The Amity Affliction are back for 2016! Their 5th studio album, "This Could Be Heartbreak" is set for an August 12 release date. Following "Let The Ocean Take Me", TAA continue the less aggressive rock sound they started with "Shine On". Their upcoming record's lead single, "I Bring The Weather with Me" is definitely a surprise for fans of their heavier work.
To preorder the album on iTunes, and instantly get the album's first single, click this (link).
The Amity Affliction is one of those bands that has slowly but surely gotten better with time. Hard to believe members are in their early to mid thirties. Never straying too far from their original sound, but continuously polishing what already exists. They're also one of those bands that continues to address the same themes in their music. What would a TAA album be without a song about death, drinking, or suicide? You might not immediately think emo when you think TAA, but they're just as emo as say Pierce the Veil or Sleeping with Sirens.
In recent years, their music has heavily incorporated orchestration and choir vocals. "I Bring The Weather with Me" is no exception. Written in the same vein as "Don't Lean on Me", the song brings something new to the table. Guitar solos. Taken straight from the heydays of hard rock, the soaring guitar melody elevates the track to a new level. Already big name stars in their native Australia, TAA have just amped up their game ten-fold.
The vocal duo of Ahren Stringer and Joel Birch is still going strong. This is what all bands with dual vocalists should strive to emulate. The two don't overpower each other, but at the same time they maintain their presence. Stringer's voice is soothing to Birch's harsher metal screams. Layer vocals over the band's alt. rock guitars and heavy drums and then just sit back and enjoy.
Summary -
Satisfying returning fans, and appealing to a more mainstream audience with its melodic nature, The Amity Affliction have another hit on their hands. While it lacks some of the metal edge that previous songs like "Pittsburgh" or "Chasing Ghosts" had, be sure to pick this album up when it's released in August.
Recommended for fans of Hands Like Houses, SECRETS, The Color Morale, and Dance Gavin Dance.
Rating - 8.5/10