News

ALEXISONFIRE announce first new album in 13 years

• 10th Mar 2022

Today, ALEXISONFIRE is excited to announce Otherness, the first full-length album in over 13 years from the band Rolling Stone declared “put Canadian post-hardcore on the map.” Otherness will be released on June 24 via Dine Alone Records. The album features 10 new tracks including the explosive first single, “Sweet Dreams Of Otherness” which can be heard HERE. The album is produced by AOF and mixed by punk stalwart Jonah Falco (Fucked Up, Career Suicide).

George Pettit says, “This song was largely Dallas’ brain child but over the course of writing this record it became more of a mission statement for the band. It’s kind of about performance and embracing a new found confidence in a state of peculiarity.”

Pre-orders for physical variants will be available as of Friday, March 11 at 4pm GMT HERE. Each vinyl variant is 2×12” with a gatefold jacket and printed inner sleeves. A limited deluxe edition variant, with an alternate lenticular cover will also be available alongside curated Otherness merchandise. See below for details and images on physical variants available for pre-order.

A video for “Sweet Dreams Of Otherness” directed by the inimitable actor/director Jay Baruchel (Goon, This Is The End, Random Acts of Violence, How to Train Your Dragon) premieres via the Alexisonfire YouTube channel at 11pm GMT tonight. Fans can sign up for reminders to view the premiere alongside the band who will join fans worldwide in conversation in the moments leading up to the premiere.

A continuous thread through the fabric of Alexisonfire is the state of otherness. Otherness drew us all to spaces where a band like this could be formed. We attract the type of individuals that have all felt the sensation of being strange or unique. Perceived or otherwise, otherness has followed us through childhood, adolescence, and into our adult lives. It drives our tastes and proclivities. It bonds us with ourselves and others. And make no mistake, even at our most domestic and mundane moments, we are true outliers.

Otherness mission statement

Otherness is the band’s most cohesive and self-actualised record to date. For those who need a refresher, AOF released four hugely successful studio albums, all Music Canada Platinum-certified: Alexisonfire (2002), Watch Out (2004), Crisis (2006), and Old Crows / Young Cardinals (2009). Crisis debuted at #1 on the Top 200 Soundscan (Canada), and Old Crows / Young Cardinals debuted at #2, and charted at #9 on the US Billboard Independent Album chart. ​​The number of albums made outside of Alexisonfire by different band members over the years – including City and Colour, Dead Tired, You+Me (with pop icon P!nk), Dooms Children, and Billy Talent – could fill several record store racks.

The mix of classic Alexisonfire and newfound textures of “Sweet Dreams Of Otherness” became a roadmap for the rest of the record. Dallas Green’s engaging croon; the urgent attitude of Wade MacNeil; the heavy bellow of George Pettit; all anchored by a mix of vulnerability, confidence, iconoclasm, and celebratory recklessness. As every Alexisonfire song persistently expands and contracts, bassist Chris Steele and drummer Jordan Hastings remain impossibly tight, locked into unrelenting swinging grooves.

Alexisonfire produced Otherness themselves in roughly a week. They kept it a “family affair,” working closely with folks who’ve been with them for years. Writing took place at the Dine Alone Records clubhouse. The album includes organ, keys, and pedal steel from Green’s longtime collaborator Matt Kelly. Jill Zimmerman and Darren “Jeter” Magierowski (who is also Steele’s cousin) engineered, at Jukasa Recording Studios.

“The biggest difference is the space we are all in. We were all really thrilled to make a record, and it was such a respite from what was going on in the world. It felt like life could be beautiful,” MacNeil says. “We were supportive of one another. Everyone was in such a good mood. It was such a treat to be able to do it again.”

As Revolver Magazine noted in 2019: “It’s hard to overstate the influence Alexisonfire had in post-hardcore through the mid-2000s, their combination of singing and screaming setting the blueprint for many artists to come.” Five guys playing aggressive rock (with no less than three of them singing and screaming) grew to a hockey-arena headlining phenomenon while pushing and pulling between spirited guitar leads, melodic might, and emotional weight.

“As much as we love playing the old songs, we don’t want to be a nostalgia act. The only reason to come back is if we feel we still have something to say,” Pettit insists. “We spent so much time on the road thinking that if we stopped, people would lose interest. But when we went away, it only got bigger. We all carved new paths for ourselves, so coming back to Alexisonfire is a purely enjoyable creative venture. Something special happens when we get in a room together.”

Otherness Tracklist

1. Committed To The Con
2. Sweet Dreams Of Otherness
3. Sans Soleil
4. Conditional Love
5. Blue Spade
6. Dark Night Of The Soul
7. Mistaken Information
8. Survivor’s Guilt
9. Reverse The Curse
10. World Stops Turning

Otherness Physical Album Variants
AOF Exclusive 3000 (TRANSLUCENT TAN W/ ORCHID & MAGENTA PINWHEEL)
Dine Alone Exclusive 200 (TRANSLUCENT TAN W/ ORCHID, BONE & GOLD SPLATTER)
D2C Exclusive Deluxe 2500 (MILKY CLEAR W/ BLACK & ORCHID COLOUR IN COLOUR w/ Lenticular Alternate cover art)
Indie Retail Exclusive 3000 (NEON PURPLE & MAGENTA)
Standard (BLACK)
Revolver Exclusive 500 (METALLIC GOLD)
Newbury Exclusive 500 (OPAQUE GRAPE W/ GOLD, CHERRY & BLACK SPLATTER)
HMV UK Exclusive 500 (TRANSLUCENT SOFT PINK W/ BLACK, CHERRY & GRAPE SPLATTER)
JB Hifi Exclusive 500 (PINK & AQUA GALAXY VINYL)
CD
Cassette

Upcoming pre-order links:
Digital + physical – alexisonfirestream.com/AOFOtherness
Physical only – alexisonfirestream.com/Othernessvinyl

Alexisonfire return to the UK in June to headline the Slam Dunk Festival.