AlexisonFire - Crisis
(2006)

Review by Chris Wood

Embarrassingly, it wasn't until recently that I found out that Canadian outfit AlexisonFire was pronounced 'Alexis On Fire', and not 'Alex Is On Fire'. It runs parallel with people misinterpreting the band name INXS as INKS's (however something tells me that these guys may not benefit from this obscure commonality). Either way, the name speaks punk, hardcore, or whatever you decide to label it as.  

AOF meets two of the possible 4-criterion points required to make a successful punk-hardcore band name. Firstly, it has a name in it, which is possibly the most important feature of a popular punk-hardcore act. Secondly, it has a destructive element, which is important to take the focus of the pussy nature of the music. The other two criterion points, which aren't present here, is a number as well as a reference to an urban location or event, (eg. movies, ice-cream parlour, skate-park, etc).

I have generally considered the whole post-punk hardcore scene as the wussy little brother of the heavier metal genre. It almost sounds like a mix of the 2 polar extremes, as if Corey from Slipknot were collaborating with the less talented members of N-Sync. But for fear of being attacked by a regiment of tight jeans, spiked belts and un-even, peroxided hairstyles that are fashioned by depressive urchins, reminiscent of Aphex Twins film clip of Come to Daddy, I have decided in the name fairness to give the genre another go.

"Crisis" is the third studio album from the 5-piece from Ontario. Opening track, and possibly the best song name on the album, Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints kicks off with a relentless bang. One of the features of this band is their complex interplay between extreme vocalisations and frantic guitar orchestrations. Dallas Green provides the ambient vocal phrasings, George Pettit grinding away with the trademark screaming sensations, and Wade Macneal adding his vocal talents to the mixture. Chris Steele plugs away with his steady bass lines and Jordan 'Ratbeard' Hastings has a stupid nickname - he also keeps the lads in time with some insane drumming.

A first listen to the title track Crisis, I couldn't help but be reminded of the suspense building distorted moan of New Noise by pioneer punks Refused - from their monumental 1996 masterpiece "The Shape of Punk To Come". Slightly ironical, don't you think? Having said this, it is a ripping track that is sure to make you reconsider their credibility. 

Usually two people singing at the same time would be considered extremely annoying, but these guys seem to be able to pull it off on the manic track We Are The Sound, which would have to be my favourite. This Could Be Anywhere In The World promises a chorus akin to System of a Downs Toxicity, yet just plateaus with a less-than-average chorus that sounds like something you would expect from a Christian Rock-Metal band. Radio friendly Boiled Frogs is one of those misleading tracks that has nothing to do with the title. It takes a while to get going, but it ends up being that song that you will get stuck in your head, even if it is for just a day.

Even though I've never highly regarded the whole post-punk hardcore genre that AOF subscribe to, "Crisis" is one of those albums you must consider if you’re a fan of punk, extreme vocalising, or just bizarre song titles that have no significance whatsoever. It is possible to see why these guys debuted at number 1 in Canada with "Crisis" with this well-defined album and also why they were nominated in 2005 as Spin.com’s Band of the Year ‘All Ages’ category. 

They do manage to work this style with absolute conviction. The cover art is also a feature of this album with eerie post-apocalyptic pictures throughout the gripping, well-designed lyrical fonts. Overall this is not going to make into too many top-10 album of the year charts, however I dare say that it is guaranteed to keep the hair dye industry shares up for little while longer. 

RATING: 3 out of 5