Like so many post-hardcore bands in the midst of an emo boom, Alesana shows skill while misusing their talent. Interesting time signatures, weaving guitar patterns, and tumultuous crescendos make it hard not to like this band, but not hard enough.

On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax isn't actually new material from Alesana, but rather a re-release of their 2006 sophomore effort on Tragic Hero Records. And to be cynical without contempt, it's not hard to see why Fearless thought they would be a good signing. Theoretically, Alesana could draw fans from both the emo and post-hardcore persuasions (as if the two weren't already like peanut butter and jelly), as well as a more elegiac goth nuance. As goes the latest adage: If the Misfits shirt fits, wear it.

While it's far too easy to get lost in the inundated web of screams and wails, there are some very cool things going on in a number of Vanity and Wax's tunes. Though "Tilting the Hourglass" clashes Thursday and Avenged Sevenfold with a brief Dashboard interlude, a measure of hostile spoken word is layered underneath the melodic cries of vocalist Dennis Lee, breaking for a split second as a solitary bass pluck sounds like the ringing of a fight bell, igniting the assembly into a double-bass choir. The pairing of raw screams with labored melodies falls well only once on Vanity and Wax, in the gallingly catchy "Sirens Soliloquy," which also bears the mark of the album's most uninhibited punk drive.

Judged temperately, about half the disc is salvageable. The other half is a trove of recklessly insipid drama and noise. As if over five minutes of the hackneyed "Apology" wasn't enough, an even worse four-minute remix brings up the rear, while the dreadfully overdone piano balladry of "Third Temptation of Paris" digs deeper yet into the proverbial hole. And while we're on the subject of digging holes, if there's one thing that really grinds my gears, it's Christian bands that part ways with their integrity for attempted (and failed) badassery. It's fine if you're gonna play the Cornerstone Festival and pander to that audience, but don't go naming your songs "Congratulations, I Hate You" and "Daggers Speak Louder than Words." You're not fooling anyone.

The undeniably talented post-hardcore of Alesana was most likely meant to replace the Fearless-departed Fully Down -- much like Brazil was brought in to fill the giant moonboots of At the Drive-In -- and like Brazil, Alesana comes up short. For even though the band had no problem crafting intricate and well-composed music, the nausea factor trumps all. As long as Hot Cross records are still being pressed, there's little reason to seek post-hardcore nü-screamo that's as histrionic and saturated as Vanity and Wax.

With humble beginnings in Baltimore and then solidifying their lineup in Raleigh, North Carolina, the genre-blending quintet called Alesana has come a long way in order to bring you their musical vision and incendiary live performance. Exploring the heights of love and the lows of heartbreak and bitterness that often follow, Alesana's music strikes a universal chord with audiences around the world. Fans embrace the emotional sincerity and undeniable intensity of the music while reveling in the reckless abandon with which alesana performs.

Formed in October 2004 by guitarist/vocalist Shawn Milke, guitarist Patrick Thompson, vocalist Dennis Lee, and bassist Steven Tomany, Alesana quickly became a staple of the burgeoning Raleigh post-hardcore scene. Metal and hardcore fans were drawn to alesana's gut-wrenching vocals, solid riffs, blasting double bass and intelligent breakdowns. Progressive fans were drawn to their cascading song structures and deft control of dynamics, and emo/pop punk fans were drawn to their catchy hooks and heartfelt lyrics.

In May 2005, Alesana began working on their debut EP. The disc "Try This With Your Eyes Closed" was released in mid-June 2005 to an ever-expanding fan base eager to take Alesana home with them. With their additions of Adam Ferguson on third guitar/third vocal,and Jeremy Bryan on drums, Alesana is ready to hit the road for their first US tour this summer.

Word-of-mouth, internet promotion and online sales have given fans around the world access to alesana, landing the EP in Europe, Australia, Central America and across the nation. Since the release, alesana has been hard at work playing shows across the region (including the Cornerstone Festival and an episode of the MTV series "My Super-Sweet Sixteen"). Now with their first national release "On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax" recorded with producers Kit Walters and Jamie King, it is only a matter of time until Alesana is in your stereo.

this band rocks hard!