It’s funny that this album opens with an anthemic screaming of “We are not the kids we used to be!” You see, I haven’t listened to this band since their debut hit streets in 2004. The reason? They sounded like kids and I didn’t enjoy it very much. Nearly forgotten by me, I was asked to review this album and decided to give it a whirl just to see what was up. Too say the least, this album is fast becoming one of my favorites of 2009. Alexisonfire have evolved into a Punk and Rock hybrid and are literally miles ahead of their contemporaries.
What I love about this album is how absolutely relentless it is. Alexisonfire sounds like they are as their moniker claims. “Old Crows,” Young Cardinals,” and “Sons of Privilege” fly by you with little regard for whether or not you are enjoying the record. “Born and Raised” offers up a little more groove and gives you a very slight chance of catching your breath. The haunting, near Stoner Rock, sound of “The Northern” is easily the album’s highlight. More experimental than the other tracks, this one manages to groove while touching on a variety of different styles and, in the process, creates something truly unique sounding. The gang vocal ridden “Accept Crime” and the funeral dirge, “Burial,” end the album on as interesting a note as it begins, forcing your hand to restart the album.
This is an amazing album from a band that is much more talented than I have been giving them credit for. If you are looking for a great, fast moving, punk inspired, rock album then look no farther than the epic beast that is Old Crows/Young Cardinals.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
