Alexisonfire

pbsuxok1znja4r

Thought these guys *might* go down well with some folk round these parts. Couldn't hurt, anyway. Feel free to move this to punk, but TBH it'll probably sit a lot less comfortably there...

These guys are from Canada and have been together since 2001. They've released two full-length records thus far, with a third being released in three weeks: "Alexisonfire", "Watch out!", and "Crisis", respectively. Loosely described as "post-hardcore", Alexis' draw their influences from punk, metal, emo and pop music. There's even a strong, reverby stoner metal vibe present in much of their music (Listen to "Pulmonary Archery" or "Polaroids Of Polar Bears", to name but two).

Present in all of Alexisonfire's music is coarse, scathing screaming and squeaky-clean crooning. At the same time. If you like clean vocals with heavy guitars, Dallas Green is yer man. Personally I think they've got a near-perfect balance between melody, ambience, heaviness and coarseness. They're not afraid of the odd time-sig change, either.

These guys do have some funny haircuts and they do play the Warped Tour, etc. Certain aspects of them and their music could quite legitimately be described as 'emo'. If you're capable of looking past that you're in for some enjoyable listening.


Pulmonary Archery video on YouTube
Pulmonary Archery *Live*
I highly recommend checking out both of the above.

www.theonlybandever.com
Myspace


Any fans, then? Gill needs this!

snickerpuss

I went to see them in Glasgow, they're okay, dunno if i'll be arsed to go see them play again though.
They are pretty emo though, but still good.

ANarcho-Munk

That is not my cup of tea at all....but whatever floats your boat.

I always get the impression that this screamo/post-hardcore kindam usic all sounds the same and is a bit too contrived.

pbsuxok1znja4r

Heh, different strokes, I guess. I've been absolutely in love with that Pulmonary Archery song/video for months now. I think I can say for sure that there's nothing 'contrived' about Alexis, though. I'm not even sure what you mean by contrived in this context...elaborate?

Karl Hungus

Well, I can safely say I don't like it. At all.

Karl Hungus

pbsuxok1znja4r

Heh, yes, I can see the parallels with 'buttsecks'. For some folk it's good fun, for others it's just a pain in the hole. 0_o

Well I dunno, personally I've had to give some bands, like Opeth, for example, a few dozen listens before I began to enjoy 'em. Hell, I was very hasty in my negative judgement of Isis, too. Give it time, I guess

Tar.Aldarion

Ah, different strokes etc but I hate them.
I remember cringing every time they came on scuzz.

pbsuxok1znja4r

Well I don't have Scuzz or anything similar which saves me the hassle of being made sick of bands simply through unwanted over-exposure to them. It's crazy how many bands I mention to my friends (some of which have very similar taste to me) and they say they hate them. I ask why, they say "They used to get played on Scuzz/whatever all the time!". The mind boggles.

Karl Hungus

scouser.tommy wrote:

Heh, yes, I can see the parallels with 'buttsecks'. For some folk it's good fun, for others it's just a pain in the hole. 0_o

Well honestly, I didn't mean to post that as any kind of parallel, but rather that it was too good not to post.

ANarcho-Munk

scouser.tommy wrote:

Heh, different strokes, I guess. I've been absolutely in love with that Pulmonary Archery song/video for months now. I think I can say for sure that there's nothing 'contrived' about Alexis, though. I'm not even sure what you mean by contrived in this context...elaborate?

Whatever Screamo I have heard all sounds the same with those intricate guitar licks and screamed lyrics. For me, I just don't see anything in it and find it particularly bland and after a while undynamic although you may beg to differ.;)

ANarcho-Munk

scouser.tommy wrote:

Well I dunno, personally I've had to give some bands, like Opeth, for example, a few dozen listens before I began to enjoy 'em. Hell, I was very hasty in my negative judgement of Isis, too. Give it time, I guess

I actually find that bands I need to give a few listens to before I like them often become my favourite bands. Bands that give instant gratification are usually a bit unimaginative and do things to please the masses, not the fans.
There is so much more to discover in bands that take you a while to get into as you discover different layers in the music and find something new everytime you listen to it.

pbsuxok1znja4r

ANarcho-Munk wrote:

I actually find that bands I need to give a few listens to before I like them often become my favourite bands. Bands that give instant gratification are usually a bit unimaginative and do things to please the masses, not the fans.
There is so much more to discover in bands that take you a while to get into as you discover different layers in the music and find something new everytime you listen to it.

Well, in that case you're set to love Alexisonfire when you finally start liking them! I had the same thing with Glassjaw. They did nothing for me at first but now I get everlasting enjoyment from 'em. Of course, there's no reason not to listen to bands that give instant gratification aswell.

I'm not sure how you see screamo as lacking in dynamics (though it's not a good idea to talk in such general terms about a wide genre), what bands you heard? What bands you coming from listening to? I could understand if you're talking about the likes of Converge, DEP, Every Time I Die, Circle Takes The Square, Fall Of Troy...etc...but to say a band like, say for example, Thrice lack dynamics and are bland is..strange. Check out Thrice's The Artist In The Ambulance album or The Illusion Of Safety.

senordingdong

Well, I'll be steering clear of them in future.

pbsuxok1znja4r

It's funny, very often I find that when someone does not appreciate something a few others greatly do, it says less about the thing unappreciated and more about the person who fails to do the appreciating. Alexis' must be a fine wine indeed; an acquired taste. Perhaps your 'palate' wants cultivating, eh?

senordingdong

Not if that's what is on the menu pal...

Locust Reign

scouser.tommy wrote:

I could understand if you're talking about the likes of Converge, DEP, Every Time I Die, Circle Takes The Square, Fall Of Troy...etc...but to say a band like, say for example, Thrice lack dynamics and are bland is..strange.

You seem to be doing the same thing with these other bands?
Have you listened to these bands as extensively as Alexisonfire?
Bands like Converge/DEP/Circle takes the Square take a bit of getting into for the most part.

pbsuxok1znja4r

Locust Reign wrote:

You seem to be doing the same thing with these other bands?
Have you listened to these bands as extensively as Alexisonfire?
Bands like Converge/DEP/Circle takes the Square take a bit of getting into for the most part.

Yeah! I love all of those bands, I was just saying that I could see why he might have (initially) found their music a little less...listenable, you know?

ANarcho-Munk

From the Circle Takes The Square songs I heard I actually quite like them.

I just can't stand all the other ****.