This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
At this point, I’m not quite sure if that name is supposed to be read as Alex Is On Fire or Alexis On Fire. Whatever. Either way, we’re talking about some serious combustion.
This St. Catharines, Ont., screamo-rock quintet are just over a year old, but you’d never know it from the musical intelligence and emotional depth on display on their self-titled debut album. Their style — a fence-straddling combination of emo-punk and math-metal — doesn’t sound like it would work on paper. But somehow, the churning chords complement the synchronized arpeggios, the cerebral intricacy balances the emotional wallop, and frenzied frontman George Pettit’s blowtorch pipes harmonize with the clean vocals of guitarist Dallas Green to forge a sound that is as fierce as it is unique. If they can keep this up, they’ll set the scene ablaze in no time.
