Alexisonfire, Break Even @ HQ,Adelaide (11/10/10)

Thu 14th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

The longevity of artists in the music industry today is dependent on a number of things. Large fan bases, originality, and the willingness to progress and evolve as a band are large contributors to musical success. Alexisonfire are the perfect example of this. Since the early years of this millennium, the Canadian 5-piece has carved out a sound that has continued to grow over their four-album career, culminating in the brilliant 2009 release Old Crows/Young Cardinals. This album set the band apart from the rest, combining politicised lyrics, balls-out emotion, and an ambience that really defines the band’s uniqueness amongst the post-hardcore scene. And as a touring band, their determination has never wavered, crossing all four corners of the globe on multiple occasions to satisfy their loyal supporter-base. This tour would be their 6th visit to our distant shores, and the band showed at a packed HQ that their love for Australian audiences has never been stronger.

Support act for tonight, WA’s Break Even, showed signs of a band ready to take the next step with their music. Playing mostly tracks from their 2009 debut album The Bright Side, the band put in a strong performance and set the scene for what was to come throughout the evening. The band has endured some tough times in the past few years, so it is great to see that they are continuing to hone their craft and tour the country on a regular basis. Vocalist Mark Bawden sings with plenty of vigour; it is a voice that can be easily distinguished, yet at times can sound slightly forced and scratchy. However, this all adds to the aural assault that Break Even display in their live shows. It appears they will not be slowing down either as they prepare for another run of dates as part of the new No Sleep Til Festival which will surely help to further boost their profile.

The deafening roar that welcomed Alexisonfire to the stage must have been exciting for the band, and from the outset they played with a real sense of purpose and intent. Opening with Young Cardinals, the 5-piece displayed their own individual talents, yet still managed to sound collectively whole all the same. At times you weren’t sure where to look. Whether it was the vocal of front-man George Petit, the commandeering and somewhat vicious gaze of bassist Chris Steele, or the brilliant guitar-work of Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil, the overall stage presence was the dominant feature of Alexisonfire on this evening.

The band really put together a set that spanned their whole back catalogue, with a heavy focus placed on their newest record and also their previous long-player Crisis, which proved a popular move with the crowd. Tracks like Boiled Frogs, Rough Hands and Midnight Regulations really showed off Green’s stunning vocal ability, an area of the band’s sound that is both captivating and also crowd-engaging. This was also evident in Crisis-standout We Are The Sound, a song that had everyone chanting and feeling every word being delivered. The constant interaction between the crowd and band was refreshing, and the fans lapped up every minute of the show. In fact, it was hard not to look over and see someone crowd-surfing their way above the mosh-pit. Not that we condone that sort of behaviour…

Album tracks Old Crows and Accept Crime continued the show in a rollicking manner, while new song Dog’s Blood gave an insight into what we can expect from the band’s upcoming EP release of the same name. The song begins with the straight-up hardcore style that we have grown accustomed to from the band, then slowly fades into a melodic soundscape, where Dallas Green once again comes to the fore. Songs from the upcoming release have been described as ones which would never be placed on a full-length album, but more so aim to show the band in a different light and continue the progression that they have continued to follow over the years. AOF then treated the diehard fans to some older tracks to finish off the main set; Pulmonary Archery, from their self-titled debut of 2003, and popular Crisis track This Could Be Anywhere In The World, were more than enough to satisfy the adoring crowd as the band departed the stage.

Fans chanted for one more song, but they were inevitably treated to another four as the band returned for one final onslaught. They kicked off the encore by paying homage to Aussie rockers Midnight Oil with a cover of their track Dead Heart, which they appear to be playing at all their shows on this tour. George then spoke of his love for Australia and the great similarities that exist with Aussies and Canadians, while also outlining the notion of ‘Canadiana’, which is apparently similar to ‘Australiana’ yet only manages to drum up images of Paul Hogan draped in a giant red maple leaf. The band followed with Old Crows… standout track The Northern, which led the band down a more atmospheric path and once again highlighted the brilliant combination of Dallas and Wade’s guitar lines. Crowd favourite Accidents saw George stage dive into the sweaty mosh-pit and still manage to sing his lungs out, while slow-burner Happiness By The Kilowatt received full crowd vocal participation and was a fantastic way to farewell a band that has defined a genre for so many years now.

It is the longevity of the band that will be Alexisonfire’s legacy for years to come. Four albums down, numerous EP’s and singles released, and still they continue to experiment with new directions, evident tonight in Dog’s Blood. It appears their reign over the punk-hardcore scene won’t be ending for quite some time, and after tonight’s appearance, nor should it end.