Here we go. This CD is basically what I would have loved if I was still a junior in high school.
One problem, I’m actually not in high school anymore…
Still, the old screamo elements and the forcefulness of the drums are something all to familiar to use emo’s of old. The sound is kind of difficult, and I keep finding the same building blocks in every song. Ehhhh. It’s not a lllllll that bad .
Listen to – Don’t Jump the Shark Before you Save the Whale
This cd is as brutal as it is exotic, and it has many different timing and variants within its own elements. I really enjoy this band at some points, and get burnt out at other points. It seems like an odd problem, but it is quite true.
Slap these guys in if you’re not in the mood to listen truly too hard. This cd is not as good as their old stuff, but, they have flashes of brilliance in this one, just not as many.
This album rings with all the old stuff you dug as a kid, but kicks you in the face with mature elements of musicality. When you dig deep into this album, you realize that the band rings with old punk rock influences and new age sweeping hooks.
One of my favorite things about this band is their ability to kick your ass in one song, then melt you the next. Then they’ll follow that up with something emo, light you up with a scream, rock you with some double bass pedals, and then thank you for listening with a post-hardcore-studio-created breakdown.
All in all, its great album, but you find yourself floating into the realm of finding and sticking to your favorite songs of the cd. They show a lot of elements of a great band, but lack the resonance and ferocity that is needed to keep a listener on the edge. Cheers, my favorite songs are great, and thats it.
Listen to – Struggle+Sleep, Southern Girls, and Feet Under.
I found myself struggling with this band. At times they are great, at others, they fly way into the side of hardcore that becomes chant-like. They try intently to be heavy, but then they come back with some odd under-cheeked version of what they are trying not to be. To be clear, this should take nothing away from their musicality as a band.
The come at you from a lot of angles, some of which I personally don’t find entertaining. I found a couple of elements I liked in some of the heavier songs, but like I said, it felt produced, kind of like an excuse to be able to reverberate their softer song stylings.
In all its post-hardcore glory, Attack Attack! make use of that bitter and explosive scene quality that drive some of the better post-hardcore bands. They have a fun sense of humor with all their song names, like shout-outs to Joe Dirt by naming one of their songs “Kickin’ Wing, Animal Doctor.” It also happens to be a good song.
They represent the genre quite well, keeping to their heavy roots. One of the things that cracked me up during the listen was the transition at the end of Stick Stickly. Beautiful.
Listen to – Stick Stickly, What Happens If I Can’t Check My Myspace When We Get There?
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