All of the newer AFI fans that emerged with the band's platinum-selling success from 2003's "Sing The Sorrow" and 2006's "Decemberunderground" might be surprised where these master crafters of goth-rock anthems originally came from. In fact, it's even a bit of a shock to the band's co-founder/drummer Adam Carson to reflect on his group's hardcore past on the West Coast in the 1990s.

"When we started, we were just focused on playing loud, fast, three-chord punk rock," he says. "I don't think anybody has the luxury to predict things, and I think that's what makes it exciting."

Now, 18 years and eight studio albums later, AFI - with Carson, Davey Havok (lead vocals), Hunter Burgan (bass, keys) and Jade Puget (guitar, keys) - has become the one of the pop-punk faction's most consistently exciting and relevant bands thanks to a ravenous fan base (called the Despair Faction) and a fearless nature to take grand steps to change up its sound.

"I think we demonstrated early on that we are never going to make the same record twice," Carson says. "We make records, and they become snapshots of where the band is at any particular moment."

Whatever moment the band is in right now is reflected in its latest release, "Crash Love." At least by AFI's standards, the album's 12 tracks offer a more stripped-down, straight-forward feel, where the group steered away from the epic production and studio tinkering of its previous two albums.

"These songs just had an immediacy. They sounded good just the four of us playing together in a room," Carson says. "We were enjoying harnessing the power of the band without resorting to 60 tracks of guitar."

The power is definitely there and demonstrated in the agile thunder of "Torch Song," complemented by the call-and-response of Havok's prog-rock-tastic vocals. But tracks like fast-moving, Smiths-influenced "Veronica Sawyer Smokes" are just simple blasts of guitar pop, while "Darling, I Want To Destroy You" and "It Was Mine" slow things down to a '90s alt-rock pace without sacrificing musicianship, lingering textures or quality melodies. And there's despair and heartache in Havok's lyrics for "Crash Love."

AFI will come to our area to perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. The band has spent time honing the new material to do it justice on stage, and in creating these songs and every song prior, Carson can't help but throw credit back to the fans who remain steadfast despite AFI's creative direction.

"Probably the most important thing they do for us is they allow us to grow," Carson says. "Because we have that sort of carte blanche to do whatever we want ... it's hard to say what we will become."