If absence really does make the heart grow fonder, one wouldn't need to look much further than Alexisonfire's reunion set for an example. Days removed from the four-year anniversary of their breakup announcement, the five-piece kicked off their return to the live music circuit in style by giving the Montreal crowd one full hour of post-hardcore power that was so well-rehearsed and executed, it was as if they had never left.
Starting the evening with a blistering trio of "Accidents," "Boiled Frogs" and "Old Crows" that had the audience repeating every word, George Pettit's recognizable scream was in top shape, shifting away from the newer guttural style taken on with his recent project Dead Tired. Dallas Green didn't miss a note while reaching up into his emotional higher register, at times letting the crowd take over in singing his memorable vocal hooks from "This Could Be Anywhere in the World." Bassist Chris Steele pulled faces for the festival cameras and audience members each chance he got, while Wade MacNeil vehemently ordered the crowd to form a circle pit for "Dog's Blood." The band's on-stage chemistry was undeniable, making their single hour stay seem all too short.
Starting the evening with a blistering trio of "Accidents," "Boiled Frogs" and "Old Crows" that had the audience repeating every word, George Pettit's recognizable scream was in top shape, shifting away from the newer guttural style taken on with his recent project Dead Tired. Dallas Green didn't miss a note while reaching up into his emotional higher register, at times letting the crowd take over in singing his memorable vocal hooks from "This Could Be Anywhere in the World." Bassist Chris Steele pulled faces for the festival cameras and audience members each chance he got, while Wade MacNeil vehemently ordered the crowd to form a circle pit for "Dog's Blood." The band's on-stage chemistry was undeniable, making their single hour stay seem all too short.