Chasing Ghosts (Special Edition)

The Amity Affliction’s third studio album *Chasing Ghosts* is easily the band’s darkest recording to date, as suggested by the album art — which depicts a young male hipster hanging from a tree. This theme is heavily mused over in the outstanding “R.I.P. Bon,” a hard-driving eulogy that balances melodic sorrow with feral bursts of anger. As the opening title-track sets a brutal tone of regret and despair, keep in mind that the initial impetus for the Australian post-hardcore quintet’s formation was bonding over the death of a friend. But their 2012 recording also finds the band trying out new ideas. Compared to 2010’s lauded *Young Bloods*, the production here has been ramped up and the electric infused breakdowns add another sonic dimension, sounding more natural than forced. There’s also more contrast between the soaring inflections of Ahren Stringer and the blistering howls of Joel Birch — especially in the following “Life Underground.” Though its title suggests an anthem for the hippest beer, “Pabst Blue Ribbon On Ice” proves to be the most cathartic cut.