We Are The Ocean @ Islington Academy

I miss All Forgotten due to shitty London trains, but get in just in time to witness The Amity Affliction pummel Islington Academy into oblivion. Whilst there are a ton of bands doing this sort of thing, this Australian bunch have the hooks and breakdowns that could see them step beyond the myriad of similar bands.

Flood Of Red, are in essence incredible. Their songwriting displays the ambitious flair of fellow scots Biffy and Twin Atlantic, and they obviously put their heart and soul into all they do. They work hard and are as tight a live band as anyone else on this bill tonight. So why doesn't it quite hit the spot. Well, for me, it just nods a little to obviously to it's influences. There are worse things than sounding like Circa Survive, but I hope that in time they can carve their own niche musically, as there is so much potential in this band.

We Are The Ocean are a band who many threw the same accusations at. They long since dropped the more obvious Alexisonfire-isms, replacing them with a mix of the brutal crunch of bands like Everytime I Die and Norma Jean and the epic rock/metal sounds of bands such as Metallica and Alice In Chains. Tonight they sound incredible. Seasoned tour veterans these days, they cotrol the crowd and pace the stage effortlessly. 2010 is going to be a very big year for this band if all goes to plan. And for once, it's a band that deserves every bit of success that they get!