Artist: Attack Attack!
Album: This Means War
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Rise Records

Listening to this album is likely to leave you bruised. Twice over. Once for all the incandescent hatred that seems to be flying amongst the fanbase over ‘old’ and ‘new’ Attack Attack, and again for the sheer ferocity of it all. Regardless of your thoughts on the band thus far, This Is War should be acknowledged as a fine album. It’s visceral, urgent, and compelling, powered by a passion and intensity so deep-rooted as to be tangible. The unending riffs, ‘chugs,’ and raw energy does inevitably tend to sound repetitious after a time, but even if the whole thing were one continuous and very belligerent song it’d still be pretty awesome.

The Ohio metalcore outfit’s third full-length explodes into life with “The Revolution,” a track with breakdowns so fierce they could bore a hole in you. It seems, initially, to be a bit shapeless and all over the place, but one can warm to it surprisingly easily as it develops – the catchy vocal lines in the chorus doing much to endear. It slithers away after four minutes of heated screaming, followed by “The Betrayal.” Indeed, every track on this album begins with ‘the,’ a nicely mature evolution in song naming for a band whose back catalogue includes titles like “Sexual Man Chocolate.” “The Betrayal” packs the same fierce punch, but it comes with melody attached, something a little fairer amidst the reckless and powerful music. There’s an emotive sharpness to the verse, implying hidden depths, and heightened by the electronic elements added to soften the chorus. It’s still as fiercely charged as ever, but the clean singing and melody give it a more aesthetic quality. This in turn segues seamlessly into “The Hopeless,” which features a vociferous, clean-singing chorus that aches with desperation and vigor. It’s like a chunk of gravelly solemnity in the midst of all the white heat on show and suits the song’s pomp perfectly.

“The Reality” has a palpable electricity coursing throughout. It’s similar to the two tracks that immediately precede it in that the cleaner vocal elements create a vague undercurrent of pathos. This in turn evokes something deeper and more illusory, creating a finely sketched, enigmatic song that’s far more resonant than its opening, bruising breakdowns might imply. As the album progresses, it reaches a certain zenith in “The Wretched,” which throws an unsuspecting piano into the stampede. It, surprisingly, holds its own, aided and abetted by the freewheeling synth and puts a spirited classical twist on things. It’s a comedown in energy and ferocity but no less passionate, as evidenced by the ambitious vocal refrains and instrumental swells near the end.

After this sprawling effort, “The Family” revives the malevolent bravado that informed the earlier tracks. There’s something quite rhythmic about it, making it that much more distinctive than the others – the gang vocals lend it an oddly sinister camaraderie but in turn make for a much more compelling song. The intensity of the singing seems to power the rushing music, the blank solemnity with which the backing vocals are delivered creating a gathering darkness that adds greatly to its appeal. “The Confrontation” gels rigorous verse with a more stripped back chorus, though it hardly pauses for breath. The chorus is as striking as it is sublimely realized – there’s no compromise on the sharpness of the sound, but the clean vocals provide a more heartened commentary on the issues at hand.

Considering the heady, frenetic drive that’s powered much of This Means War, “The Eradication” is almost disappointing as a final track. Perhaps they finally ran out of steam, or else the band decided that a comedown was in order to lull you back into reality. This is not to imply it’s any less impressive in sound, but it’s definitely not in fifth gear. There’s something missing and this makes it enjoyable as opposed to amazing, but it’s an adequate ending.

This Means War easily lives up to its name in ambition and scope – from the outset, it’s determined to set a radical, vociferous agenda and it pushes itself to hitherto unexplored heights. It’s excellently made and a testimony to the band’s growth, though its sound may be a little dramatic for older listeners. Nonetheless, give the whole thing a spin before you decide you hate it (if you are so inclined) – it lends itself to repeated listens, and will leave a decisive impression one way or another.

SCORE: 8/10
Review written by Grace Duffy

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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