The Amity Affliction

There’s a welcome atmosphere in The Metro Theatre tonight, and the rampant anticipation is steadily climbing for our own post-hardcore heroes The Amity Affliction. With their new album garnering kind words across global publications, tonight will be the first of two chances for Sydney to hear the shredding slices from This Could Be Heartbreak plus a wealth of old school anthems.

We arrive just as opener Sensaii are closing their short set and it seems tonight’s patrons are not all too bothered by the 5-piece, save for giving them an almighty over-exaggerated cheer at the end.

Driven Fear pitch up next, with an ominous apocalyptic monologue warbling through the speakers as they take to the stage. As they launch into Crisis, a half-arsed pit opens up with a couple of brave souls pogo-ing and prancing around valiantly.

5 mins later and the energy increases, spurned on by frontman Tim Hydes’s top-end screams and their descent from hardcore walls of guitars to slick hard-rock guitar licks. Falling Awake and Sense To The Senseless draw sporadic fist-pumps and bodies slamming into each other, which give the overall impression of success, despite the set sounding a little messy at times.

The second drawcard for tonight starts around 9:20pm and it seems already that Trophy Eyes are racking up serious momentum, despite only being an album and an EP deep into their career. At first glance, you kind of get the feeling that their live set still needs a little work. Initially, tracks like White Curtains sound meek and aren’t really managing to sustain a thriving circle pit for more than 30 seconds, much to the aversion of frontman John Floreani’s frequent requests.

Eventually, tracks May 24 and Triple J fav Chlorine send the moshing left, right and centre and cause individuals to rise from the masses on the floor and surf into the arms of security guards, who to their credit are doing an amazing job tonight. The band close with Penfold State Forest and by this point they show strong signs of big things to come, particularly with the release of their upcoming album Chemical Miracle.

“Shh,” urges vocalist Joel Birch, and finally after a few drunken whoops and rambles die down the room is silent, save for the clinking of glasses at the bar. It’s a moment, he says, in honour of Architects” guitarist Tom Searle who recently lost his battle with cancer at the young age of 28.

From this moment on, the level of emotion usually associated with an Amity show hits the motherload. Dedicating the entire show to Tom and his surviving Architects bandmates, the Amity boys smash through different eras of their 13-year career. The Weighdown, Open Letter and I Hate Hartley bring back nostalgia for many of early fans, while All Fucked Up, Some Friends and opener I Bring The Weather With Me from their current ARIA-chart topping album This Could Be Heartbreak elevate the most loyal.

It’s with an encore of the obliterating Pittsburgh, Don’t Lean On Me and the title track from their latest offering, as well as the throbbing rumble of their breakdowns accompanied by the pop-tinged choruses (and the impressive range in bassist/vocalist Ahren Stringer) that affirms their place in the post-hardcore/metal realm. If there was a show worthy to be dedicated to such an important and well-loved musician as Tom Searle, this one was definitely it.

The Amity Affliction will play their second show at the Metro Theatre tonight. For tickets, head here.

Gallery: The Amity Affliction – Metro Theatre, Sydney 2016 / Photos By Annette Geneva