The Amity Affliction – House Of Cards
Release Date: 24th April 2026
Label: Pure Noise Records
Australian 4-piece The Amity Affliction are back with their ninth studio album House Of Cards. Following a line-up change, the band have stepped into a heavier era, giving us deep dives into turmoil, trauma, and full-on rage.
Title track ‘House Of Cards’ leaps into this headfirst, exploring family turmoil experienced by siblings in a toxic household, a house of cards if you will. The lyrical switches between singer Joel Birch and bassist Jonathan Reeves are reminiscent of a duet between family members, really echoing the song’s meaning and highlighting what the narrator and their siblings experienced.
A big feature of the album is the complex drumming by Joe Longobardi, taking centre stage in songs such as ‘Bleed’, ‘Speaking In Tongues’ and ‘Eternal War’. In fact, the driving force during ‘Eternal War’ is the drum tempo, used to dynamically raise and lower the full song’s tempo, akin to the stages of a battle or war. Throughout the album, the drumming provides plenty of most pit potential and lays the way for many a circle pit! ‘Bleed’ is also not one to be missed, with lyrical messages of issues with self-image from societal pressures, something most people will experience in some form or another.
Guitarist Dan Brown also adds some elaborate layers to this release with melodic and pointed riffs. Great examples of this master guitar work would be in songs such as ‘Afterlife’, ‘Heaven Sent’ and ‘Swan Dive’. During the breakdown of ‘Heaven Sent’, we are given a heavy, pointed riff, poking almost, giving this already complex song about complex childhood trauma an extra layer of emotion and the listener a feeling of dread, tying its message together nicely.
‘Break These Chains’ is a wonderful combination of everything this album brings. A song that is lyrically about becoming free from a toxic relationship or place by breaking the metaphorical chains that hold us there. The sound we get from this tune is a staple metalcore sound, a lighter electronic sound which regularly drops into a deeper, heavier metal sound throughout, which can be sung along to loudly with a broken heart.
House of cards is a testament to the strength and determination that The Amity Affliction has faced and will give a driving comfort to many listeners who have experienced any of the same issues, from trauma to issues with their own self-image.
Rating: 8/10