album review ! :3

attack attack - attack attack (2010)

xxherlastwalkxx 11/26/2023

hey. it's been a while, huh?

i'm going to be so real, i kind of hated this at first. that, of course, is expected of albums that i get really attached to at this point. when an album sucks on first listen it's either going to keep sucking or become one of my favorites in a matter of months. there's not much of an inbetween. luckily, this one got the good ending. it's not super groundbreaking anymore, but it's still a really solid metalcore album. i think that back in 2010 when it was released it probably would've sounded more inventive than it does now, anyone who's into late 000s/early 2010s metalcore probably isn't super impressed by the material on this album. i think that, while its novelty isn't super pronounced (especially compared the band's previous album), it's very well done regardless. the melodies are super pretty in a way that lots of third wave emo isn't. while a lot of similar bands have brighter-sounding senses of melody (which can even be seen on someday came suddenly), this album is much darker. i think the best word to describe the feel of the album is "haunting," which makes for, in my mind, a pretty unique emo album. and this sort of vibe goes really well with themes of self-hatred, self-pity and a generally pessimistic worldview that emo likes to explore.

that being said, it's still a weird album. (it is, after all, late 2000s attack attack. lmao.) the song "shut your mouth," on paper, has no reason to be on this album. the idea of a dancey electronic song on this album is just... strange. lmao. i don't know if i'm supposed to see it as an interlude song because it's so different from all the other tracks or if it's just another song because it's attack attack. regardless, it fits surprisingly well into the tracklist. the song itself does feel like a song from this album, only mismatching the other songs by virtue of instrumentation and style rather than mood or aesthetic. the vocal melodies in the prechorus are also really quite beautiful with their sliding pitches. it's also not alone in its unique style, with electric instruments and dance beats showing up in various songs, but especially in the intro of "fumbles o'brian," the intro of which calls back to the intro track on someday came suddenly. and "fumbles o'brian" isn't just a great song title, it's also the best song on the album. it's one of the few songs that i have to increase the volume for every time, regardless of how loud it was to begin with. it's possibly the most fun you can have with a metalcore song, which is impressive given attack attack's previous material. aside from the ridiculous electronic interlude, the chorus is insanely catchy and the rest of it is just great in every possible way. great song. attack attack! we back again baby! two thousand ten!!

shawty... you on my mind... yeaheyeah......

 

rating:

4/5