Words: Gaz Martinez

As a metalhead, I have always been a fan of a strategically placed breakdown or two (or six), and Attack Attack!, While may not be masters of the art, do well enough on their latest album, This Means War to place breakdowns aplenty to get everyone in the crowd moving up and down like crabs.

The synths, which seem to be a staple in the band’s sound, return for this third effort. Alas, amidst the screaming/breakdowns/crabcore, on this album they see relatively little action outside the choruses and as a result, it never feels like they are used extensively enough to be considered more than a gimmick that quickly becomes predictable. That said, they do add a nice quality to songs like The Betrayal and The Reality.

Variation in the general riffing wouldn’t go amiss either, after listening to the album the whole way through, several times, most tracks flow seamlessly into the next, to the point where a fair amount of the songs, as separate entities, begin to lose that individuality that they each need to make a solid album. It feels as if I could easily cut one song riff out of The Reality and paste it into The Revolution.

It is only when we get halfway through This Means War are we treated to some variation with The Motivation, which treats you to a gentle piano intro, but even with a longer, more melodic chorus, and The Wretched which places a much needed emphasis on synths, these two are by far the highlights of this album. The album definitely picks up half-way, The Confrontation even offers us what sounds like small bites of dubstep which does wonders to mix it up a bit. But for a first time listener, the CD may have already been taken out of the player and swapped for something else, you are rewarded for listening to the whole thing, but the first half of this album makes it a tedious slog to get there.

If you’re looking for a solid slice of bog standard metalcore, then This Means War offers plenty of stock material to bounce to, but not much that kicks you in the proverbial nuts. For a fourth album, variation in structure and tempo should be a number one priority; otherwise a follow up to this album may be their last as Attack Attack! Continue a streak of mediocrity that This Means War may have started.

Columbus, OH’s Attack Attack! have announced their third album This Means Wars will be released January 16 2012 via Rise Records.  Having sold over 200,000 records in the US alone and toured non-stop, including a spot as a main stage headliner on the Vans Warped Tour this year, Attack Attack! have become a force to be reckoned with.

The Means War is the bands heaviest and catchiest records to date.  Building on the unique mix of metal and pop that catapulted them to the forefront of the scene.  This Means War is a concept record, about war and the emotions that it has over those involved who are fighting against everything and everyone.

This Means War album tracklisting:

1.     The Revolution

2.     The Betrayal

3.     The Hopeless

4.     The Reality

5.     The Abduction

6.     The Motivation

7.     The Wretched

8.     The Family

9.     The Confrontation

10.   The Eradication

Attack Attack! will be over in Europe in March 2012 to support the new record

Saturday3-Mar-12 UK Bristol Cooler

Sunday   4-Mar-12 UK Leeds Cockpit

Monday 5-Mar-12 UK Glasgow Cathouse

Tuesday 6-Mar-12 UK Manchester Sound Control

Wednesday 7-Mar-12 UK  London Underworld

Thursday 8-Mar-12 UK Tunbridge Wells Forum

Friday 9-Mar-12    The Netherlands Utretcht Tivoli de Helling

Saturday 10-Mar-12 Germany Cologne MTC

Sunday   11-Mar-12 Germany Hamburg Headcrash

Doors 7pm and tickets £10.00

www.gigsandtours.com/ www.ticketmaster.co.uk

To date, Attack Attack! has over 1,129,000 fans on facebook, 41,000 Twitter followers, over 40,500,00 myspace place and over 10,250,00 youtube plays on the Rise Records channel alone.

www.facebook.com/attackattackus

www.riserecords.com