Alexisonfire return with new song, 'Familiar Drugs'

It's so great to have Alexisonfire back in action again. 

To be honest, Alexisonfire could've recorded Dallas Green shitting into his hands and clapping, and I'd still happily enjoy whatever they released. Such is my love personal attachment to this band. And such is the same level of love held for this band by so many others too. To the point that I'm sure most reading this would agree with two points: "I'd enjoy anything that they'd put out now", and, "it's just good to have them back!" So yes, I'm personally quite biased when it comes to their first new song in nine years, 'Familiar Drugs'. (No, 2012's acoustic EP, 'Death Letter', doesn't count.)

Picking up right where the Canadian act left off with 2009's 'Old Crowd/Young Cardinals' LP and 2010's 'Dog's Blood' EP (fuck, has it been that long?), 'Familiar Drugs' is simply more dirty, dirge-like, riffy alternative-rock from these scene favourites. While one could argue this is a relatively expected and safe sound for the five-piece to return with, given what their last two releases, 'Familiar Drugs' has plenty of bark and even some bite too. What with it's thick'n'fuzzy bass under-current from Chris Steele, and with Dallas's wondrous, swagger-fuelled clean singing contrasting against the rowdy, harsh yells of screamer George Pettit, it's the classic Alexisonfire song-writing set-up. Just presented in a more churning, mid-tempo way with some added doomy guitars. However, it definitely isn't the hooky post-hardcore of their earlier records, so if you were hoping for that, you'd best move along and live in the past like a nostalgic chump.

Still, 'Familiar Drugs' is one of those songs that you have to hear a few times to "get". Normally, I dislike that approach as it feels like one might be trying to force their hand into liking a new song from a band that they love because they feel they ought to like it, not because they naturally do. But this one fits that re-listening approach, so ensure that you give it a few red-hot go's. Because after a few listens, you can fucking bet I was soon enough belting out "you're pushing familiar drugs again" in my best vibrato-heavy Dallas Green impersonation on each new listen. This ain't my favourite AOF song ever, but I've got some solid appreciation for it.

While there's no news just yet on a new Alexisonfire record or EP coming in 2019, I'd still say that it's a very likely scenario. Anyway, get through your Friday below with Alexisonfire's newest tune. And boy, that's a sentence that I've wanted to write for so long now.