Alexisonfire Self-Titled. Release Date : October 29, 2002. US release September 9, 2003. Label: Distort Entertainment/EMI. US release on Equal Vision. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. This is the earlier disc for Alexisonfire, the one that got things really going for them. Released in 2002, it wasn't until the US release was closer to arriving that even Canada really jumped on the boat. They already have a newer album out (Watch Out), which has solidified the band's sound a bit, but we're not here to talk about that album today. Oh no, we're here to see how it all began for these chaps, who were 18-22 years old at the time this self-titled project came out. When this blasted out of the gates, the world collectivly turned somersaults. Some of us went, "huh?," and some of us went, "shut the f*(& up!," and some of us went, "kick ASS!" And the kids danced and shoved each other about in glee. Yes, screamo arrived, and it wasn't new, but it was never before quite like this. Alexisonfire brought the vaguely-tangible genre to a completely new level, gave parents a collective ulcer and a reason to buy really big earmuffs, and left a lot of people, myself included, kind of on the fence. Yes, this is different, and I respect that. Can I listen to it for long periods of time? Generally no. But I acquired a new respect for them after seeing them live. Everything made more sense somehow. So that helps now with reviewing this disc. Had I not seen them live, I probably would have listened to two tracks, thrown the whole thing out the window and typed something like, "steel factory explosion, shattered eardrums, cacophonous, nonsensical noise." Now I'm more apt to type, "steel factory explosion, shattered eardrums, cacophonous, nonsensical noise most of the time, but then a songbird flies over the explosion and a tempo is established by a swinging piece of dismantled, squawky machinery. Calming wind from time to time." See? And that's a great example because there's a guy in the band named Chris Steele. Well, if you don't know what this is band is about, let me tell you, you will be caught off guard. It also means you've been severely out of the loop lately. But the kids really do love this stuff these days. Yelling is de rigeur for sure. I feel really old all of a sudden. "The kids love it these days." What the hell is happening to me? It all starts off so nicely. A bright, whining guitar, then another comes in... those unsuspecting will have no clue that they are about to have bricks hurled at their head at a hundred miles an hour. This goes on for a while, almost coming off more as an extended outro than an opener, more instruments sneak in... but still, it's just a swell rock song. And then, rollicking drums provided by Jesse Ingelevics, and finally George Pettit's vocals come charging in on a full head o' steam. Thank God they include the lyrics in the liner notes, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what this was all about. Well, it definitely sounds pained. And emotive. And strong. Makes a statement, though it's hard to tell what exactly. I don't know how long this style of music will last in the more mainstream portion of the industry, but for what it's worth now, these guys own it. No one else is doing anything quite like this. It's strange, looking at Pettit's roaring vocals, and the gentle, pefectly on-key and, well, cool vocals of Wade MacNeil and Dallas Green. It's like two totally different songs layered on top of one another. It's a cross between wimpy, shoe-gazing emo and growling death metal. Those background vocals are really amazing (though they sit in the forefront often, as Pettit's voice almost becomes more of an instrument than a vocal track), and they serve to give the band credibility with people who would otherwise immediately dismiss them. People might think, "oh, there is some singing going on. Okay I'll give it a second listen." Not that Alexisonfire is necessarily concerned with appealing to people like that. The instruments are nuts. There's some really interesting guitar riffs and drum bits, things that happen so quick they make your head spin. The tempo of the instruments, and the melodies change so quickly even within each song, it really seems like they couldn't decide what to do. Really schizophrenic songs. The confusion suits the raging music, but perhaps the focus will show up in their songwriting down the line. Appropriately, as I listen to this, a murder of crows explodes from behind a group of trees just at a huge blow-up point in "A Dagger Through The Heart." Those crows know where it's at. But back to the broken-up songs. It's strange how and when the tunes break apart and fall into different feels and tempos and everything. They can be so gentle and pretty, and then turn around and have this insane drumming pitter-patter that feels like you're being chased down a dank alleyway by something enormously creepy that you can't quite see. But even through all that, there's this underlying prettiness and vulnerability, usually created by those background vocals. There's a start-up guitar piece three and three quarter minutes into "A Dagger..." that just kicks ass. And following that, "Polaroids of Polar Bears" (which might be the cutest song title in the history of song titles) begins with this dreamy and beautiful slidey guitar piece. It doesn't last long though... back we go into insanity. But those cool guitar bits keep up. There's a couple instances of sudden music stoppage with a quickly-spoken line, as in the opening "44. Caliber Love Letter," and also in "Polaroids..." Catches you off-guard, like falling off a cliff in the dark. The band's videos are really fitting. They always involve some frenzied action, such as Pettit going into conniptions, some ridiculous dancing, or the band being chased by kids. Who comes up with these concepts?? I just saw the new video for "Accident," one of the songs off the new full-length, a couple hours ago. It featured the band (besides Ingelevics, who was the ultimate accident victim) as a bunch of high-strung ambulance drivers. As a final note, to those who are tempted to say, "oh, anyone could do that, he's just screaming like a lunatic," I beg to differ. It takes some serious talent and stamina to keep your voice going like that. I tell ya, I growl-scream along to one word (okay okay, one noise) in a Deftones cover of a Weezer song (nothing like singing scowling metal overtop of peppy Weezer tunes) on the radio in the car, and I can't talk for half a day. The screaming makes this music humongous. And the nuances come out further with each listen-through. Lyric of choice : After reading them over... first of all, holy crap are these ever weird lyrics. This is beyond emo, this is just destructive and twisted and blind and, well, kinda cool. You know, in a weird sort of way. Things I don't understand are always the most interesting / like zero and Eraserhead / but sometimes it's just about feeling good / like John Cusack and pop punk, from "Where No One Knows." Or, Spill on me your nostalgia like warm water / and cataracts that fell behind self-conscious eyes / hurt so good through ivory rain, from "Little Girls Pointing And Laughing." Song of choice : Track 3, "Adelleda," mostly for the piano bit at the end. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Alexisonfire website Published : August 6, 2004.