SINGLE REVIEW: The Amity Affliction – “Pittsburgh”

April 15th, 2014

Kriston McConnell

Artist: The Amity Affliction
Single: “Pittsburgh”
Album: Let The Ocean Take Me
Label: Roadrunner Records

Back in 2012, The Amity Affliction released a raw, heartfelt album titled Chasing Ghosts. That was their third studio album, and it was their darkest release to date. It happens to be my favorite release of theirs so far, and now it seems they are on the path to releasing yet another emotion-gripping album later this year. Early this morning they officially announced their new album, Let The Ocean Take Me, as well as its release date, and the lead single from it. The new single is titled “Pittsburgh,” and it’s something worth noticing.

There are a ton of bands that have both an unclean vocalist and a clean vocalist. Not all of them are a perfect pairing, but The Amity Affliction are an example of a band with one of the best pairings in the industry. Joel Birch and Ahren Stringer compliment each other’s voices so well it’s only too easy for them to draw emotion out of their listeners. They have always written hard hitting, clever lyrics and they seem to have stepped up their game with “Pittsburgh.”

The song opens with Birch screaming part of his main chorus, I’ve been searching for an exit // But I’m lost inside my head // Where I spend every waking moment // Wishing I was dead. These, and many other verses in the song, can be related to by anyone who has ever suffered from anxiety, depression, addiction or has ever felt they are stuck inside their own head. Birch uses a lot of his own life experiences to inspire his writing, and after his near death experience at last year’s Warped Tour he will have plenty to say. This song is inspired by that incident, and it’s hard not to feel the song tug at your heart strings as you listen to it. I absolutely can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, because if even just a handful of songs are on the same level as this it’ll easily be the best of their career.

The instruments on the song aren’t super complex, but then again they don’t necessarily need to be. There is a piano in the background at some points though, which is not something that’s usual for them. It’s also not The Amity Affliction’s style to incorporate over the top breakdowns with chugging guitars and screams into their songs, and that’s not the direction they take with this one either. Instead, near the end of the song, there’s a choir of children that sing the main chorus. It’s not something we hear a lot in metalcore, so it’s a great way to add some depth to the song.

My one and only complaint about this song is that it would be great to hear the guitars just a little bit better. The song is very drum heavy, and it’s difficult to hear what’s going on with the guitars most of the time. They have a few shining moments, but for the most part you are only getting vocals and drums. Let’s just hope the guitars get a little bit more love on the rest of the album.

These guys are one of the most unique groups in the scene right now, and there are thousands of fans eagerly awaiting to find out what else they have in store for them. I know that I am incredibly excited to hear the rest of their album.

Review written by: Kriston McConnell
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