Anyone who knows me, and anyone who’s ever read articles from TeenView Music, knows Affiance is my all-time favorite band. Discovered through Rise Against’s Pandora station (there’s a throwback for you), Affiance was a melodic metalcore band from Cleveland, Ohio, that never seemed able to break into the scene, despite promising tours with Killswitch Engage, Protest the Hero and Architects, Phinehas, Miss May I, and Ice Nine Kills. Affiance’s lack of success remained a mystery to me and to all their fans, and in 2017, they threw in the towel. The band amicably split, deciding they’d given their all to Affiance for 10 years, and it was time to move on. (It broke my heart.)
Towards the end of 2020, Affiance released two new songs and a haunting recording of the U.S. National Anthem. Those new songs gave me hope that my favorite band might be back on the scene, but a year and a half of silence followed those releases.
Towards the end of 2020, Affiance released two new songs and a haunting recording of the U.S. National Anthem. Those new songs gave me hope that my favorite band might be back on the scene, but a year and a half of silence followed those releases.
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Then in July of 2022, on the heels of the world’s Stranger Things 4 frenzy, they released a cover of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush under the new name Night Rider. Later came an explanation that the old members of Affiance had taken on a new project, and more was to come. I waited in anxious anticipation, worried Night Rider would be nothing more than a mediocre cover band. I was, thankfully, very wrong.
Night Rider’s first original track, released on September 23rd, turned out to be more than I could ever have hoped for. Everything that makes Affiance so great – the soaring melodies of Dennis Tvrdik’s distinct and beautiful tenor; the heavy, syncopated rhythms in the drums and bass; the intricate guitar work – can still be found in “Collar.” Night Rider takes that killer concoction, and infuses it with a persistent synth track that compliments, rather than dominates the sound. Think the new-age metalcore of Dayseeker, Until I Wake, or even Bad Omens, and place it in the context of Affiance’s already-perfected melodic metalcore sound. What you get is a new generation of Affiance, stamped with a new name and wearing disco-era clothing.
Night Rider’s first original track, released on September 23rd, turned out to be more than I could ever have hoped for. Everything that makes Affiance so great – the soaring melodies of Dennis Tvrdik’s distinct and beautiful tenor; the heavy, syncopated rhythms in the drums and bass; the intricate guitar work – can still be found in “Collar.” Night Rider takes that killer concoction, and infuses it with a persistent synth track that compliments, rather than dominates the sound. Think the new-age metalcore of Dayseeker, Until I Wake, or even Bad Omens, and place it in the context of Affiance’s already-perfected melodic metalcore sound. What you get is a new generation of Affiance, stamped with a new name and wearing disco-era clothing.
I am, of course, left with many questions. For example, What’s with the name change? Can we look forward to an EP or full-length album? Will Night Rider ever tour? If they do, will they ever play Affiance music? Or even reworked Affiance songs? As of yet, Night Rider has yet to answer these questions, but as a die-hard Affiance fan, I look forward to this next project from some of the most talented metalcore musicians on the scene.
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