Angels And Airwaves Return Is Everything We’ve Needed

Tom DeLonge has been abnormally vibrant on social media the past month. He’s spent a lot of time on Instagram and Twitter explaining his future endeavors, which include a movie for his novel Strange Times, more work with To The Stars: Academy of Arts and Science, and nonetheless, a new Angels and Airwaves album coming out this year.

If there’s something that has been missing from Tom DeLonge’s work schedule, it would be music. After releasing To The Stars…Demos, Odds, and Ends after his departure from Blink-182 in 2015, we haven’t seen much of him. Instead he’s been long following his own path, disclosing government information on UFO’s and other extraterrestrial subjects.

It seems as if the world has forgotten about Tom’s impact on the music world. Whether you’re a fan or not, his uniqueness with AVA had a big impact on the music industry. When AVA’s debut album We Don’t Need To Whisper came out in 2006, there was a paradigm change. Tom proved you can still hang on to your punk roots and edgy tonality while experimenting a more dynamic recording process.

My most fond memories as a kid were listening to “The Adventure” outside with my friends during endless summer days. I listened to punk rock religiously, without a change in mind. However, when WDNTW released, my music identity had expanded.

In today’s world, this is exactly what is needed. Different times, same situation. The punk scene has developed into this closed door mentality, where it’s either punk or die. It’s okay to be a punk fan and listen to your music, it’s your taste and your life. However, there’s room for improvement. Punk has seemed to have lost its identity, becoming stale and unprogressive. Bands are scared of using synths and delays because it wouldn’t appeal to just their audience. However, with Tom’s new album Strange Times being released sometime this year or early 2019, we can hope for that to open some eyes to better creativity.

In relation to the aforementioned album, Tom mentioned on Instagram:

“That is my new little amp on the coffee table… isn’t it cute? Just waiting for one piece of gear and my studio will be operational. Then, some very fast, soaring @angelsandairwaves music to go with the Strange Times Film… that’s the goal, kids. I have a feeling this will be a hallmark album for me. I have so much to communicate, to feel… and I also think the songs should be a little fast. Like… you know, a bit punk and a bit “old-style.” Angels could use a little speed. :)”

We can’t say for sure what the album is going to sound like exactly, but I’d bet a fortune that it’s going to include two dynamics of Tom’s career; Delay guitars and a fast pungent recording process. I can see this album being a collision of worlds for Tom, maybe basking the glory of his previous album The Dream Walker, with a little bit of what Dude Ranch held with fast guitar parts. Mixing this two elements would be ideal for punk listeners, as it would be something incredibly progressive and forward thinking.

Punk needs to evolve soon before it dies completely. There’s only so much you can do with power chords and fast riffs before the scene loses its passion and moves onto indie or alternative, which is becoming a norm nowadays for punk fans.

I know Angels and Airwaves may not be exactly punk, but they hold some positive ideas of what can be brought to the scene. With Tom’s reformation of his identity, a broader scale on what he can write/produce, I think they can bring an album that will help carry forward what punk rock can truly become in the future.

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