Customer Reviews

Crisis

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

You may say that the title of my review is a statement that takes huge shoes to fill (it's actually a reference to their website, www.theonlybandever.com), but I believe that Alexisonfire has large enough feet to fill those shoes.

Hailing from our northern neighbor, Canada, the likes of George, Dallas, Wade, Chris, and Jordan deliver some of the best, if not the best, post-hardcore ever heard by human ears. George's chaotic screams, along with Dallas' beautiful melodic contrast and Wade's frequent punk-like vocals make the best combination of vocals the overpopulated genre has to offer. All backed up by awesome, articulate hardcore instrumentals.

Now, on to the main subject of the review. Crisis is an excellent album. Excellent lyrics, vocals, instrumentals, everything. The opening track, Drunks, Lovers, Sinners, and Saints is a full blown metalcore assault at it's beginning, but turns into a more melodic, punk track later into the song. The album then goes to This Could Be Anywhere In the World (my personal favorite) which showcases Dallas Green's unbelievable talent. The album then follows suit with perfect order tracks Mailbox Arson and Boiled Frogs, followed by the great mosh worthy melodic hardcore piece, We Are the Sound. The album then suddenly changes tempo with Wade on vocals in the song You Burn First, which sounds a lot like a Trent Reznor produced track. However, the album brings the tempo back up to speed with We Are the End, which has an awesome break down, Crisis with an awesome sing-a-long worthy "1-9-7-7" chant, Keep It On Wax, an actually pretty mean song about the band's former drummer, To A Friend which ends with a harmonous acapella provided by Dallas, and finally Rough Hands, which I would consider Alexisonfire's ballad about lost love. This song features Dallas at his finest with George providing the contrasting, but rather soft, screams.

Basically this is the Canadian post-hardcore outfit at their finest. I have been a fan of this band for a while now, and have always loved the overall fresh sound they provide to the aging genre. I recently saw the band in concert and was equally amazed with the bands live show. I actually met Wade and Chris, and I do have to say that they are two genuine, awesome guys. Alexisonfire is anything, and everything a person could ask for in a post-hardcore band and I highly recommend Crisis. I also recommend the band's self-titled debut and Watch Out!. Both are excellent albums as well. But for people who have never heard Alexisonfire, I recommend Crisis as a great way to start. I have had the album for months and still listen to it frequently. A++

Okay, so generally I hate screaming bands, but after I heard "This Could Be Anywhere in the World", I was immediately excited for more, so I bought Crisis, Canadian band Alexisonfire's third studio album. I definitely consider it a worthy purchase, even if some of it was weak. The first song, "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners, And Saints" rips right through you immediately, with a passionate fast paced confidence that really got me excited for the rest of the record. Wade McNeil, Dallas Green and George Petit really compliment eachother's sounds in this song, and on the entire record, despite the contrast in vocal styles. You see, Alexisonfire really has three singers, and without eachother this band would be much lesser. Not a lot of these kinds of bands are doing this these days, and it's nice to see a band that incorporates elements from different genres, leaving them opened up to a larger audience than there'd be if it were simply Petit screaming each song.

From here, the album goes at a strong, fast pace. It doesn't let up until "You Burn First", a track that feels way out of place on this album. Wade McNeil has a good voice, but I found the song just a bit out of place here. But the album quickly picks itself up and dusts itself off with "Crisis", the title track.

Of course, all of this just leads up to the absolute best song on Crisis, "Rough Hands", which showcases Dallas Greens' vocal prowess. It also incorporates a lot of piano and drum. "Rough Hands" has the most melody out of any of the tracks on Crisis, and an Epic Factor that supersedes even "This Could Be Anywhere in the World".

The album shot to #1 in Canada at release, thanks in part to the strength of the first single. Let's hope Alexisonfire continues to hone this style into something possibly even revolutionary. Until then, I'll be waiting patiently.

I would call myself a pretty avid rock music fan and this is, in my opinion, one of the better bands out there. I have never been so much into what I would call death metal, which is what I call it when the lead singer does nothing but yell nonsense into the microphone leaving everyone thinking to themselves...."what the hell is this guy saying??" Much like beer, I have acquired somewhat of a taste for the "lead" singer of this band (who does his fair share of yelling) although I do personally think the band would probably be better off without him. The unique thing about this band though is that they really have 3 singers. Dallas Green, who is vocalist/guitarist for the band, is really the back bone of this band. Without trying to sound cheesy, this guy radiates talent. On top of that he honestly is one of the best male vocalists I have ever heard. That in part makes the band unique because you have one guy singing/yelling like he is pissed off with the world and this other guy comes right behind him with this harmonizing voice almost like taking a sip of Red Bull and the chasing it with a sip of wine. If you feel you do not like the sound of Alexisonfire I would highly suggest you check out Dallas Green's solo project, City and Colour, if you are more into a raw acoustic guitar with great vocals. Ok, I have made this review entirely too long, but bottom line is if you are a rock fan I think you will enjoy this cd. For some it may take a few listens for it to catch on, but if you are anything like me it will and at this point it has not left my cd player since I bought it.

Alexisonfire is one of the best bands within the Metalcore/Hardcore scene, and each release continues to prove this point. Anyone who has heard any of the releases by the band, including their newer album "Old Crows, Young Cardinals", knows that Alexisonfire sounds like nothing you've ever heard before. Their combination of various types of screaming vocal styling, with wonderfully done clean vocals, adds to the overall enjoyment of the listening experience one gets from any of the band's multiple albums. However, "Crisis" is the album that truly outshines any other release the band has made, including their newest album "Old Crows, Young Cardinals".

The album starts off with "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners", a very melodic track that can stay stuck in the listeners head for hours upon completion. The ever so catchy melody and chorus is bound to even have some fans singing along. Mixing this with Alexisonfire's trademark style of screaming, and the band has made a truly stand out opening track. The second track on "Crisis" (and my personal favorite Alexisonfire track), "This Could Be Anywhere in the World" continues to showcase the band's talents on all levels. Once again providing a very catchy chorus, great instrumental work, and the same style of singing that Alexisonfire is known for.

The remainder of the album continues to follow the pattern set up earlier with prior tracks by bringing some of Alexisonfire's heaviest, yet most melodic, and catchy tracks to date. "Mailbox Arson", "We Are the Sound", "Crisis", and "Keep it on Wax" on all stand out tracks with excellent sound all around. However, one of the most original tracks on the album remains "You Burn First" which contains a guest vocalist by the name of Gared O'Donnell from the band "Planes Mistaken for Stars". The sound and dimension that he adds to the track greatly benefits the album as a whole, making this yet another point as to why "Crisis" truly stands above other Alexisonfire releases.

The lyrics to the album (much like any other release from Alexisonfire) are very meaningful and in many cases touching and heart felt as well. From talking about poverty in one song ("This Could Be Anywhere In the World") to songs about life in general and the struggles of everyday living ("We Are the Sound"), every track on "Crisis" has a meaning behind it. Every track has a point to make, and each song its point across in a well dignified manner. Even several songs which contain references to religion do so in a very controlled, and limited manner, adding meaning to the track without feeling too preachy either.

If you enjoy Metalcore/Hardcore and are looking for a new band to get into, and you haven't checked out Alexisonfire yet, then "Crisis" is the perfect album to assist you in discovering what the band is capable of doing. Simple, yet beautifully done and amazing sounding guitar riffs, well done singing and screaming, and very meaningful lyrics show why Alexisonfire is a band that should not be overlooked, and "Crisis" showcases the band's talents to the highest level to date.

Well after seeing Alexisonfire live twice, it's easy to say that thay are one of the best live bands out there and Crisis is an album that is full of songs that demand to be played live. No doubt, this is one of my favorite albums of all time. It is to them what Brave New World is to Iron Maiden- their finest hour. Trust me, once this album begins, it's fast paced, and stays that way until the last track, which is the perfect way to go for an AOF album.

Drunks, Lovers, Sinners, and Saints starts off the album in a way that kinda startles you- George's screaming "ALRIGHT!!!!!!!". The song erupts into a catchy and fun song that is extremely awesome on all fronts. Then comes "This Could Be Anywhere In The World", which is the best choice for a single from the album. Heavy on both screaming and singing, this song is a killer and anthemic rocker. Mailbox Arson begins with a pounding double-bass intro, then George's screaming "YOUR MAIL'S NOT SAFE IN THIS TOWN!!!!!". Sure the lyrics are just plain silly, but this song sure rocks out loud. The soft section does not detract from the heaviness. Boiled Frogs only continues the heaviness and punkiness. Then We Are the Sound, the best song on the album- lightning paced, heavy, lots of screaming, and a "shout along" chorus. It sounds WAY better live than in the studio.

Then the album gives you a moment to breathe with You Burn First. Wow, this is the sound of Wade going insane! It begins slowly, then gets progressively heavier. A brilliant and disturbing song. Then We Are The End continues the fast-paced feel of We Are The Sound. Crisis only helps the album maintain the heaviness, it's a dark, extremely heavy song that has an awesome Bad Religionesque riff, and an AWESOME scream from Petit. At this point, one wonders how anyone can not like this album. Keep it on Wax is a great, catchy song that definitely solidifies this album as the best AOF record. To A Friend is the only weak song, it's not a bad song but just isn't as good as the rest of the album. Then the dark and powerful closer "Rough Hands" ends the album on a great and slow note.

This is one of my favorite albums, and it's definitely AOF's finest hour. IF you want a blazin' romp through hardcore, metal, punk, and screamo, this is right up your ally! The 3rd best album of 2006 for sure, with Iron Maiden's "A Matter of Life and Death" being #1.

right off the bat...this album is amazing. i was a little worried at first that it would be too much like Watch Out...which i actually really liked, but found myself getting bored with it really fast. like alot of bands in this genre...the third album can sometimes be the "end" for a band, but these guys are back with a vengance.
a great balance of heavier songs and mellower songs, and not too much of one vocalist.

if you kind of forgot about these guys after Watch Out...pick this up and rediscover how amazing this band is.

This is probably alexisonfire's best album. Everything works and mixes well. All of the Vocalists make their presense heard.
Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and saints-5/5
This could be anywhere in the world-5/5
Mailbox arson-4/5
Boiled frogs-5/5
We are the sound-4.5/5
You burn first-3.5/5
We are the end-4.5/5
Crisis-5/5
Keep it on wax-4/5
To a friend-5/5
Rough Hands-4.5/5