Saturday 20 November 2010

Alexisonfire – Dog’s Blood

Alexisonfire – Dog’s Blood
Following the more atmospheric Old Crows/Young Cardinals album, the Dog’s Blood EP sees Alexisonfire head to heavier, more experimental territory. The title track kicks off with a fast punk guitar intro, complementing George Pettit and Wade MacNeil’s brutal vocals. Dallas Green’s melodious singing cuts through the frenzy, providing the perfect contrast to the turmoil and adding more emotion to the outro. ‘Grey’ features a laid back guitar solo that builds to an epic conclusion, with a clear post-rock influence in the guitar line throughout.

The explosions of noise continue in ‘Black As Jet’, which has intense instrumental sections that are just as frantic as those with screamed vocals. EP closer ‘Vex’ is a six minute journey into sonic fury and is entirely instrumental. Although it is great to hear the band trying something different, this record would be much better if Green had a more prominent role in the vocals. His style would fit the intense instrumentation perfectly. Dog’s Blood is a record borne of immense skill and Alexisonfire have seriously upped their game since the last album. Far from alienating fans, as Pettit feared, this EP will surely gain the band a slew of new ones as well as providing old fans with a glimpse into a more evolved sound.

Listen to them here.

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