Alexisonfire – Dog’s Blood

Ontario’s Alexisonfire has come a long way as a hardcore band; evolving from a boisterous group of raucous vocal explosions in 2002’s self-titled debut, to the thoughtful, exciting display of post-hardcore refinement that is last year’s Old Crows/Young Cardinals.   Now, some may compare the old with the new and claim that over time Alexisonfire has dulled its once razor sharp teeth, and no longer gnashes out to take chunks from unsuspecting listeners.  In many regards the band has matured, but as purists will no doubt come to see thanks to their recent EP, Dog’s Blood, there’s still fire pulsing through their veins.

In a recent interview the band explained how they considered the EP’s content as simply too different to make it onto a conventional full length.  I’m not sure if I buy that.  If anything, this EP is hands down the closest thing to the band’s back catalogue in years.  Here hardcore vocalist George Pettit assumes dominant vocal duties, relegating the soft-spoken Dallas Green to an intermittent supporting role.  The effect couldn’t match the album’s vintage hardcore cover art better.

Dog’s Blood roars open with the title track, setting the tone for the band’s most aggressive sound in years.  In fact, Pettit sounds as if shouting from deep within the pits of hell.  While he retains much of his vocal growth achieved over the past several years, here he really sheds the shackles and lets loose in animalistic outbursts more common to Alexisonfire’s past.  The accompanying tempo speeds along imposingly, bolstered by a deep bass and striking guitar blows.  Towards the final bridge Green makes an appearance, working up to a few levels above a whisper, offering a sense of finesse and elegance to the otherwise visceral track.  After running its course “Grey” serves as a follow up effort, but rather than taking the form of either traditional Green of Pettit, the track diverges from the norm, resulting in a vocal delivery more like a combination of Tom Waits and Trophy Scars.  With a beat that shies away from anything too flashy, the result makes for a simple yet effective constant.

When “Black As Jet” roles around past the half way mark, it becomes clear that Dog’s Blood has more in common with the Bridge Nine Records family of hardcore than the legacy of Vagrant and Dine Alone artists Alexisonfire has long since associated with.  Soul Control makes an easy comparison for this track, with a commendable showcase of technical prowess lining the powerful parcel.

The diverse EP ends on a slow, reflective instrumental note with “Vex.”  The piece features plenty of highs, lows, and lead riffs that are easy to get along with and follow along to.  Plenty of screeching highs and crunching, amped up, volumeous lows make it a journey into what can only be described as an altered state of consciousness.  It gets the trick done as both an album closer and fixating instrumental, doubly hooking listeners and serving as a satisfying conclusion.

Dog’s Blood isn’t Alexisonfire’s next big evolution – nor should it be taken as such.  Instead, the four track EP can claim the title of an unexpected but altogether enjoyable follow up.  It also likely serves as a necessary tangent for keeping the band’s creative minds engaged and away from losing interest.  So while, Dog’s Blood might be best suited for a die hard audience, that shouldn’t deter a more casual hardcore audience from giving it due time.