Bridging the gap between post-hardcore and metalcore, The Amity Affliction have assembled a successful (if inconsistent, depending on who you ask) discography. The band’s worldwide popularity now, of course, was not always this way. In fact, before the release of Youngbloods in 2010, they were one of Australia’s hottest developing bands – but hadn’t really broken through elsewhere. Youngbloods, of course, changed everything for both The Amity Affliction and Australian post-hardcore/metalcore in general. The album’s balance of melodic/heavy manifested itself through two distinct vocalists, and its electronic underpinnings sought to accentuate the proceedings, not dominate them.
Compared to many of their peers at the time, The Amity Affliction were ahead of the pack in terms of lyrics. Death and suicidal ideations, of course, are an important aspect of their sound – especially when you consider that witnessing various substance abuse addictions and even experiencing such themselves have had an impact on their lives. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that Ahren Stringer’s talent for huge pop choruses helps balance all of this out.
The fact is that, at the time of the album’s 2010 release, The Amity Affliction was surrounded by other post-hardcore and metalcore bands just from their home country, not even counting the scenes as a whole. Whether it was the album’s clear production or honest lyrics (see: opener “I Hate Hartley” and catchy closer “Fuck The Yankees” for a good idea of their balance), it’s one of those records that really set the bar high. Releasing on June 18th, 2010, it also helped further prove (like Parkway Drive and Karnivool did a few years earlier) that Australia could produce its own internationally-recognized talent in heavy music. You could name dozens of bands who benefited from their success – Northlane, Polaris, Hellions, even Alpha Wolf. A true time and space moment.
