By Kevin Valenzuela ‘13
THE BRONCO BEAT

Attack Attack’s new album “This Means War” dropped Jan. 17,  and with it came a new sound for the band.

In their last album, “Attack Attack!”, the band showed a unique style that separated them from all of the other metal core bands.  For example, in songs such as “Smokahontas” and “Turbo Swag,” an electronic vibe was added to separate their sound from many other bands.

However, in the Ohio natives’ most recent effort, this vibe has been dropped completely in favor of a heavier, more traditional style.

Fans seem to be responding to this change with mixed reviews.  Some argue that all the new songs sound the same and the band needs to revert back to the sound from previous album “Someday came Suddenly.”

However, this style may prove tricky to replicate for the group, as their former singer, Austin Carlile, left after that album to form Of Mice and Men with Jaxin Hall.

When all is said and done, Attack Attack’s new direction has built them a new fan base but also caused them to lose popularity from old fans.

For me personally I am pleased with the direct that Attack Attack has chosen to go with their music.  Their best album in my opinion is “Someday came Suddenly” because of the heavier sound.

Their last album for me was a pleasing change but not something I would want to see consistently from them.

Their new album has a sound that I feel suits them better. When “This Means War” was released it made it on the top 10 rock albums chart on iTunes.

The album tells the story of a dictator who the oppressed people rebel against and try to over throw.

“The Revolution” was the first song off of this album and sets up the story, with the next couple of songs proclaiming the tyrant’s corruption.

“The Abduction” is the turning point where it talks about the son of the man telling the story being taken away from him, culminating in “Confrontation,” in which the man actually confronts the dictator.

The album ends with the “The Eradication” where he finally defeats the dictator.

This album still has the Attack Attack! vibe to it but they had to make changes to their style of music due to the loss of several band members (notably clean vocalist Johnny Franck).

Overall I would strongly recommend this album if you are fan of Attack Attack! or just looking for some new music.