ALEXISONFIRE
Otherness
Alexisonfire: still standing out from the pack
VANESSA HEINS/PRESS
DINE ALONE
Canada’s post-hardcore pioneers make a thrilling return
IT’S STRANGE TO think that this is the same Alexisonfire that stormed onto the music scene in the early 2000s and put Canadian post-hardcore on the map.
Otherness is the quintet’s first full-length in over 13 years and, following a break-up, a reunion and a recent pandemic, their sound has matured dramatically. At almost an hour long, with some lengthy songs in the mix, the band do find room to revisit some familiar paths, but, for the most part, this is uncharted territory, and the result is newly intense and immersive.
Judging from the calibre of the songs’ rich layers and intentional cohesion, it’s clear that the band gelled seamlessly in the studio, and – unsurprisingly, for members with so many successful side-projects – they continue to advance technically as musicians. Alexisonfire don’t want to become a nostalgia act; they are making music to challenge their creativity rather than to serve expectations. As such, the tracks are heavy and powerful but also purposeful and cerebral. The three increasingly strong vocalists are leveraged in newly engaging ways, and they dive deeply into influences ranging from stoner and shoegaze to grunge and industrial.