Caustic Humor in Alexisonfire Albums

It can be a bit of a funny experience to get your hands on Alexisonfire merch and albums for the very first time. Naturally, musically inclined people are quite adept in crafting well worded compositions. This Canadian group however is a rare gem because of its wit. This is pretty obvious when you consider that the band has
works entitled Pulmonary Archery and Boiled Frogs.

The group’s uniquely funny witticisms were already a part of their identity early on. They picked the group’s name from Alexis Fire, a pornographic performer who is known as the sole lactating contortionist stripper in town. Fire originally sought legal action against the group’s move to use her name but no conflict ensued because the name was not copyrighted.

The year 2001 marked the group’s formation when the original members banded together after their bands had split. Vocalist George Pettit came from Condemning Salemn. Vocalist, pianist and guitarist Dallas Green came from Helicon Blue. Other members, guitarist and vocalist Wade MacNeil and bassist Chris Steele, shared the same former band, Plan 9. Jesse Ingelevics rounded up the group as its drummer.

The band’s unusually funny side became obvious once more in their 2002 EP that came with the title Math Sheet Demos. This, they say, was because the EP was first wrapped up in one of the members’ math homework. After this, the first Alexisonfire album was born and debuted with some caustic humor. The cover was of Catholic school girls in a knife fight and has been cited by the group as an accurate description of their music.

The unique and somewhat humorous image that the group had built for itself is partly responsible for the group’s growing following. Because they were beginning to gain ground, they were able to get a deal with Distort Entertainment and EMI. Clearly, the group would have been able to get better deals with bigger labels but the band had chosen to specifically veer away from the mainstream. The decision to keep their independence did not work against them since touring continued to produce great results for their album sales.

The band moved on closer to more success with their second release, Watch Out! which started selling in 2004. In as short as three months, the musical work garnered a gold status in Canadian soil. It was clear from the very start that this second work was even more of a
bang than its predecessor. Band member Pettit says this is most likely because bands do get better the longer they play. Some fans add that the improved sound is most likely the result of a better show of emotions. This successful second album was followed by Crisis in 2008 and then by Old Crows/Cardinals in 2009.

The only time the band seemed to have suffered a slight setback was when Ingelevics left in 2005. Prior to this, he was already at odds with the other members. Jordan Hastings jumped in to take over.

It’s obvious that all of the Alexisonfire albums revolve on scream music. Even those who don’t find this kind of music appealing however will definitely warm up to this group’s acerbic sense of humor. If you want some caustic fun, listen to this group. You might just end up becoming a fan and copying their music fashion.