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!

CONCERT REVIEW: The Amity Affliction Give Metalcore Masterclass in Amsterdam

In the course of this calendar year, The Amity Affliction, the Australian metalcore sensation, made their mark on Dutch soil for the third time. Commencing the year in Eindhoven’s Effenaar, they graced the stage at Jera On Air during the summer, and, in a grand finale, held a packed performance in the largest room at Amsterdam’s Melkweg: Max.

Taking the stage with their latest album, Not Without My Ghosts The Amity Affliction treated an audience of approximately 1300 fervent fans to a set that spanned their entire discography. Drawing from their last six albums, the setlist featured gems such as Open Letter from the album Chasing Ghosts, marking the oldest inclusion in the lineup. This song, along with the titular track Chasing Ghosts (that was not played this evening), laid the groundwork for the band’s enduring popularity—a trajectory that soared with the release of the widely acclaimed Let The Ocean Take Me in 2013. Since then, the band has consistently expanded its musical horizons, steadily growing its fanbase with each successive release.

The concert served as a jubilant celebration of the band’s diverse fan community, catering to the varied tastes of everyone in attendance. Despite a brief departure from their metalcore roots in 2018 with the more melodic and experimental album Misery, the setlist still featured beloved fan favourites from that era, including Ivy (Doomsday) and Drag The Lake. Naturally, the latest albums, notably Not Without My Ghosts from 2023, received ample attention, with five of its tracks featured in the night’s lineup.

True to The Amity Affliction‘s signature style, the performance was a seamless, energetic flow of song after song, interspersed with minimal conversation. Enhanced by dynamic light effects and a captivating visual display, the moshpit reverberated throughout the night, creating an impeccable atmosphere. The band’s inherently heavy yet irresistibly catchy songs prompted a collective and enthusiastic chorus of Ahren Stringer’s vocal parts from the audience on each song.

For us, this concert marked the culmination of the year—a bookend that neatly mirrored its beginning with The Amity Affliction in Effenaar, Eindhoven. It was, without a doubt, the perfect way to commence and conclude our year.

Feel free to peruse some snapshots from the evening in the gallery below, and share your experiences if you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing The Amity Affliction live!