Alexisonfire - Alexisonfire.

Alexisonfire’s eponymously titled debut album is another one of my firm favourites. I first listened to it around the start of 2015 through the recommendation from a good friend of mine. I’d heard a couple songs from them before hand, but nothing more. Despite this little information I trusted my friend’s word on giving it a listen, and to this day I don’t regret it. This album is a landmark for the Post hardcore genre and came at a time when Post Hardcore was really at its peak. To my disagreement, it gets labelled with the ‘Emo’ tag. On some levels I can agree, but I feel there’s too much aggression and energy which surpasses the lyrical content to call it an ‘Emo’ album. Nevertheless, the 42:16 run time produces 11 songs filled with raw energy and brilliant musicianship, really setting themselves immediately apart from other bands in the scene. It’s an album that makes you want to jump and run around, it’s the musical equivalent of an energy drink. The most brilliant part is that 3 of the members were only 17. The teenage energy and emotion is really on show throughout the whole album, and it makes me determined to go and succeed every time I hear any song, as I can think that they were the same age as me now and they made such an amazing album.

L-R: Dallas Green, Jesse Ingelevics, George Pettit, Chris Steele and Wade MacNeil

The musicianship between the 5 is impressive to hear. The blending quick tempos, changing rhythms and blasting melodies really keep a listener entertained. Guitarists Dallas and Wade and bassist Chris form a trio of heavy fast paced riffs, driving melodies and changing rhythms which form the core sound of the record. Drummer Jesse neatly keeps everyone on beat, despite the numerous tempo changes, and in my opinion showcases how underrated he is as a Drummer. Being a drummer myself, I can really analyse his playing, and it amazes me how quickly he can play and also how technically well he plays despite being on a post hardcore album, there’s elements of finesse and pleasing to hear drum fills that caught me off guard on a first listen. Vocalist George’s heavy screams enable him to match the ferocity of all the instruments, whilst Dallas and Wade act as the melodic vocals, offering the best of both worlds in terms of cathartic emotions expressed in the songs, and in all of them the trio of vocalists are on point for all the songs.

Alexisonfire are often credited as one of the key bands in bringing post-hardcore and other related styles of music to the mainstream, particularly in Canada. The album was released in the same time period of other influential Post Hardcore albums. Albums such as At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command (2000), Glassjaw's Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence (2000) and Worship and Tribute (2002), and The Blood Brothers' ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn (2003) (I may review these albums in the near future).

Here’s a quote from the singer about the album - "The first full length album by Alexisonfire completely embodies the sound of late teens and early 20's. Full of dumb confidence and lacking in concentration. Hundreds of parts and riffs strung together in to a fun little hodge podge. We were living and writing freely. Sometimes too much freedom isn't always a good thing." - George Pettit

Album cover for Alexisonfire

Fun Fact – The album cover was inspired by how the band described their sound which is "the sound of two catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight". The group described their sound like this as it juxtaposed how other bands from the hardcore scene would describe their music.

The star tracks on the album in my opinion are 44 Caliber Love Letter, Counterparts and Number Them, Waterwings (And Other Poolside Fashion Faux Pas) and Pulmonary Archery. But my personal favourite song on the album is The Kennedy Curse. I think it’s the heaviest song on the album, and I believe it incorporates everything I’ve said about the album featuring dual vocals expressing different emotions, faced pace energy matched with a calmer more melodic breakdown section and I like the lyrics of the song inspired from the American Kennedy family. Overall it’s just a killer song, although it wasn’t an easy choice to choose from other songs previously listed. (Btw, Pulmonary Archery is a very close second.)

So in conclusion, if you want an album which is considered a genre defying classic, packed with tons of energy and ferociousness and combined with brilliant musicianship, this album is a recommended listen.

Album rating – 9.5/10

Here is an interview of the band about the album and the time of its creation.

And here is the brilliant album for you to listen to.