The Amity Affliction returned to London after their stellar show in Brixton back in January – and the lineup did not disappoint. After a stint of summer festivals and a US tour alongside Parkway Drive, Amity have taken to the road again to promote their most recent release, Not Without My Ghosts.
Amity hailing from Queensland, Australia have taken to the road with Canadians, Comeback Kid, fellow Australians Alpha Wolf and Californians, Mugshot for one of their biggest UK tours to date. Each band brought their own individual vivacity to the evening, getting the crowd hyped for the next act.
Opening the night is Californian metalcore three-piece, Mugshot. After recently being signed to Pure Noise Records and the release of their most recent EP Cold Will, Mugshot make their first stage appearance in London as part of their first ever European tour. The crowd is incredibly receptive and as more people filter into the room, Mugshot steals everyone’s attention. Songs such as Egodystonic and Life’s Debt warm up the pit in anticipation of the following bands.
Alpha Wolf’s set was an absolute highlight of the night. With a hardcore pit from the get go, Alpha Wolf made it their night. The crowd was raucous throughout, with a constant pit throughout their entire set. Rot in Pieces gave security a challenge with a barrage of fans surfing the crowd to the barrier. The energy in the room peaked with 60m of Steel and Akudama and proved that the UK is ready for another headline tour in 2024. The music bleeding out of Australia this year is pure gold and Alpha Wolf are proof that metalcore is rising again and here to stay.
‘I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord’. A mix of confused and ecstatic faces appear around the room as Comeback Kid takes the stage.
Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, Comeback Kid have been in the game for over 20 years releasing a multitude of albums along the way. Bringing a different energy to the evening, the hardcore punk band know what they’re doing and do it well. With a mix of new and old songs such as False Idols Fall, Absolute and Heavy Steps, Comeback Kid are the perfect segue between sets; prepping the audience through chantable lyrics and hyped circle pits. Closing with Wake The Dead has the crowd hyped, eager and restless for the set.
Emerging into a haze of red lights, headliners Amity Affliction take to the stage. Death’s Hand from their 2014 release Let The Ocean Take Me kicks off the set bringing in an influx of raised middle fingers and barrage of voices singing the chorus ‘Cause I’ve got more life to live, got some promises to keep’. All My Friends Are Dead, Drag The Lake and Don’t Lean On Me see the crowd immediately running to the pit, continuously grasping to the lyrics and chanting wholeheartedly.
Like Love, Open Letter and All Fucked Up bring the feels to the set. Amity are known for their personal approach when writing lyrics and always reiterate that they never shy away from their troubles and that getting it out on paper helps with their own demons. ‘All the panic, depression, the hurt and regret/Lying to myself “I don’t think of death”.’
Amity fans have always appreciated the rawness of the and their ability to connect emotionally and when the whole room participates in every singalong, the therapy behind this music is evident.
Death Is All Around was drummer Joe Longobardi’s shining moment. From the build up to the chorus to the breakdown – every beat echoed the room and sent the crowd into a frenzy; the perfect lead up to the second half of Amity’s set with songs off their most recent record, Show Me Your God and title track, Not Without My Ghosts.
Fan favourite Pittsburgh, from Let The Ocean Take Me is the highlight of the night. From the entire crowd kicking off the intro chanting ‘I’ve been searching for an exit/But I’m lost inside my head/Where I spend every waking moment/Wishing I was dead’ to passionately singing along with the chorus, ‘It’s like there’s cancer in my blood/It’s like there’s water in my lungs/And I can’t take another step/Please tell me I am not undone’ to the sound of the children’s choir singing the bridge – Pittsburgh will forever have a place in the heart of each and every fan and the reception alone is timeless.
Ivy (Doomsday), Fade Away and It’s Hell Down Here bring the show to a close and after an ecstatic energy fuelled evening continue the singalong in true Amity style. Soak Me In Bleach, off 2020 record Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them is the true encore, closing the set on a harmonious high.
The Amity Affliction know how to put on a show. Between the light and smoke shows they bring on stage, they have long mastered the transition between soul crushing screams and beautiful harmonious melodies that fans alike feel at their inner core.
9/10
