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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
With "Crisis," Alexisonfire lights it up again, October 12, 2006
Alexisonfire moved away from the nearly inaccessible, hardcore noise that dominated their first album, the self-titled "Alexisonfire." Their second album, "Watch Out!" showed maturity if not conformity but nonetheless improvement. "Crisis," the Ontario, Canada quintet's third album, is the pinnacle of their efforts to date--it's a near-perfect album that slips up on a single unnecessary track and doesn't falter at any other point.
The intensity is immediate. George Pettit takes less than half a second into the first track, "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners And Saints" to get a scream out there, with guitarist Wade MacNeil jumping along and following suit, proclaming "This is from our hearts/Sincerity over simple chords/We made some mistakes, made some mistakes/but it's a long time coming when you're giving it everything." You hardly at all hear the calm, soothing voice of vocalist Dallas Green until "This Could Be Anywhere In The World," a song I'm assuming is about the less-than-spectacular state of distress major cities of the world are in.
"Mailbox Arson" continues the album's brisk pace that doesn't slow until about halfway through the song, when Green lullabies the listener towards the end of the song, where Pettit then picks up the pace and the song fades into the catchy, poppy, and arguably most unforgettable song on "Crisis"--"Boiled Frogs." This is the first song on the album in which the listener gets a good balance between Alexisonfire's singing trio of Pettit, Green, and MacNeil. It's also one of the easier songs to understand the meaning to, as it is laid out quite obviously when MacNeil claims, "My youth is slippin'/my youth is slippin' away." This song is about taking the reins of life and appreciating it. The clap-along sections of the song and the woah-oahs at the 60% point are quite welcome with the flow of the song.
"We Are The Sound" starts off with a lightning-fast guitar riff that appropriately leads Pettit's screams. One of the better songs on "Crisis" lyrically, "We Are The Sound" discusses the younger generations and their everyday struggle for a voice. After the awkward interruption that is "You Burn First," "We Are The End" brings the final 40% of the album, which is slower, into perspective. "We Are The End" has a unique, almost dance-inducing riff and cymbals combo that sets it apart from the rest of the album.
"Crisis," the title song, begins with a guitar riff and Pettit scream that reminds me quite a lot of the band Refused. At any rate, this is a fast-paced song that isn't all that special until, once again, Green's soothing voice throws in a huge amount of contrast--"Crisis" is one of the faster and louder songs, and when Green comes into play, the tone of the song changes completely.
The last two songs on "Crisis" are arguably the best. "To A Friend" seems to be about a personal struggle in a relationship, and at about the 70% mark, Pettit's scream goes perfectly in sync with the booming of guitars and drums to create quite a powerful sound that is then followed by the contrasting softness of Green. "Rough Hands" ends "Crisis" in perfect fashion, being a song about the regrets and inner struggles that came from a failing and destructive relationship. Without a doubt some of the most powerful and personal lyrics are voiced through a metaphor about hands in this down-tempo, quiet song that has a darker atmosphere than any other Alexisonfire song yet. "One day my hands were too soft/One day she said "I'm tired"/One day her clothes were on my floor/One day, empty bottles/Well I'm not saying she's my last/I'm just saying that she could have been/It doesn't matter how rough these hands get/It doesn't matter 'cause I'm not her man."
"Crisis" shows traces of the hardcore sound that got the band on the map in a few of the songs, but its grown-up sound, excellent recording, and evolved talent of this band just blasts out of this disc. Almost every song sends a powerful message, and though not every song on the list is the most positive and uplifting one, almost all of them evoke a perfect feeling and atmosphere through the guitars, drums, and the vocal range. One might argue that it's gimmicky to have three very different vocalists, but it definitely puts Alexisonfire on top of their game. "Crisis" is a fantastic release that didn't recieve the American reception that it should have, but Canadians are loving their hardcore band, and Alexisonfire has found great success there.
"Crisis" is a good choice for anyone that enjoys emo and screamo, hardcore and post-hardcore. Some metalcore and punk rock fans might find themselves hooked as well, as Alexisonfire's style draws inspiration from those genres as well. "Crisis" can be found pretty easily online or in Best Buy stores.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally Realizing a Balance., August 23, 2006
This album will be the album of their careers. This the perfect blend of all that makes this band who they are. Gone are the days of too much screaming like in their first release, or too much Dallas like in their second. This album lets everyone share the spotlight and it turns out to be the best disc of their career. Great song writting, a little more heavy than their usual stuff (thank god) and in general this CD just delivers. Pick it up.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alexisonfire - Crisis Review, August 25, 2006
Alexisonfire (not Alex is on fire), is a fairly unknown screamo band. Mixing elements of emo and post-hardcore. The self titled debut was a strong start of George Pettit's hard gutteral scream and Dallas Green's progression as a vocalist. Their sophomore effort "Watch Out" was leaps and bounds above the first entry on a production level. But most felt their were too many voice effects and layers. Now with their thrid album, Crisis, the band goes on a back to basics approach. Now we have all three vocalists, including Wade McNeil, sharing just about equal time singing over the record. We also are introduced to a new drummer for the band, who does a great job of keeping up with AOF's strong guitar lines. The songs are stripped down, echoing the debut album but still carrying over some anhtemic elements from "Watch Out". "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints" is a punch to the chest starting the album off right, followed by the single "This Could Be Anywhere in the World." The poppy "Boiled Frogs" is also featured from an earlier sampler floating around this year. Wade comes into his own with "You Burn First". Overall it is an enjoyable album. The new album is a welcomed entry. Nothing to write home about but fun and new. Keep an ear out for "We Are the Sound," "We Are the End," "To a Friend," and "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints." I say pick it up if you are ready for some hard screaming juxtaposed by beautiful vocals. All in all the album is worth a good listen too.
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