WARNING! The video embedded in this article contains profanity. Reader discretion is advised.

As mentioned in the Polaris review I wrote before this one, the Australian heavy metal scene is vast and produces treasures on a regular basis. One such act that’s grown considerably the past decade is The Amity Affliction, and I would do the band a disservice to narrow down my favorites of theirs, as I hold them all in high regard. The band’s consistency throughout their career has carried them, releasing albums every two years from 2008’s Severed Ties to 2020’s Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them.

Most striking about Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them is the album’s title and accompanying artwork. The lyrical content of the album doesn’t shy away from serious tones, such as bipolar disorder, which vocalist Joel Birch is diagnosed with, and other struggles with mental disorders. Through the years, music has helped me cope with depression and anxiety, so I always appreciate an album that touches on these subjects in-depth.

Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them kicks off with “Coffin”, a haunting introduction with a breakdown featuring the call, “There’s a coffin in your heart where our dreams go to die“. The layered unclean vocals pack a bigger punch than most bands do.

“All My Friends Are Dead” is the leading single on the album and comes out swinging with the track’s title screamed blast beats, as the track hones in on how it feels to struggle with depression in great detail. The next song, also a single, is “Soak Me in Bleach”, opening with a somber, slower pace. There is a fantastic use of triplets between the keyboards and drum toms in the pre-chorus. Clean vocalist/bassist Ahren Stringer says it has a “boppy, grunge vibe”.

“All I Do is Sink” is a more conventional metalcore song, with layered riffs throughout the verses leading into an R&B-inspired pre-chorus. “Baltimore Rain” follows, with the album’s title shouted in the first verse, as the song utilizes more of the aforementioned subtle R&B influences in the clean vocal patterns/delivery, and includes a well-executed guitar solo near the end. The track “Aloneliness” is sure to throw off first-time listeners with an almost concrete, poppy sound showcasing Stringer’s chops over some tasteful piano; making for a great contrast to the heaviness of the rest of the album.

“Forever” has more of a yell to the unclean vocals than a scream, bringing out the emotion in the words Joel conveys as he elaborates on the vicious cycle of his bipolarity. Next, “Just Like Me” has the lyrics, “I think I’m already lost” uttered over a catchy repeating melody that is vocalized and whistled throughout.

“Born to Lose”, a familiar track title for fans of similar band The Devil Wears Prada, brings back the heaviness and follows the lyrical theme of feeling doomed from the start. More sentimentality is felt in the tone of “Fever Dream”, as the album draws to a close. “Catatonia” closes things out chaotically, finishing Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them off strong.

The mix of heavy and soft on this album works to its benefit, as the changing of tones is gradual and deliberate. Fans will love how hard the bolder songs hit, and how relatable the more subdued tracks present themselves. The Amity Affliction hasn’t lost a beat in the long time they’ve been a band; If anything, they’ve matured to be an act that consistently surprises listeners with emotional depth in their lyrics and masterful instrumentation to back it up. Don’t miss out on this newest effort of theirs!

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