The Amity Affliction'sLet The Ocean Take Me is one of their most celebrated records. The outfit's 2014 record was my first introduction to screaming vocals, and I fell in love with timeless singles 'Pittsburgh', 'Let The Ocean Take Me', and 'The Weigh Down' to name a few.Ahead of the 10th anniversary Australian Tour of this album, The Amity Affliction are giving it the redux treatment on Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux). This kicks off with a brand new rendition of 'My Father'sSon (Redux)' that bangs fucking hard.The arguably accessible sound of the original track has evolved considerably with a new intensity that makes a statement. Recognizable riffs ring true, but down-tuned guitars, punchier drums and ferocious screams elevate the sound of a familiar banger. The meticulous production ensures that the rerecording of 'My Father's Son (Redux)' is a tried and true Amity Affliction track, with an expanded sense of weight and presence when compared to the original release.As to why the band have made this decision, read on to see what vocalist Joel Birch had to say:
"We re-recorded this album for a few reasons, but it would be foolish for me not to mention the more monumental of these, that being that our deal with our previous record label had them taking the vast majority of all revenue from what has been our most successful album until recently. When you spend over two decades in an industry you get to see how predatory it can be, and the main victims of this predation are young bands that are wined and dined into deals that all but guarantee the band will only make money for the label and not for themselves.
This is what happened with us; we were never a group of people who were gunning to be massive or successful, we didn’t really look to the future at all, instead we were completely taken by the treatment we received and the promises that were made and only when it was far too late and we were far too far along in our contract to do anything about it.
This is a chance to claw some of that back and have some ownership over our own songs, something that we didn’t have while with our old label. Let this be the canary in the coal mine for younger bands, in this day and age you can find ethical and equitable deals, you don’t need to believe the bullshit larger labels will feed you, and you can maintain control over your masters and own your own songs. Thankfully we’ve always told people to get fucked when they’ve tried to meddle in our music or this could have been even worse, in any case, I hope that you guys enjoy this and give it a thrashing, we are personally much happier with this new recreation."
Based on today's single rerelease, Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux) is shaping up to be a satisfying rebirth of the iconic album we know and love, one that may stand the test of time even more so than the original. I can't wait to get my hands on the record in full, to dissect the differences between the old and the new, and to see how this may affect the live renditions of this album when it's played live and in full across the nation.Written by Tyler Lubke.
Stream 'My Father's Son (Redux)' here
Pre-order Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux) here
The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux) Tracklisting
1. Pittsburgh (Redux)
2. Lost & Fading (Redux)
3. Don't Lean On Me (Redux)
4. The Weigh Down (Redux)
5. Never Alone (Redux)
6. Death's Hand (Redux)
7. FML (Redux)
8. My Father's Son (Redux)
9. Forest Fire (Redux)
10. Give It All (Redux)
