Alphabetically Reviewing My Music Collection Week 9: Affiance

Good morning (or whatever time it happens to be wherever you are) and welcome back to the best song review series in the galaxy!

This week we're tackling a little band named Affiance -

Ever since I was an edgy teenager in High School, I've been trying to find a metalcore band that has decent cleans and brutal screams. I don't listen to metalcore anymore because I found two bands that satisfied those goals. Issues was one of those bands (And we'll talk about them a lot, lot later.) Today we're talking about Affiance.

Affiance's vocalist, Dennis Tvrdik, is one of those guy's who can sing to a degree that he surprises you. He hits notes so high, that you'd swear he was channeling Mariah Carey.

Disclaimers before we get into this. This album is obviously politically focused. I'm passionate about politics. This review is going to get political. And given that this album dropped in 2012,  it's not about who you think it's about. 

[cough] 45 [cough]

Let's hop right into this.

Kings of Deceit

© Bullet Tooth Records 

So this album kicks off with a sound grab of Walter Cronkite reading President Kennedy's eulogy the day he was assassinated. That's fucking bold.  And the song lyrics are even bolder. It talks about how the public is being lied to and how those in power will be overthrown and killed for their deceit. The last line of the song is a passionate "Your death will not be in vain!" Make no mistake, this is protest music. 

And everything is on point musically. Dustin Davidson of August Burns Red provides the everpresent bass lines and his talent shines. The drums go from fast to slow back to fast.  The guitar work is beautiful. The tone and the riffage during the verses is very distinct. Also, the chugging during the chorus provides a nice contrast to Tvrdik's high pitched singing. This is a strong track to start off with.

You Will Be Replaced 

The awesome guitar work and drumming continue on this track. The loud kick particularly complements the riffing during the chorus and that final breakdown. Tvrdik's singing really stands out on this one. He emotionally holds onto every note and then releases them like a precious dove. And after the solo starts he snarls out the name of the song. Bro doesn't really scream much but when he does it sounds nasty.

I'll admit that I don't really understand how the lyrics are supposed to fit into the overall concept of the album (a rebellious political campaign) The first verse is about fighting back against the words of the powers-that-be. But the rest of the track is about facing your weaknesses and maintaining a legacy. It's good shit, but the first few lines seem kinda tacked on. I guess you can't always win them all.

We the Machines

Boy, these mofos tore that breakdown up. First, the vocalist sings that last note like an angel, then screamed the next like a demon. Then the guitarist blasts off with a Kirk Hammet-esque solo. 

The lyrics talk about how technology is very likely affecting us in a negative way. You know something that modern psychology (and Black Mirror) has been beating over our heads for the last few years. I'd call this a cliche but I'll cut these guys some slack for saying this in 2013 before the rest of us realized we had a problem.

Bohemian

This track features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire (I've never personally listened to them, but he's a nice addition. And at this point, we've reached the Jesus part of the record. (Yes, this is a Christian band. Obviously. No one but a saint is capable of talking about the government without saying 'fuck' 900 times.)  

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but this song seems to be about how Jesus sees you every time you sin and feels bad. 

He saw you merge without signaling and it broke his heart.

Jerk.

Y'all already know I'm not too big on the Jesus stuff, but to each his own. The song still sounds amazing. I love that Mullins and Tvrdik swap the chorus' towards the end. The song ends with Mullins singing the chorus and Tvrdik repeating the refrain. I could definitely see them tearing this up live.

Peace of Mind 

(Favorite Song Alert)

Dammit, I never realized how much I loved this song until I found myself singing along and headbanging. This is a damn near perfect track. The intro is just the perfect storm of aggressive and harmonic. I love how they keep the same riff throughout each verse. During the chorus, the bass and the drums pick up the aggression that riff provided. The solo isn't anything too special, but it's fast and heavy. Like a solo should be. And this track features one of my favorite musical moments in metal. The high note right after the breakdown. Tvdrik reaches Justin Hawkins (from The Darkness) levels of high-pitched.

That high note is as badass to me as the thunder in 'Raining Blood', or the bell in 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' That is a badass music moment.

Jericho

This track kicks off with one of the best riffs of the album. The drums and the bass pound the whole time. The drummer abuses the kick during the chorus. Despite that, this track has a peaceful feel to it, instrumentally. The lyrics are where most of the heaviness comes from on this track.

Jericho is the historical city in the Bible that gets destroyed when the Jews blow up the walls with loud music and kill everybody. These lyrics similarly talk about kicking in the doors of corrupt jackasses and taking back the power. Pretty badass.

The Campaign

Ah! These boys know how to craft a title track. The first line is "Welcome. How nice of you to finally join us." As if they're breaking the fourth wall and saying to the listener, "This is what you've been waiting for." And they definitely saved the best for last. Everyone is going all out on this one.

The track blasts off with some heavy-ass chugging accompanied by some prominent drumming. The vocalist is singing these lyrics with all of his heart. By the time we get to the chorus, it feels like the climax to an epic battle. And they ramp it up for that second chorus. The drummer is all over his kit. The guitarist riffs and chugs fast as hell. And the solo is one of the most epic of the whole album. This definitely feels like a title track.

And this one is about fighting until every single person knows their worth. You know, wholesome shit?  That man on the cover suddenly looks less of a politician and more like a motivational speaker. 

Dan Peña, anyone?

Final Verdict / What Do I Think?

These guys are hands down one of the best metalcore bands. They're up there with Killswitch, Asking Alexandria, and All That Remains, in my book. They have everything that makes a great metalcore band. Ridiculous talent. Heartfelt lyrics. An amazingly talented and charismatic vocalist. I may not have loved every song on this album, but my biggest complaint is that some of the lyrics were a bit inconsistent. That's not even that big of an issue. So you already know that I've got the rest of their discography queued up. 

Very unfortunately, Affiance went their separate ways in 2017. However, as late as October of 2018 they're still on good terms with each other. So fingers crossed for a reunion.

Next week we mosh with one of the granddaddies of Massachusetts metalcore - Aftershock!

Affiance Picture © 2009 Bullet Tooth Records 
Aftershock Picture © 1999 Devils Head Records
Dan Peña Picture © 2018 Dan Peña
Jesus Picture © 2004 Icon Productions
The Campaign Album Art © 2012 INGrooves Records