Alexisonfire - Alexisonfire

I haven’t seen Alexisonfire in concert, but my hope is that they boast some of this energy, because the incessant screaming has got to be good for something.

Don’t judge a book by its cover is a saying that should also be applied to CD covers, but one cannot help forming an opinion when they open their mailbox and find a CD with two girls in school uniforms on the cover, one with a switchblade. A person may begin to wonder if this is some twisted take on Ms. Spears or if there is an actual plausible explanation for this picture.

It turns out that the latter is true. The latest self-titled release from Canadian hardcore rockers Alexisonfire does have a valid reason for the slightly disturbing cover. The answer is found in the song “A Dagger Through the Heart of St.Angeles” which fixates around girls in plaid skirts and switchblades. It is a seemingly consistent theme of the release, with a whole set of pictures revolving around, you guessed it, girls in plaid skirts with switchblades.

An Alexisonfire mystery solved, but many more surface. The second being why screaming is now such a prominent facet of rock music. I found myself nearing a migraine about two minutes into the first song, and wondered what the song was talking about since I could not understand a single word. Good lyrics are the glue to a good band, but when you can’t understand the lyrics it makes sense to assume the band probably isn’t that great either.

It wasn’t until the third song “Adelleda” that I actually found the presence of singing. It was a welcomed relief from the first two songs of straight screaming, but even though there was singing, the screaming also continued. It is unfortunate too, because lead singer Dallas has a voice that fits nicely over the pounding sound of Alexisonfire. The songs would be of a much better quality if more time was given to the lead singer, and not the lead screamer. The screaming, pounding drums, and screeching guitars are far too chaotic to even put a handle on. Every song averages a minute long intro that tends to get extremely monotonous towards the end of the record. It almost makes you miss the screaming, almost.

Alexisonfire’s talent principally lies within their lyrics, which although nearly impossible to comprehend, have shining moments on the record. They burst forth with great metaphors and similes such as in “Counterparts and Number Them” with “I’m softer than a thrift store sweater and twice as worn in.” A line that clearly makes a person wonder if Dashboard Confessional is a secret lyrical influence to this band. They know how to construct imagery that is easy to perceive, as in the song “Little Girls Pointing and Laughing” when they use the line “spill on me your nostalgia like warm water.”

Let’s not forget that a band should be given props for creative song titles, something Taking Back Sunday and Brand New have capitalized on greatly in their relatively short careers. They may have found some competition with Alexisonfire’s latest record which boasts such titles, “Water Wings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)” and “Caliber Love Letter.” 

Alexisonfire’s self-titled release is a mix of pain and turmoil that either will drive a person crazy or prove to be a great liberation of anger. The record has the possibility to be good, with lyrical talent and the raw musical force of the band, but the downfalls of it nearly cancel out the positives. I won’t give up hope just yet. I had never been into the Blood Brothers either, but I saw them live and was impressed beyond belief at the stage presence and energy they possess. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Alexisonfire in concert, but my hope is that they boast some of this energy, because the incessant screaming has got to be good for something.

(Equal Vision Records)