Album Review: The Amity Affliction - This Could Be Heartbreak

"We're always the band that gets burned and criticised for not changing drastically," bassist/vocalist Ahren Stringer told this scribe recently. "I think with every record our main objective is just to really write a better record than the last one, and just try slightly new things."

Stringer's evidently prepared for the Aussie metalcore favourites' latest to be afforded similar treatment from some quarters. He's also surely conscious of its hefty commercial potency. There are at least five potential 'hit singles' here, which is a handful more than the majority of other heavy crews currently treading the boards. The infectious title track, for one, bridges pseudo-pop/rock riffage with a lunging breakdown and choral touches like they belong together.

Screamer Joel Birch continues his lyrical catharsis throughout Tearing Me Apart and grandiose I Bring The Weather With Me, counterpunched by Stringer's uber-slick clean choruses. Hooks contained within the likes of Nightmare are so shiny they're blinding, but others can feel generic as Times New Roman. O.M.G.I.M.Y veers too far into saccharine territory to sufficiently offset the inevitable sonic beatdown. Acoustic-laced ballad All Fucked Up injects a modicum of freshness as per the aforementioned remarks, albeit fleetingly. Meanwhile, Fight My Regret punishes, while Blood In My Mouth concludes the record on a suitably bleak note.

The gold and platinum records on their walls certainly validate the formulaic tack, ensuring This Could Be Heartbreak borders on critic-proof. It ticks the boxes, is immaculately produced and will satisfy many without challenging them musically.