VIENNA, Va., March, 1, 2012—It seems like an eventuality that most genres are going to turn into mash-ups with other genres to the point where it’ll be pointless to differentiate between any of them. The elements that defined these genres will be so blurred that mash-ups will be a genre itself. Attack Attack! seem to fully believe in a future like this and their show at the 9:30 Club was proof of this, not just based on their sonic assault but in the diversity of fans in the crowd.
As it stands now, Cleveland, Ohio’s Attack Attack! is very much ingrained in the metalcore scene. Since their inception they haven’t been afraid to incorporate aspects from other genres into their metalcore base. They’re one of the rising heavy bands who are attempting to be crossover acts, whether intentionally or not, but adding more overt pop and techno elements into their sound that were absent from similar bands not a decade before.
Although for Attack Attack!, up until recently, this has been something of a hindrance for them rather something they could count as a strength. At their core, they are a band with a lot of ideas, which is something in their favor. It often materialized as a bit of a mess and a band trying to go in too many divergent directions.
What’s been encouraging about the band is how much of they’ve progressed since their last album and how that’s transformed the band as a whole. Where unrestrained ideas once stood, the band’s sound is now cohesive. They’re still a little rough around the edges but it’s a fairly dramatic shift and it benefits their live sound.
There are two changes that have affected the band for the better. The first is a bit of a minor change and indicative of a band just progressing. Their sound in general has become more streamlined. They still rely on a heavy bass line over chugging guitars but it seems like they’re more conscious of how those blend with the sounds coming from different areas.
This also affects the non-traditional aspects of their metalcore sound. Attack Attack! has always seemed fascinated with inserting techno and synth-pop beats, and with a more straight ahead mentality, it doesn’t seem so out of place.
Although it was even more interesting about that aspect of the band was how those sounds were pushed further into the background than they normally are. It’s not surprising considering their lead singer Caleb Shomo is responsible for the band’s programming. There’s a lot of demand on him vocally that it would be hard for him to concentrate on much else. As a result it becomes more atmospheric than a tangible part of the concert, and Attack Attack! is better off for it.
The seond change is the major one. Shomo, who’s been the lead singer of the band for the last two years, changed up his vocal style dramatically in those two years. When he started out as their vocalist, his vocals were more of a death metal growl. This has a bit of an inauthentic feel to it and was just another thing that seemed out of place. Since then he’s moved closer towards a hardcore scream, which has a more organic feel transitioning to straight singing, especially with how they’ve cut out a lot of the band’s excess.
All of this led to more appealing live show. Attack Attack!’s pace never shifted from up tempo whereas in the past they might have been inclined to shift things around, losing a lot of momentum and the audience in the process. That’s something they were able to avoid, allowing their mash-up tendencies to energize the audience.
Stephen Bradley is an avid music listener. Read more of his work in Riffs at the Washington Times Communities.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
