Affiance @ California Brew Haus (Rochester, NY) on September 21, 2014 [Show Review]

Cleveland metalcore heavyweights Affiance, have embarked on a CD release tour with Phinehas for their third full-length album Blackout, bringing their hard work and harder sounds to eager fans across the U.S. I was lucky enough to catch the band at California Brew Haus in Rochester, New York a few days ago where, despite a few unlucky setbacks, they still blew the roof off the place.

The show opened up with locals Battle Beneath, Aphasia, Poah, Zero Signal and Nothing Personal. These young bands drew a crowd, warming my heart and proving that Rochester loves its locals and supports its music scene.

After the up-and-comers stole the spotlight, the lights dimmed and Phinehas took the stage. This band has tough riffs and even tougher beards. They played a tight set and got the crowd bouncing and the mosh pit amped, leaving the California Brew Haus eager for the headliners to take over and keep the party going.

Next up was Affiance, the band everyone had been anxiously waiting for. The band stormed onto the stage in their scorched and singed outfits from their new music video “FIRE!” Vocalist Dennis Tvirdik prefaced the set with sad news that he had been fighting Laryngitis and would not be able to perform to his maximum capabilities, but wanted to give it his all and make sure the set was as entertaining as possible. Unsurprisingly, their set ended up being all that Dennis promised and more.

Affiance kicked off with their new single “FIRE!” and the Brew Haus very nearly erupted in flames. Lead guitarist and screamer Dominic Dickson brought the heavy, shredding violently and in perfect harmony with the rest of the band. During “Call To The Warrior” Affiance made the show an unforgettable experience for a few eager audience members. A fan who had been excitedly singing along and rocking his Affiance gear in the front was invited on stage to sing the band’s most popular track. The fan sang his heart out, and did a pretty good job at it too. As an homage to the music video, another fan jumped on stage and melted faces with his Guitar Hero guitar alongside Brett Wondreck and bassist Eric Thomas.

Overall, their set was full of energy and engaged everyone in the crowd, from the drunks at the bar to the tired girlfriends. And even though their frontman was battling laryngitis, they played phenomenally and put on a killer show. For anyone who has never seen Affiance, definitely check them out. They are embarking on a U.S. tour with Miss May I soon. And if you have never listened to these metalcore gods, invest in a copy of Blackout—you will not regret it.

Check out the song “FIRE!”