Otherness (Alexisonfire album) explained

Otherness
Type:	studio
Artist:	Alexisonfire
Cover:	AOF Otherness cover.jpg
Released:	June 24, 2022^[1]
Studio:	Jukasa Recording Studios, Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada^[2]
Length:	50:05
Label:	Dine Alone
Producer:	Alexisonfire
Prev Title:	Death Letter
Prev Year:	2012

Otherness is the fifth studio album by Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. The album was released on June 24, 2022, thirteen years after the release of their last full-length album, Old Crows / Young Cardinals. It is also their first album since reuniting in 2015. The album takes its name from the first single from the album released, "Sweet Dreams of Otherness", which premiered on YouTube on March 10, 2022. It peaked at No. 4 on the Canadian albums chart.

The album won the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023.^[3]

Background

Alexisonfire reunited in 2015 but did not release any new material until February 15, 2019, when they released "Familiar Drugs", their first song in over eight years.^[4] On May 24, 2019, the band released another standalone single called "Complicit",^[5] followed by "Season of the Flood", on January 13, 2020.^[6]

There appeared to be little intention from the band to release another full-length album until January 18, 2022, when it was reported that the band's Genius page had been updated, showing metadata about an unreleased Alexisonfire album, complete with artwork and tracklist.^[7]

Personnel

Credits retrieved from album's liner notes.

Alexisonfire

• George Pettit – vocals
• Dallas Green – vocals, guitar
• Wade MacNeil – guitar, vocals
• Chris Steele – bass, backing vocals
• Jordan Hastings – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional Musicians

• Matt Kelly - vocal arrangement assistance, pedal steel, slide guitar, synthesisers, keyboards
• Jill Zimmermann - backing vocals (track 8)

Technical

• Alexisonfire - production
• Darren Magierowski - engineering
• Jill Zimmermann - engineering
• Jonah Falco - mixing
• Dave Cooley - mastering
• Jordan Gauthier - drum technician
• Luke Schindler - pre-production engineering

Artwork

• Nedda Afsari - photography, creative direction
• Nick Steinhardt - art direction, design
• Ryan Sanders - art direction, design
• Sara Cummings - model
• Anthony Maldonado - model
• Blake Armstrong - makeup
• Ricky Fraser - hair
• Ross Farrar - production assistant

Charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[8]	42
Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[9]	4

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alexisonfire Announces First Album In 13 Years, 'Otherness'. Blabbermouth.net. March 10, 2022. May 26, 2022.
2. Web site: Alexisonfire Announce First New Album in 13 Years. Exclaim!. March 10, 2022. May 26, 2022.
3. Jenna Benchetrit and Arti Patel, "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News, March 11, 2023.
4. Web site: Take a listen to the new Alexisonfire song 'Familiar Drugs'. February 15, 2019. Kill the Music. en-US. May 27, 2022.
5. Web site: Alexisonfire Dropped A New Song Called 'Complicit'. brownypaul. May 24, 2019. Wall of Sound. en-US. May 27, 2022.
6. Web site: Alexisonfire releases new single 'Season of the Flood'. Global News. January 13, 2020. May 27, 2022.
7. Web site: Are Alexisonfire Releasing a New Album?. Exclaim!. January 18, 2022. May 27, 2022.
8. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. July 4, 2022. July 1, 2022.
9. Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of July 9, 2022. Billboard. July 6, 2022.