ALEXISONFIRE - Old Crows / Young Cardinals 2xLP

Label: Dine Alone

Hardcore punk, post-hardcore, hardcore metal...it's getting increasingly difficult to identify what group belongs to which subgenre circa the early 21st century.

A case in point being the St. Catharines, Ontario-based quintet Alexisonfire. On their fourth full length overall, 2009's Old Crows/Young Cardinals, you get a bit of all three aforementioned styles, with a healthy dose of melody stirred into the sonic blender to boot.

And this hodgepodge approach should certainly bring Alexisonfire some U.S. rock radio airplay (they already scored their breakthrough hit back home on their previous album, 2006's Crisis), especially such standout tracks as the leadoff single, "Young Cardinals," as well as the album-opening "Old Crows," "The Northern," and the surprisingly tranquil and sweetly sung album closer, "Burial."

Its faults are minimal, though its highs are somewhat indistinguishable. In the end, you're left with a wash of mid-paced, hook-laden and relatively solid post-post-hardcore.