Review: Alison Gustavson
Photography: Luke Petty

On the back of the highly successful release of ‘Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)’, Friday night saw the return of The Amity Affliction to Brisbane. Embarking upon the Australian leg of the ‘Let The Ocean Take Me 10-Year Anniversary Tour’, they were joined by American horror-icons Ice Nine Kills, metalcore royalty We Came As Romans, and our very own Heavensgate.

Hitting the stage at 5.30pm, Heavensgate were up first. Despite some technical difficulties at the start with the mix, the band brought their energy and moves. There didn’t seem to be any first-show-of-tour-nerves on the Melbourne band’s part, only chunky riffs, insane drumming, and lots of breakdowns. Vocalist Nazareth Tharratt’s brutal screams were the perfect warmup for the evening to come and it’s no wonder these guys are starting to make a name for themselves.

For anyone who listened to metalcore in the 2010’s, We Came As Romans would be a familiar name. After not even a year, they have returned to Australia and they did not disappoint. With a huge LED backdrop, the band opened with ‘Darkbloom’. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one grinning ear to ear as ‘I am darkbloom’ sounded out over the crowd. With bassist Andy Glass‘ energy and Dave Stephen’s powerful vocals, it was hard not to headbang the entire set.

Playing newer songs like ‘Plagued’ and ‘Doublespeak’ as well as classics like ‘Cold Like War’ and ‘Lost In The Moment’, dedicated to Kyle Pavone, there was something for everyone. WCAR are not only a great band live but a reminder to cherish each moment and live lost in the moment.

As various props got moved onstage, from a rack with bloody body parts to boxes with the ‘Hip To Be Scared’ card information on them, it’s safe to say the crowd was buzzing with excitement. It didn’t take long before a video appeared on the screen to welcome us to an act called Ice Nine Kills. The crowd of over 8000 people cheered almost louder than for Amity themselves as the stage went dark, and out staggered two terrifyingly realistic zombies.

Hats off to the INK actors who managed to make a huge horror fan like myself forget for a moment that they were in fact just actors. When actor Amanda Sahr ran out, we knew it was time for a ‘Rainy Day’!

A sea of voices sang back to Spencer Charnas as the verse began and before long, everyone was headbanging, moshing, and jumping around. The massive chorus was echoed back by the sold-out venue and looking around it was easy to see how many Ice Nine fans were ecstatic to see them again after five years. Wheeling out actor Lane Nobriga as an unsettling (in the best way) Hannibal Lector for ‘Meet And Greet’, it yet again became clear how their performance is so much more than that: it is a full show. I’ve said this about a handful of bands in my time reviewing, but if Ice Nine Kills sound awesome on their records, they sound incredible live. Spencer Charnas vocals are nothing short of perfect live and work seamlessly with Ricky Armellino’s and Joe Occhuti’s.

While Charnas is one hell of a frontman, Armellino delivers nothing short of a flawless and thoroughly entertaining performance with the combination of his stage presence, faultless performance on vocals and guitar, interaction with the crowd, and of course, his clapping lessons. As per tradition, as ‘Ex Mortis’ began, he started teaching the crowd how to clap correctly (I’m hoping that at least a few people got it right this time…). Hearing this track performed live far exceeded any of my expectations, as did every other song in the set. The talent and professionalism across the band is evident in everything they do and it was a treat to witness it firsthand.

Having just released their new song ‘A Work Of Art’, it’s no surprise this was included in the set. With their very own (and shockingly uncanny) Art The Clown, we got to witness him not only eliminate the character onstage but swing a baby prop around his head by its umbilical cord.

I’d like to make a special mention of drummer Adam Reed who nailed every single hit – not only is he an incredibly talented photographer but I can confidently say he is one of the best drummers I’ve seen live. And speaking of talented musicians, Miles Dimitri Bakerhad luck on his side last night having his guitars miraculously arrive from LA in time for the second song and his mesmerising solo later in their set.

After questioning whether you had been in a movie for the past hour, it was time to relive arguably one of the most iconic metalcore albums of the 2010s: Let The Ocean Take Me. Opening the set with the opening track of the record, Pittsburgh, the crowd was screaming every word. This song, and tour as a whole, is particularly special to me as not only is my mentor Ricky Armellino from Ice Nine Kills, but my voice is featured in the bridge of Pittsburgh (Redux). Hearing 8000 people singing along to my voice is a feeling unlike any, and it was beautiful to witness once again how music can bring so many people together.

As popular favourites like ‘Don’t Lean On Me’ and ‘The Weigh Down’ played, the crowd singing back only seemed to get louder. If it wasn’t already hot, ‘Death’s Hand’ turned up the heat with one of the most epic pyro displays Riverstage has ever seen. With circle pits, headbanging, and everyone yelling ‘hey death, get fucked’, this song only seems to get better every time it’s played live.

For a song that hasn’t been played in years, I’m sure many were excited to hear ‘Give It All’ again. I am definitely not biased (not at all…) when I say this was one of the best of the night. With Dan Brown’s beefy guitars, Sam Bassal’s impressive performance on the drums, Joel Birch’s moving screams, and Ahren Stringer’s heavenly cleans, it was the perfect closing to the first part of Amity’s set. Hearing the choir paired with the sea of people’s voices was a beautiful way to commemorate 10 years of such a momentous album.

After a video celebrating the band’s history, it was only fitting to hear some more of Amity’s catalogue. Returning to the stage with ‘I See Dead People’, it didn’t take long for the pit to open back up. The same could be said for ‘All My Friends Are Dead’. Many of us older Amity fans were definitely excited to hear ‘Open Letter’ which never fails to disappoint and sounded just as punchy as ever. As it neared the end of the evening and we heard ‘Drag The Lake’, ‘Like Love’, and ‘It’s Hell Down Here’, we knew there was only one left.

‘Soak Me In Bleach’ has easily become one of Amity’s most popular songs and it is clear why. It’s catchy, headbang-worthy, and in the bridge everyone kneels down. 8500 people all brought together by their love of metal music is not something you see every day, and looking around you couldn’t help but smiling.

We hope to see them back in Brisbane soon, but in the meantime, you can catch the rest of the tour resuming in Sydney tonight!