The combo that brought post-hardcore to the Canadian mainstream, Alexisonfire formed in Saint Catharines, Ontario, in 2001. Vocalist George Pettit, guitarist/vocalists Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil, bassist Steele, and drummer Jesse Ingelevics debuted in 2002 with a self-titled effort for the Toronto-based Distort imprint. The album did very well in Canada, garnering a lot of support for the band from MuchMusic video network. That exposure led to a distribution deal with the respected American hardcore and punk label Equal Vision, which then issued Alexisonfire's sophomore effort in June 2004.