Alexisonfire
Crisis

THE REVIEW

Creating a work and naming it "Crisis" is not something everyone dares to do. Either you have a lot of self-irony even in case of a subsequent flop, or it is a sign of awareness of your abilities as musicians. Fortunately, for Alexisonfire, it is the latter option.

Alexisonfire hail from Ontario (Canada), a nation known for having a fair tradition of bands devoted to the new generation emo (Grade, Silverstein). Despite being highly regarded in their homeland, enough to top the charts, they remain completely unnoticed over here. However, the guys deserve more recognition, which would be well-deserved.

"Crisis," which follows "Watch Out!," is the album of maturity, the definitive consecration of the five Canadians. The band is fully part of the new emocore wave. They are skilled in alternating hardcore influences and sharp guitars with piercing screaming, along with emo interludes that lead to choruses of rare beauty. The entire work plays on constant changes of tempo and breathtaking rhythms that sweep away monotony.

The characteristic that distinguishes Alexisonfire from similar groups is the alternation of no less than three voices at the microphone. The predominant and shouted one of the leader George Pettit contrasts with the more melodic ones of the two guitarists Wade McNeil (though rougher) and especially the beautiful and angelic voice that conveys a sense of tranquility and freshness of Dallas Green. Completing the lineup are Chris Steele on bass and newcomer Jordan Hastings on drums.

Nothing to fault either on the sound or lyrical front. It's hard to find fillers, as every song seems to have its point. The lyrics are quite unique, dealing with autobiographical events and slices of society, and are not likely to dive into love clichés, which seems standard for the genre. Among them, the great Buffalo snowstorm of 1977 is narrated on the title track, but more personal themes also find a place, like the sad story of George's father, whose employer tried to deprive him of his pension.

The opener "Drunks, lovers, sinners and saints" is already quite indicative of the band’s style. Where Pettit's shouted verses are opposed by an anthemic chorus played by both Dallas and George. A chorus that vaguely reminds of their great past hit "Accidents."

The lead single "This could be anywhere in the world" is definitely the most known song of the North-Americans (just look at the numerous plays on last.fm), thanks also to its repeated choruses, it's the one that sticks in mind before others, although decent, it doesn’t do justice to the rest of the tracks, which almost always maintain higher quality levels.

While with "Mailbox arson" and "Boiled frogs" Alexisonfire reaches the peak, illuminating the sky and striking and moving the listener from within. In both, if needed, Dallas confirms himself as a decidedly gifted and sublime vocalist in terms of quality and interpretation. The incisive and straightforward "Mailbox arson" with the compelling cry of "you’re not safe in this town, you’re not safe in this town...", with its strange invective against the suburbs, demonstrates how one can have a refined taste for melodies (the breakdown is delightful), far from certain clichés and pop-punk sounds often misused and mistaken for what they are not.

In "Boiled frogs" all the ingredients are perfectly reversed and measured: captivating riffing, wonderful choral parts, hand claps, and a melodic final tail with piano notes to frame, elements that make it one of the landmark pieces of the genre.

Even livelier and more extroverted are "We are the sound" and the title track "Crisis" with decidedly schizophrenic patterns, where the drummer shines, and where the usual alternation of contrasting vocal registers dominates, though the screamed voice always has more space here.

Zooming in on the platter, we notice the rather unusual experiments in "Burn first" (which, to be honest, seems a bit like a fish out of water) where we find Alexis in an unprecedented rock guise, with dark and visceral tones, the lively and charged "We are the end" and "Keep it on wax" (with its nice bass lines and breathtaking breaks), contrasted with "To a friend", where they momentarily take the foot off the gas pedal.

The other significant style change (apart from "Burn First") is recorded in the closing with the power-ballad "Rough hands" with a melancholy and dark aftertaste, where the piano is used, but where they do not give up screaming here either, just to emphasize the coherence and brand of the band, which in different measures in every song, never gives up on the screamed singing.

We are talking about a very high average quality, and if we were to draw up a hypothetical greatest-hits, almost every track would be present.

The artwork varies depending on the geographical area. Where the one for the American market (above) is graphically superior to the European version depicting an old man disfigured by the cold.

Alexisonfire are anything but in crisis, and if the emo productions are at these levels, they are more than welcome. One of the albums of 2006.