Alexisonfire, Crisis

Take a listen to Alexisonfire. No, not “Alex-is-on-fire”; the band’s name is Alexis-on-fire, taken from the world’s only lactating contortionist. And yes, you should be able to milk their new album for a few good tunes. I haven’t heard any of the albums before the band’s latest, Crisis, but I’m guessing that this album is probably more radio-friendly than any of their previous albums. For those who haven’t heard, Alexisonfire is one of those post-hardcore/punk/emo/alt bands who immerse themselves in the category so well they almost drown — almost, but not quite.

At first sound, I could definitely hear the similarities between this band and Rise Against, Thrice, and Yesterday’s Rising. The first song was the obligatory emotive anthem appealing to the hardcore fan in all of us. Not wanting to pigeon-ole the band, though, I kept my mind open to the rest of the album. The album is chock full of heavy, pounding choruses, drop-tuned power chords, crashing drums, and hammer-pumping verses.

If at first you can’t decide whether you like it, of course, pump the volume up in your car and take a drive. The next few times I listened to the album, I noticed that the band can actually step back from the energy and aggression in the sound and balance it with melodic mellow parts. “Look Around” is a good example; download that, or iTune it, or buy it, or whatever it is you do.

I admit that the band having two singers is a little wearing. They both do a good job, but you still tell there are two of them dueling for attention. It was kind of like a watching a ping-pong ball go back and forth, only with your ears. It works, but I felt like every song had an expected screaming part and an obligatory harmonic part. Alexisonfire does a good job of balancing them in every song, but doesn’t have a song that commits to being completely hardcore or completely melodic. Overall, this album will find itself in a semi-regular rotation in between my Autopilot Off and Silverstein albums. Crisis isn’t anything I haven’t heard already, but it fits quite nicely in the niche that’s already been made by the bands before it. They do the melodic hardcore scene proud.