AFI ("A Fire Inside") sprang up out of the Californian college Hardcore Punk band scene in 1991, making their inaugural impression courtesy of a 1992 split 7" single 'Dork' for the Key Lime Pie label shared with fellow Ukiah High School students LOOSE CHANGE, a band featuring future AFI guitarist Jade Puget. The band at this stage comprised founder members vocalist Davey Havok and drummer Adam Carson alongside guitarist Markus Stopholese and bassist Vick. Before long the bass responsibilities were switched to Geoff Kresge.

A further single ensued with 'Behind The Times' in 1993 before AFI was put on hold as group personnel attended different colleges. Kresge journeyed to New Jersey where he teamed up with a new band BLANK 77. However, an impromptu school reunion gig drew such a positive response AFI opted to get back together. Regrouping with a third single, 'Eddie's Picnic's All Wet' in 1994, came upfront of a debut album 'Answer That And Stay Fashionable'. More split releases then arrived, sharing single space with HECKLE and the SWINGIN' UTTERS, the latter featuring a cover version of DAG NASTY's 'Value Here'. The song 'Love Is a Many Splendored Thing' would also be donated to a four way split single entitled 'This Is Berkeley, Not West Bay' in union with BLACK FORK, DEAD AND GONE and SCREW 32.

The 1997 album 'Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes' saw the defection of Kresge and the incorporation of erstwhile THE FORCE bassist Hunter. Their next album, 1998's 'Black Sails In The Sunset' witnessed the introduction of their formative split single colleague Jade Puget on guitar, then having just left REDEMPTION. In August AFI released an eponymous four track EP which included covers of the MISFITS 'Demonomania' and THE CURE's 'Hanging Garden'.

AFI toured Britain in 1998 sharing a billing with GOOD RIDDANCE and put in their first Japanese dates. The EP 'All Hallow's', issued in October of 1999, brought AFI to public attention as the high profile Nu-Punk band the OFFSPRING covered the track 'Totalimmortal' for the 'Me, Myself & Irene' soundtrack. Once again AFI used another EP to honour the MISFITS, 'All Hallow's' boasting a rendition of 'Halloween'. The breakthrough lent by the OFFSPRING, AFI was also on Dexter Holland's own label imprint Nitro, paved the way for AFI's own 'Black Sails In The Sunset' to break US radio nationwide.

The group's status rose considerably with September 2000's Chuck Johnson produced 'The Art Of Drowning' album, seeing RANCID's Lars Frederiksen on backing vocals, lent further credibility with a lengthy North American nationwide support tour to RANCID.

AFI's March 2003 album 'Sing The Sorrow' saw production duties delegated to Butch Vig of GARBAGE and Jerry Finn. The June 2006 album 'Decemberunderground' entered the US Billboard charts at number 1, selling over 200,000 copies in its first week of sale. European shows in May 2007 saw support from Swedes BLINDSIDE.