Legacy groups shouldn’t have to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Many spent the greater part of a decade doing much of the heavy lifting, like Ohio’s Attack Attack!, who revolutionized the metalcore sound, gathering equal parts notoriety and criticism as a result. They know that success in music is quite the mixed bag. At this point, it would be a disservice to everyone involved to do this for material gain instead of pure fun. After lineup changes, controversies, and hiatuses, Attack Attack! may appear different on the surface, but Attack Attack II, releasing Aug 8, proves that their core remains the same.
After joining the band during their initial 2020 reunion, vocalist Chris Parketny aimed to integrate the band’s original sound with a forward-thinking approach. “There was a lot of trial and error,” he admits. “Let’s try this, let’s try that. Let’s do an EDM thing. We were kind of throwing darts at the wall.”
Ideally, an Attack Attack! record in 2025 would be “not that deep,” a phrase that followed us throughout much of the conversation. The consensus became that metalcore wasn’t always so “stuffy,” with much of it being campy and unserious in its spirit. The band harkened back to those times, when artists would have silly vlog series that accompanied tours. Everyone agreed that the genre, generally, needed a bit of TLC, mostly letting its shoulders relax for a moment to have fun without fearing the consequences. Focusing too heavily on logistics or small details only hinders the creative process.
“In my experience, the fans aren’t interested in what you’re doing, like small details. The first thing that comes to your mind is usually what’s truest to you, and what the fans resonate with the most. It’s easy for people to get really excited about something that you feel strongly and are excited about,” agrees drummer Andrew Wetzel enthusiastically.
These days, analytics and number games take precedence over the band’s needs. The days of chaotic tour bus vlog series are long gone, but they don’t have to be. Attack Attack! hopes to bring some of that back, pioneering the third wave of metalcore culture, the way they initiated its modern sound a decade ago. “You can put meat through the grinder a million times, but if you do it too much, it’ll turn into mush,” says Parketny with a grin.
Now, Attack Attack! are no longer tasked with reinventing the wheel—they’ve already coined both “crabcore” and “electronicore.” As a result, they can effectively focus on having more fun with the band and its fans. Legacy bands are gifted with not only fan mail but legions of admirers across generational gaps who resonate with the music. Some, like this journalist, were just a bit too young to go to the shows, but admired groups like Attack Attack! from the comfort of a hand-me-down LimeWire library. From the band’s perspective, all are equally appreciated, and the jury has ruled that it’s amazing that people still care about the band at all.
“Some of (the fan gifts) are really nice. I still have this canvas from a fan that says, ‘Attack Attack!’ on it with artwork that pops out, hanging up in my studio. Someone gave me a pink cowboy hat once,” laughs Parketny, as Wetzel chimes in, “I get hand-drawn pictures a lot, and people give us a lot of friendship bracelets.”
This journalist also happens to be a victim of the pony bead epidemic started by ravers and extended onto Swifties, which seeped into the rest of the live music scene. Admittedly, it’s nice to know that bands who care will treasure this stuff instead of throwing it into the abyss—a nightmare for anxious fangirls worldwide. Viral moments and genre trolling haven’t stopped the band’s traction. If anything, they’ve only gained more because of these silly side quests.
Ultimately, Attack Attack! is not only reviving a crucial part of the metalcore sound, but also scene culture as an entity. They are doing so earnestly, allowing new generations of fans to thrive in settings they may feel they missed out on. The coolest part about music is that it reaches surprising ears. Music is quite like food for the soul in that sense; flavors will taste differently to different palates, but it all digests the same, and legends like Attack Attack! satiates cravings for those hungry to embrace the art of joy and whimsy again.
Attack Attack II is out now and you can order it from the band directly here. Follow Attack Attack! on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Featured photo by Aaron Berkshire
