Alexisonfire
“Alexisonfire”
Equal Vision Records
Ontario seems to contain quiet the burgeoning melodic-hardcore scene. From relative newcomers like Silverstein to Moneen to the now defunct Grade, it seems this Canadian province is proving quiet the breeding ground for talented musicians looking to tear down the boundaries between hardcore, emo and punk. Add Alexisonfire to the aforementioned list.
Formed in 2001, vocalist George Pettit, guitarists/vocalists Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil, bass player Chris Steele and drummer Jesse Ingelevics set out on an exhaustive schedule that had them recording a demo and performing within three months of their inception.
Alexisonfire released their self-titled debut in October of 2002 after signing with Distort Entertainment and EMI music publishing. The album was met with critical acclaim and eventually broke the Canadian Top 200 Soundscan chart. The band constantly toured with a broad spectrum of bands: Gwar, From Autumn to Ashes, The Misfits, Hopesfall, This Day Forward and Thrice (just to name a few). The touring led to a deal with Equal Vision Records, home to such eclectic artists as Coheed and Cambria, Converge and Armor for Sleep. As is the case with the signing of “indie” bands sometimes, Equal Visions re-released “Alexisonfire” with a wider distribution, bringing the band’s sound to even more fans.
“Alexisonfire” kicks off with “44. Caliber Love Letter,” a song that opens with a lengthy instrumental before Pettit kicks in with his torturous, screamed vocals. Pettit’s vocals are one of the few gripes I initially had with the band, as they (the vocals) come off as so abrasive at times they are almost indecipherable, and almost seem out of place with the music. Of course, once Pettit is juxtaposed against Green and MacNeil’s melody, it becomes clear the band is playing off the differences for full effect.
Sonically, the band’s main focus has to be the driving force of its dueling guitarists; it’s the melody, rhythm and intricate riffing that really make the listener sit up and take notice. There’s a great melodic bridge in the middle of “Counterparts And Number Them” that has to be one of the stand out moments off the whole disc.
That’s not to say the bass and drumming isn’t noteworthy, but more an icing on the cake. Ingelevics keeps a solid backbeat going most of the time, and really throws exclamation points on the opening track and “Waterwings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)” (especially in the opening of the later and the crashing symbols through the middle). And Steele plays well off Ingelevics foundation  you have to listen closely sometimes, but Steele really has some nice bass lines throughout the whole disc.
The band’s first single, “Pulmonary Archery,” is probably the disc’s strongest song. Green, MacNeil and Steels all do a great job creating a steady, layered melody throughout the disc, with riffs bridged in a start/stop style by Ingelevics drumming. Pettit isn’t as abrasive as he is in the opening track, coming off with more of a growl instead of a scream, and the backing melodic singing mirrors him nicely, almost running as their own song instead of simply answering the lead (a feat which plays out through most of the other tracks too).
The band also has its moments of beauty. As ethereal as the song “Adelleda” comes off to begin with â€â€distorted guitars and loose arrangement  it closes out with a fantastic piano solo. And speaking of ethereal, the opening to “Polaroids of Polar Bears” feels like a whale song with hollow guitar feedback giving way to some truly haunting melody.
The beauty of the whole disc is that is comes off as raw. I’m sure the melodic vocals could be brought up and cleaned a little, but the unpolished nature of the sound is one of the things that makes Alexisonfire so attractive.
In short, Alexisonfire present a truly great album. Sure, the vocals at times were slightly jarring, but musically this band is raw and on track. When listening to this debut, instead of listening to music, you feel like you’re on a journey. And the journey is just beginning”¦
