When I first heard that Alexisonfire was doing a split EP with Moneen, my first reaction was "Who the heck is Moneen?" Moneen is a slightly underground Canadian "aggresive melodic pop" band, as they like to call themselves. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're wondering how a hardcore band and an "aggresive melodic pop" could ever make a CD together. The thing is, one of the best parts of this EP is the differences between the bands. The difference is easy to hear. When Moneen is covering Alexis songs, the tempo is slowed down, and there isn't any screaming. When Alexis covers Moneen songs, the song is generally sped up, and George screams a good deal of the originally sung lyrics. Finally, each band added a new song to the album. This is an interesting concept for split EPs, and it's a good way to market an album.
First off, we have Alexisonfire covering Moneen's "The Passing Of America". Each band has retitled their covered tracks, and Alexis decided to title this "Passing Out In America". When you first hear the beginning of the song, it doesn't song like one of their classic songs. It's much more upbeat, and more fun. Despite this, the song just seems to work. The one problem I have with this song is the fact that it's too similar to Moneen's version. Plus, it gets a bit repetitive after a while. Other than that, a nice, cheery track. 4/5
Next, we have Moneen with their cover of "Accidents", retitled "Accidents Are On Purpose". This song was my first exposure to Moneen, and I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I have to say that this song won me over. It's set to a slightly lighter key than the original version, and it works well to compliment Moneen's style. Add a boy's choir, a quick acoustic bridge, and some nice electronic effects, and this is one of the best tracks on the album. 5/5
Alexisonfire returns with their rendition of "Tonight I'm Gone", which has been retitled "Tonight I'm Going To Wash The Hippy" (lol) The song starts out with some slightly rough singing by Dallas, accompinied with some slow guitar work. However, George really steals the show in this song, and his screaming is really pushed to new levels of craziness. It's a great song, and a good cover. 4.5/5
Now, on to the last cover on the album. Moneen covers "Sharks and Danger", and they have retitled it "Sharks in Danger". Yes, I know, this is a really crappy title change. However, this track is pretty crappy. It's pretty much an exact copy of the Alexis version, only slowed down and with more electronic effects. The effects are one of the problems I have with Moneen's covers. THey seem to overuse them, as if they record short songs, and flood the rest of the song with effects. The only thing that salvages this track is hearing Kenny, who has a great voice, try to do screaming. It's really cool to listen to. Other than that, this track's a dissapointment. 2/5
Moneen, after their last shaky song, prepare for their final song. The song is Bleed and Blister version 2. If you've heard the old, version, and are expecting something way more grand, think again. It's basically the smae song with a few more effects and some soft guitar playing. However, standing alone, this is the most catchy and fun track on the entire album. Everything comes together to make a great song. For all you Moneen fans, version 3 of this song will be released on their new album. It's a great song, and a great finale for Moneen. 4.5/5
Alexisonfire gets the pleasure of the final track. The name is "Charlie Sheen vs Henry Rollins. For most, this song was the reason they bought the album. And it doesn't dissapoint. It starts off strong and fast, with Jordan showing off his great drumming skills. And the intensity doesn't wear out, as these boys give us a taste of what will be on their new album. The perfect song to quench the thirsts of Alexisonfire fans waiting for the new album. 5/5
Overall, as EP's go, this one is pretty good. Both Alexisonfire and Moneen give great performances with each other's tracks, and at the same time give us previews of what's to come. This is one of the few EP's I've ever been temted to buy, and it doesn't dissapoint. Hopefully, their new albums will live up to their new tracks.
