Attack Attack!
This Means War


3.5
great

Review

by TooManyFriends USER (26 Reviews)
January 18th, 2012 | 258 replies


Release Date: 2012 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to inform you that Attack Attack! is gone. In their place is a completely new and different band named Attack Attack!.


I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty generous person when it comes to listening to controversial and oft-hated music. While I’ve never quite stooped as low as Bieber, I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a fan of cock rock bands such as Nickelback, My Darkest Days, Theory of a Dead Man, and the like. However, there is one band that, until now, I have always considered to be a blemish not only on the face of the music scene, but also on the face of all that is good in this world. That band is Attack Attack! Ever since this so called “musical ensemble’s” first album has had the displeasure of entering my ear canal, the mere mention of the band’s name has caused me to violently contort, retch, and just generally bring my piss to a boil. How any band could have the nerve to call themselves “metal” through the putrid layers of synth and auto-tune sprinkled over an utterly moronic genericore backdrop has never failed to elude me over the band’s 7 year tenure. Despite the foulness that has contaminated the band’s sound, times have changed, and so has Attack Attack. Through the coats of scum and tar, one man has had the balls to step up, take charge and reinvent this band’s sound to the point that they seem downright enjoyable. That man is Caleb Shomo. Over the past 4 years, Shomo has transformed from the token overweight scene kid with the keyboard (ironically, supplying what caused me to most despise this band) to the strong, pissed-off lead vocalist and frontman we see today. Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to inform you that Attack Attack! is gone. In their place is a completely new and different band named Attack Attack!.

Ever since November 11, 2008, the release date of the rancid bile that was “Someday Came Suddenly”, band members have been quickly jumping ship and leaving this so-called-metal outfit behind. In 2009, screaming vocalist Austin Carlile left the band to pursue endeavors with his other group, Of Mice and Men. In 2011, clean vocalist Johnny Franck departed as well. Through the seemingly endless stream of vocalist mish-mash and hoo-ha, Shomo has consistently stepped up to fill the patches his former band mates left behind. Who knew that in the process, he would completely flip this band upside-down and morph them into a consistent, churning metalcore machine? Certainly not I. But this is exactly what Shomo has done, and it is absolutely made prominent over the 36 minute run time of “This Means War”.

As opposed to the often-terrible/barely-passable breakdowns and mindless AutoTuned whining of the past, when it comes to sound, the band has seemingly done a complete 180. On this album, Shomo has chucked the synths he once held dearly to on “Someday Came Suddenly”; big, thick downtuned riffs are the name of the game here, and every song is filled to the brim with them. Each and every song has them in excess, and all of them are strong enough to stand on their own. Sadly, when put in the context of a full album, many of these riffs seem to blend together and seem awfully similar at times; so much so, in fact, that someone could probably take out all of the intro riffs of every song, swap them all around, and no one would ever know there was a difference. In fact, this seems to be the most prominent issue this album faces. Although very strong in its delivery, the band sticks to the verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula for nearly every song and does little to switch things up or add variety. In fact, this is probably the only advantage the band’s previous outings have over “This Means War”; their old stuff was crap, but it was varied crap. The substance is there, it just does very little to break from the formula.

Another topic of discussion that must be brought up is the debut of Caleb Shomo on both screams and cleans. I’m going to be quite “Franck” with you; Johnny Franck was a garbage clean vocalist in every sense of the word. On the band’s debut album, he was auto-tuned to hell, and when he wasn’t, he sounded like a depressed emo kid alternating between crying about his relationship problems, washing his wide array of V-necks, and uploading crappy vocal covers of 2004-era Underoath on Youtube. On the other end of the spectrum, Shomo sounds more akin to Three Days Grace’s Adam Gontier. Now is this an album for post grunge fans? No. But Shomo clearly has something Franck never had; the ability to add some grit while still retaining the tone. There is no “boo-hoo, woe is me” whining here. Although most will agree he’s a decent clean vocalist, his screams are very love/hate. I personally don’t mind them; if you want to hear crappy screamed vocals, go listen to Jimmy Ryan era Haste the Day (shudders). While they are not the strongest, they are far from being as horrible as metal enthusiasts everywhere are saying. One thing I would have liked, however, is to hear more low-range screams from Shomo. They are much more powerful and beefy than his mid-ranged screams and many breakdowns could have benefitted from that.

One last complaint I have is the “concept” that supposedly persists throughout this album. From what I’ve read up on (and based on the song titles), this is supposed to be a concept album. I don’t see any persistent semblance of a concept here. While some songs, such as “The Abduction”, have some decent story-based imagery (“I’ll do all that it takes to get to you, this is my flesh and blood, my one and only son”), in other songs, such as “The Motivation”, I have found difficulties pulling out anything story based whatsoever. The idea of a concept album may have seemed promising at first, but the execution was lacking and I think the overall body of work may have suffered as a result.

Overall, Attack Attack! have produced an album that has far surpassed my expectations. I have wanted to like this album ever since I heard “The Motivation”, and the band has certainly succeeded in that regard. Is it a perfect album? Absolutely not. Is it worth 35 minutes of your time? I’d say so.



Recent reviews by this author
Animals As Leaders ParrhesiaVasudeva Generator
Microwave Death is a Warm BlanketBirds in Row We Already Lost the World
Vein.fm ErrorzoneTeenage Wrist Chrome Neon Jesus
user ratings (645)
2.5
average
other reviews of this album
BMFD4567 (2)
It's what was to be expected, more or less....

SteveRogers (2.5)
Elements of this review have been redacted due to a potential breach of national security...

Ryuu501st (4)
Attack Attack! finally produces something better then their debut....

GearsofWhore3 (3)
This Means War, on trying to sound better...



Comments:Add a Comment 
Hospital
January 18th 2012


2102 Comments


Bleh. Hate this album

Trebor.
Emeritus
January 18th 2012


60012 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

Schlock Schlock!



Nice Alk3 dig m/

Hospital
January 18th 2012


2102 Comments


I'm an Alkoholic, bro

m/

Scoot
January 18th 2012


22697 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

someone review this properly please

Hospital
January 18th 2012


2102 Comments


Etienne sin?

Joke dig, amirite?!

Scoot
January 18th 2012


22697 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off



theacademy
Emeritus
January 18th 2012


31865 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

i still think this is going to be good based on what ive heard in clips/read in reviews

simonpettersen
January 18th 2012


273 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I think the album is pretty sweet to be an AA album... some Djent riffing in here, and that's awesome!

Satellite
January 18th 2012


26539 Comments


TwoManyPenises

SteveRogers
January 18th 2012


190 Comments


"if you want to hear crappy screamed vocals, go listen to Jimmy Ryan era Haste the Day (shudders)"

BLASPHEMY

betterdrinkmyownpiss
January 18th 2012


258 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

is this really a 3.5?

I listened to "The Motivation" the new cleans are ok, but waht the hell is up with the screams ? the dude is literally gasping for air

TooManyFriends
January 18th 2012


3507 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

@SteveRogers Stephen Keech was a way better screamer for the band....

SteveRogers
January 18th 2012


190 Comments


That's a matter of opinion, I guess. I loved them both, but I thought Jimmy Ryan's vocals were a lot more distinctive than Stephen Keech's.

wacknizzle
January 18th 2012


14555 Comments


I really don't understand why so many people are reviewing this. it's already been stated that if you like this kinda music it's decent and if you don't it's trash.

pjquinones747
January 19th 2012


4244 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Neg'd at the Jimmy Ryan diss. Not on my reading time will you diss one of my favorite vocalists. Anyways. This review just got boring and too messy for me. You could do something better upon more revision, i'm confident.

wacknizzle
January 19th 2012


14555 Comments


Oh these trendseter's with their trying to be legit choruses.
I don't really hate this that much but I don't like it, it could be worse, I just can't stand the band name and the breakdowns. Well I hate most bands unnecessary breakdowns.
Good review, but your musical taste is just godawful, ill admit i don't care for most black metal or most deathmetal, any electronica or most hip-hop but jeez... nickelback

theacademy
Emeritus
January 19th 2012


31865 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

"Oh these trendseter's with their trying to be legit choruses."

Scoot
January 19th 2012


22697 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

"Good review, but your musical taste is just godawful, ill admit i don't care for most black metal or most deathmetal, any electronica or most hip-hop but jeez... nickelback"



sounds like you're the one with the godawful music taste

Sconza
January 19th 2012


315 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Why is every review of this album worse than the band themselves?

BassDemon333
January 19th 2012


3435 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Summary of this review is so bad



You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile





STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy