is uses the same God from other religions and credits most other prophets kinda like the koran does. its relatively young (~150 years) and small (5-6M), and the overarching idea is that we are finally in the age where the absolute unity of the entire human family both feasible and necessary.

i'm a big fan of deism.

i agree completely with both of those things. haha

i went to church when i was a kid. then when i got a bit older (about 13), i refused to go because i realized that a majority of the folks there were terrible terrible people. so many of them have an elitist type attitude, and yes, hardly any of them follow the religion appropriately.

oh and about the AA NA jesus thing. AA is total bullshit. i got into a bit of trouble and have to go to some and its complete shit. they basically tell you the only way to stop drinking is to hand your life over to god.

I guess we'll just have to see where the next album takes Say Anything. Really, I can't see Max ever being angry again. I don't mind that, really. Honestly, the B-Sides songs were actually probably my favorites off of the new album lyrically. Why? Because they were fresh and original topics that weren't about his personal life(I actually am pretty sure the B-Sides are songs he did for the Song Shop).

AA and NA is a Christian thing. They force you to take Jesus into your heart. It really is all they do. They replace the high of drugs with the "high of God." Thats why the Christians bred in those programs take to the religion with such tenacity

Cemetery is a rose. Its the only way I know how to describe it.

Yeah, religion isn't meant to be fickle. I used to be a Christian. I converted on my own without any pressure from my parents or anything... but I left the church because I was annoyed with the hypocrites that seemed to flock there. There was a lot of greed there, too. I was disgusted and decided that the people were just covering for their horrible souls, like saying that they believed in God would make them okay to do whatever they want.

Buddhism seems like a nice religion...

please don't smash all your stuff but... http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63950637

i got the same impression about him being afraid of hell, he almost seems certain of the fact that he's already damned. I wish i could understand it like he does but his solace seemed to be the purity he found in his wife. Cemetary is an amazing song.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

CHRISTIAN?!?!?!

did you even listen to the first track on the record?? He clearly denounces fundamentalist christianity in all of its stupidity. "Down with JC" is different from saying "praise Jesus Christ our Lord". I'd say it's even ambiguous enough to be taken as a slight towards the great prophet. Listen to the end of Hate Everyone a few more times to find that he clearly states that he is a humanist... It took every ounce of my sanity to prevent my inner ego from saying you dont even deserve Max's music for the christianity comment.. but to blame his wife? you will honestly claim to like an artist who's ideals you believe are so foundationally insecure as to be swayed by a woman? (no offense ladies)
Sorry.... it isnt your fault that religions have been so cooked and skewed that you can't seem to think of faith in any terms other than social norms.. But Died a Jew should have given you a clue as to how he felt about JC, i assure you he hasn't changed that thought so drastically as to claim himself a christian.

To Marshall, I see what you're saying since you seem to have liked max a lot for the fact that he was a punk rebel (rather than a self/others loathing idealist), but including Jesus in his preaching is something that was bound to happen. like he said he's out to save our souls, which have, for the most part, been bound up in a 2000 year old exaggeration and misinterpretation. Hopefully if people would actually give the first track some thought... they might understand that jesus was a man. Him dying was proof of that. and his legacy is a direct contradiction of the first commandment. He would indeed hang his head in shame to see that his name has actually become such a caricaturesque understanding in God.

and if I'm wrong and you can quote him saying "I now follow the Christian faith" then i will calmly retract my statement along with any offense i may have caused as I smash and delete everything related to SA that I own.