Attack Attack! makes changes to the band, but are they good or bad?
Posted by The Skyliner on March 3rd, 2010Taylor Edwards
Staff Writer
American hardcore band Attack Attack! was formed in 2005. Attack Attack! started out as a six-piece band made up of Austin Carlile, Johnny Franck, Andrew Whiting, Caleb Shomo, John Halgado and Andrew Wetzel. Hailing from Westerville, Ohio, the members of Attack Attack! brought a unique sound with them, mixing the generic hardcore sound with techno-like melodies and using auto tune for their lead singer’s voice.
Their somewhat original sound took the popular music scene by storm, gathering large crowds of fans quickly. Was this just because of the way their music sounded, or because they performed well on a live stage? In a way, both. But there was something else that brought them hundreds of fans—their explicitly Christian lyrics. These were lyrics that only a true follower of Christ would have been able to write.
One example is their song “Catfish Soup,” that features lyrics saying “Hallelujah/I’ve been saved by grace/Hallelujah/Saved by grace/And this is why/I’ve been saved by His grace.” Attack Attack! was by no means the first band to have explicitly Christian lyrics in their music, but for a band in this type of genre, lyrics like these are few and far between. Showing what kind of people and what kind of a band they were with these lyrics gained Attack Attack! many Christian fans who found that they could identify with the band while also enjoying their music.
However, in 2008, things began to change, causing many fans to turn against the band. To start, Attack Attack! kicked out their screamer Austin Carlile. Some say they booted him because he was being too forceful with his Christianity, and some say it was because he was not living like a Christian. Either way, his exit was a bad blow for the band.
Carlile’s vocals had become a well-known part of Attack Attack! He had also written the lyrics for their debut album Someday Came Suddenly. After they lost Carlile, the band recruited Nick Barham to be their screamer. But Barham was a negative influence and only helped to bring the band down further. By this time, the band was starting to show its true colors, and they were not those of true Christians. They began cursing on and off stage and generally living like the world, something totally contrary to how they had presented themselves in the lyrics of their first album.
Around the time Barham got on board, Attack Attack! recorded two music videos for their song “Stick Stickly” that were met with more criticism than praise.
In late 2009, Barham left the band. Since then, the members of Attack Attack! have made only bad decisions. Caleb Shomo, the keyboard player, replaced Barham. Shomo’s vocals were completely different than those of Carlile and Barham. This change only led to more criticism from fans. To top it all off, the band recently recorded their new single, “Sexual Man Chocolate.” The problem with that song seems to be self-explanatory.
Sadly, with all that has happened to Attack Attack! in the past two or three years, it almost feels as if I were writing an obituary for them. My only suggestion for the band is that they take a few steps back, read their old Christian lyrics and have a complete turnaround.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 6