CONCERT REVIEW: The Amity Affliction Celebrate 10 Years Of ‘Let The Ocean Take Me’

To mark the 10th anniversary of the album that significantly expanded The Amity Affliction‘s global audience, the band have embarked on a series of shows across the US, Europe, and their native Australia. This tour, celebrating a key milestone in their career, quickly became one of the most highly anticipated events on our calendar for the remainder of this year. As dedicated fans of The Amity Affliction, and with a particular affinity for Let The Ocean Take Me, the opportunity to experience the album performed live in its entirety was a highly anticipated treat.

For these anniversary shows, The Amity Affliction enlisted Emmure as the direct support act. Emmure delivered a 45-minute set comprising an impressive 15 songs, showcasing their signature fast-paced and concise style. Their 2017 album Look At Yourself features 13 tracks with a total runtime of just 31 minutes, reflecting their rapid-fire approach. True to form, Emmure powered through their set, allowing the music to take centre stage. A small mosh pit emerged during their performance, indicating that many attendees were well-acquainted with their work, making Emmure an effective opening act. While their light show was somewhat underwhelming, this could be attributed to the genre’s tendency toward minimalistic and often red lighting, complementing their heavier sound.

Half an hour after Emmure’s set, The Amity Affliction took the stage. The band wasted no time, immediately launching into Pittsburgh, the opening track of Let The Ocean Take Me. True to the directness of the song’s title, the show began without a notable introduction or buildup—the band simply got down to business. The following 45 minutes were dedicated to Let The Ocean Take Me nostalgia, featuring tracks that have remained in their setlist for years, alongside a few notable songs that hadn’t been performed live in quite some time. Hearing the entire album played from start to finish was an extraordinary experience.

For this tour, as well as the preceding US leg, clean vocalist and bassist Ahren Stringer did not participate, staying at home instead. Given Stringer’s significant vocal contributions, finding a suitable replacement must have been a challenge, but the band successfully enlisted Tim Beken, who delivered an outstanding performance.

Having seen The Amity Affliction live more than a dozen times over the past decade, we can confidently say that this tour’s production was their most impressive to date. The use of fireworks and pyrotechnics throughout the night, particularly during key breakdowns and memorable sections of songs, added a spectacular element to the show.

In addition to Let The Ocean Take Me, the band also treated the audience to an encore featuring seven fan favourites from various eras of their career, including a performance of Open Letter from 2012’s Chasing Ghosts. Although this track has occasionally been omitted from recent setlists due to the popularity of newer material, it was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd, who eagerly participated in a vigorous mosh pit. Other highlights included Soak Me In Bleach, Drag The Lake, and It’s Hell Down Here, all of which were greeted by an enthusiastic, singing-along audience.

As the audience exited the venue, news broke that The Amity Affliction had released a new version of their song My Father’s Son as the first single from the upcoming 10th-anniversary edition of Let The Ocean Take Me, which had been announced this morning (the day after the show). This development served as a fitting conclusion to an evening of celebration. Be sure to check out the photos from the memorable performance below, and stay tuned for the upcoming anniversary album release!

Glenn van den Bosch

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