In late March, The Amity Affliction announced their new album, Not Without My Ghosts, would be released on May 12th via Pure Noise. Along with the announcement, they released their 3rd single and video from the album. “It’s Hell Down Here” looks at mortality, a subject the band does not shy away from at all.
It’s their fearlessness to address the dark, the darkness within, and the battle of the mind that makes me love The Amity Affliction.
When you add the ferocious vocals from Joel Birch, the milder vocals from Ahren Stringer along with his booming bass, Dan Brown’s insanely wicked riffs and Jon Longobardi’s battering of the drums plus the often personal and confronting lyrics, one immediately recognises that The Amity Affliction is one of the most intimidating metal bands on the scene.
Joel said this about the song,
This song is a letter from myself and Ahren, written by me, to our friends who have passed on to the other side. I’m 41. I’m bipolar. And I’m pretty tired of it. That’s where lyrics like ‘Like a snake I tire / the cold dark clouds, they steal my light’ come from. The song is wrapping up how I feel daily, and reflecting on the time leading up to my friend killing himself. I’m sure a lot of people who have experienced that guilt at not seeing what becomes glaringly obvious after the fact.
The Amity Affliction are a force to be reckoned with and they prove that yet again with “It’s Hell Down Here.” Lyrically it’s a punch to the gut, musically it’s a punch to the face, and TAA fans, myself included, welcome those punches with open arms.
Pre-order Not Without My Ghosts here.
