Mixing the technicality of classic metal with the punishing drive of metalcore, Affiance perfectly blends the old with the new to create melodic metalcore with that old-school NWOBHM swagger. Formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 2007 by Dominic Dickinson (guitar), Patrick Galante (drums), Cameron Keeter (bass), Dennis Tvrdik (vocals), and Brett Wondrak (guitar), the band mixes the harmonized guitar heroics and soaring vocals of bands like Iron Maiden with breakdown-heavy metalcore, creating a sound that's as much about musicality as it is about moshing. Based on the strength of their self-released EP, Calm Before the Storm, and their electric live presence, Affiance signed on with the Bullet Tooth label in 2010, releasing their full-length debut, No Secret Revealed, later that year. Their sophomore effort, the Billboard-charting The Campaign, arrived late in 2012, and featured guest vocals from Dustin Davidson (August Burns Red), Matty Mullins (Memphis May Fire), and Ricky Armellino (Century). The summer of 2014 saw the band issue a new single, "Limitless," in anticipation of their third full-length outing, Blackout, which arrived later that fall. Affiance continued to tour heavily, and in 2016 they released a new EP, the crowd-funded Gaia. ~ Gregory Heaney