This would be the second time in two years that The Amity Affliction have performed at the Roseland Theater. Tonight they celebrate the 10 year anniversary of ‘Let The Ocean Take Me.’ It was a special night as this album doesn’t get a lot of plays on tour. This album also is what made The Amity Affliction a household name and hinted towards the direction metalcore was going at the time. Countless records and festival headline spots later, they are still making waves across the pond.
I showed up to the venue right when Mugshot took to the stage. Mugshot is an adrenaline-filled cocktail of metal meets hardcore. Hailing all the way from San Jose, California, Mugshot is made up of drummer, Connor Haines; guitarist, Michael Demko and vocalist, Ringo Waterman. They are currently signed to Pure Noise Records. Some common themes brought up in their music includes talking about abuse, depression, manipulation, trauma, & other existential struggles. They defiantly brought the heat and warmed up the crowd for the rest of the night.
The next band to take to the stage was Portland’s own, Dying Wish. In the metal scene, which is mostly dominated by male fronted vocalists, it’s refreshing to see more females leading the pack into heavier music. Dying Wish is no exception. Forming in 2016, they hit the ground running with their debut release (2021) ‘Fragments of a Bitter Memory’ and followed up two years later with their most recent release, ‘Symptoms of Survival.’ Beyond just being heavy or just a hardcore band there is some serious depth to Dying Wish’s music. Most noted on the second album, Emma implores emotion and there are rests in-between heavy parts. Dying Wish is always a welcome addition to any tour and always a good surprise playing a hometown show in Portland.
Setlist included: “Symptoms of Survival,” “Watch My Promise Die,” “Starved,” “Enemies in Red,” “Prey for Me,” & “Cowards Feed, Cowards Bleed.”
You could see a big shift in the production once Currents took to the stage with brighter lights and set pieces that showcased imagery from their latest release The Death We Seek. Currents’ sound is more on the technical side of metalcore, more like djent or what some call “math metal.” Their setlist included “Never there,” “Monsters,” “Kill the Ache, Better Days,” “The Death We Seek,” & “Remember Me.” There were slower intermission parts in between songs and it was more on a theatrical level. They keep the energy going and got the crowd moving.
The Amity Affliction is an Australian post-hardcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band was named after a close friend of the band died in a car crash at age 17. ‘Amity’ referred to the friendship and ‘Affliction’ was to indicate the struggle which dealing with death caused the band members. Since the release of “Let The Ocean Take Me,” the band has gone on to release “This Could Be Heartbreak”, “Misery,” “Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them”, & their latest release “Not Without My Ghosts.” Their current line-up includes Ahren Stringer (co-lead locals), Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (rhythm guitar), & Joe Longobardi (drums).
The lights started to dim and Pittsburgh started to play as all the members made their way to the stage. “Let the Ocean Take Me” is a great album played all the way through. Some favorites off the record are “”Lost & Fading,” “Don’t Lean On Me,” “The Weigh Down,” “Death’s Hands,” “F.M.L.,” “Forest Fire,” & “Give It All.” After playing the album all the way through, the band took a short break before stepping into some other fan favorite songs.
For the encore they played a mix of songs off the last couple releases like “I See Dead People,” “Drag the Lake,” “All My Friends Are Dead,” “Like Love,” & “Open Letter.” When we thought the show was over, there were chants going around “play one more song!” They finished out the evening with “It’s Hell Down Here” & “Soak Me in Bleach.”
This isn’t the tour to miss. You felt the energy in the room and there was so much love for each other throughout the show. The Amity Affliction was the one band that got me into concert photography 8 years ago when I just was starting out. Below are the remaining dates of this tour. Go check out ‘Not Without My Ghosts’ on Spotify now.
