The Amity Affliction are no strangers to the Australian music scene. Since forming in 2002, the band has been constantly redefining their post-hardcore sound with each release. Youngbloods is the band's sophomore LP, and that will cement the band into Australian music history.

The album was produced by none other than Machine (Four Year Strong, Every Time I Die, Lamb of God) and the addition of guitarist Clint Splattering (Ex- The Getaway Plan) means we finally see the band stand on their own.

"I Hate Hartley", the first track off the album, demonstrates the band's growth and transition from their previous efforts by flawlessly creating catchy, well-structured melodies and guitar riffs along with vocalist Joel Birch's bone-crushing yet understandable vocals intertwined with bass player Ahren Stringer's clean vocals to create sonic orgasms.

From the beginning "Anchors" immediately draws you in with the catchy vocals "I have so many anchors, so many, so many anchors" supported by Trad Nathan's explosive synth beats and retains a sense of familiarity which old fans will enjoy. The thing that makes The Amity Affliction stand out from rest is Birch's comprehensible screaming. Many hardcore/post-hardcore bands have tried desperately to emulate their screams into something coherent but have failed miserably.

Lyrically, the album is genius. The band covers a wide range of topics from personal issues to friendship and religion. From the religious connotations of "Fire Or Knife" "Why are we breathing? … There is not god who can hear you, just a sky full of stars"; to the optimistic message in "R.I.P Foghorn", it’s easy to see why The Amity Affliction may soon be one of the biggest bands in Australia.

It's "Youngbloods" that’s the standout track. It illustrates the full potential of each member in the band. The foundation which the instrumentation is built upon is melody; with heavy guitar riffs, thunderous double kick drumming and an even dose of clean singing and screaming, you’ll find yourself nodding your head and screaming along "Youngbloods run free forever, youngbloods just keep on screaming."

From start to finish Youngbloods is a masterpiece. At 10 songs, this album is one of the most solid and brilliant releases by an Australian artist I’ve heard in years (Even better than Parkway Drive's Deep Blue - yeah I went there). It won’t be long before they take over the world.