After two albums of mostly bright, upbeat pop-punk, U.K. band As It Is made a shift into darker territory with 2018 album The Great Depression, which, as its title implies, is a concept album about mental illness. Divided into four sections, the album follows a protagonist called The Poet, who guides the listener through the ways that society deals with the mentally ill. Musically, the album features a harder edge than the band’s previous work, reminiscent of influences like My Chemical Romance and AFI.
“This album was always going to be our most ambitious and controversial album to date, but it’s equally been the most overwhelmingly positively received ... This album has completely changed us as people and the band we intend to be in the future,” frontman Patty Walters told PopCrush as the band prepared to kick off its current tour. In keeping with the mental health theme, As It Is has partnered on tour with nonprofit organization A Voice for the Innocent, which provides resources and support for people affected by sexual violence, and the band is donating the proceeds from a special AVFTI-themed tour T-shirt. Their evolution is already making a serious impact.
Hard Rock Hotel, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21, starting at $16 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849 AXS
