Attack Attack – This Means War

Attack Attack! Album Review

“This Means War”​

     Attack Attacks’ highly anticipated album “This Means War” dropped on the seventeenth to a hungry crowd, all awaiting the four piece’s next step. The band has been a household name since 2005 and also the centerfold for reformation drama. After lead vocalist Johhny Franck split ways with the group in 2011, the bands progress seemed to come to a screeching halt. I was able to catch up with Andrew Wetzle during last years Warped Tour where he simply laid out what they were trying to attempt.

     “We are tired of being known as just another crab-core band. It’s time that were are taken seriously as musicians as well as taking ourselves seriously.”

     When the reissue self-titled album was released with their new single “Criminal”, the reaction was less than positive. I think the pivotal moment of noticing their fan base’s reaction came during their performance in Cincinnati for the 2011 Warped Tour. The group had one of the largest crowds of the day, playing all hits/favorites from their past albums, but when they performed“Criminal” the crowd was completely unmotivated and obviously skeptical.

     Now this was a task that I almost deemed impossible. Seeing the transition from one of the most well-known hardcore bands to the reissue, I had believed we had seen the last of AA. But once again, Caleb Shomo has shocked me with perseverance and dedication.

    “This Means War” is a story-based album that relates specifically to the past year of AA’s life. In other interviews,Caleb has admitted that the album was based around coming home and being nearly shunned. Lyrically this idea is completely present throughout the entire album, which I think is a very admirable dedication to the overall plan. Throughout the album, The group managed to flawlessly combine the same elements of electronica/post-hardcore with a slight alternative feel that hits home pretty hard. It still contains the heaviness that you expect with the AA name, but with a new twist. Tracks such as “The Wretched” and “The Reality” still show apparent use of the group’s electronica background that fits in seamlessly with their new feel.

     In all honesty my expectations for this album were extremely low. I stand here now to say that AA are not the crab-core kids that we knew and loved; they have matured and serious about their music. I feel that even with the drastic change, it is very easy to find respect in what they are doing, and where their hearts are.

Don’t miss them tear down the Newport Music Hall January 26th with family friends Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and others.

-Zachry Earhart

No Guts No Glory Tour Newport Dec 6th

 

The No Guts No Glory’s star-studded line up for the winter tour is bound to prove a phenomenal turnout, with heavyweight headliners Miss May I and Pierce the Veil, backed by a barricade of fan favorites such as Woe Is Me, The Amity Affliction, and Let Live. The Tour is hitting Newport Music Hall on Tuesday December 6^thafter already leaving its mark all over the country.

 “The fans are amazing and it has been unreal. It’s amazing for us to be a headliner and see all of our fans supporting us and all the other bands on tour. The vibe has been awesome and it’s so cool and inspiring to tour with so many bands that we respect and love.”

Vic – Pierce the Veil

 

 “No Guts No Glory has been awesome so far, every band here is full of amazing down to earth guys that play their hearts out. The shows in Hollywood and San Antonio were incredible and so much more than expected. All the fans have been nothing but completely supportive and we love giving the performance of our lives for them”

 

Hance – Woe Is Me

 

Tuesday, December 6^th, doors open at 5:30

 

Tickets $15 ADV/$17 DOS

 

Rest assured that No Guts No glory is going to leave an inerasable mark in Ohio metal history, with a lineup this incredible the Newport is going to do nothing short of explode.

-Zachry Earhart

 

Alternative Press Tour – Four Year Strong, Gallows, and more bring the Newport to life

 I remember standing there when it hit, it was like a wave. The crowd was beyond recognizable, rather a blur of bodies and faces all screaming the same lines. Random strangers suddenly became brothers. Fists of triumph were thrown into the air as the disturbance settled; and the best part? Four Year Strong hadn’t even started yet.

The much anticipated Fall Alternative Press Tour 2011 made its first Ohio appearance last Saturday at Newport Music Hall. It was a perfect October day and the loyal fans were crowding the doors awaiting some of their favorite bands. The lineup, I’ll admit, was a little odd because of the wide variety of sub genre’s in the Punk/Pop-punk scene, but none-the-less the fans were ready to scream their hearts out.

The first band up was a group called Sharks, an English Punk Rock band from Leamington Spa. The group burst out of the gate with a wild performance to an unfortunately unmotivated crowd. In true punk fashion the group played their hearts out, but eventually the unwillingness of the crowd took its toll. By the end of their set the pit was a 3^rd full and the group was completely out of steam.

The Sweller’s were up next, as they attempted to get the crowd motivated with up-beat punk rock and great stage presence. The group is originally from Michigan but made sure that the crowd knew no one cares about sports rivalries at a rock show. Before closing their set with fan favorite “The Best I Ever Had”, the lead singer Nick Diener told the crowd “We do this for you, and we couldn’t do this without you”.

The change that happened next was unforgettable. As the third group, Title Fight from  Kingston,Pennsylvania, came on the stage the pit exploded into an uproar of moshing and screaming fans. The sudden upheaval in energy was phenomenal and completely unexpected. The group played song after song flawlessly, despite microphone issues with singer and bassist Ned Russin. When Title Fight exited the stage, the energy in the venue was still fairly high and continued to grow out of anticipation for the main act.

Gallows is a punk rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire, and they were the last thing that crowd was expecting. The energy of the building completely shifted as the wild and riot music of Gallows filled the air. The crowd was soon overwhelmed and the energy died as the group tried to regain their footing. Unfortunately this was a lost cause; even after the new lead singer Wade MacNeil got off stage and came into the pit in an attempt to get some kind of reaction from the crowd. All in all, Gallows style may have been a little bit too harsh for the AP tour.

As Gallows finished their set, the energy in the building began to creep higher and higher. The crowd started cheering as the anticipation grew for Four Year Strong to appear. The moment was almost unsettling with the crowd screaming as the group came onto the stage. I remember losing myself the moment the guitars began. A flood of intense up-beat guitar work paired with the group’s one-of-a-kind vocal duo hit the audience all at once. It was if FYS awakened a sleeping giant that was screamed every lyric right along with them. All the insecurities of the crowd had disappeared for the remainder of the show.

FYS played crowd favorites such as “Tonight We Feel Alive”, “Wasting time”, and even a few throwback tracks from their Rise Or Die Trying album (2008). All at once, as quickly as it began it ended. The group came on to play one last song to end the night and the crowd dispersed.  Saturday October 22^nd will easily be remembered as the night that one band brought an entire venue together. We were left reminiscing about high school nights, best friends, and jamming to the car stereo.

–Zach Earhart

Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys Concert Review

Location: LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH

Date: September 13, 2011

The sun shone bright September 13th as Irish-Punk lovers flocked to the LC Pavilion for the Shamrock n’ Roll Festival.

The dueling stages of the LC featured such bands as Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Street Dogs, Chuck Ragan (from Hot Water Music), The Mahones, and the Parkington Sisters. It was sure to be night full of fun, drinking and good music.

The first band to play was the Mahones, an Irish Punk band fromOntario,Canada. Although the crowd was still growing when they took the stage, The Mahones’ energy was felt the entire way through the venue. With loud, fast-paced, in-your-face punk music, the group set the tone for the night.

Up next on the Franklin University Plaza side stage at the LC was a band called The Bloody Irish Boys.  Playing after the Mahones was a bit of a setback because their music was slower, which slowed down the momentum The Mahones set rolling.

Following The Bloody Irish Boys—Street Dogs, a well-known, Boston-based Irish punk rock group that features the original singer of Dropkick. When the sound of their guitars rang out across the lawn, people came running to the stage. With magnificent stage presence and loud, crazy music, the crowd ate it up. The last song of their set had everyone singing along with the group.

After Street Dogs was the folk quartet, The Parkington Sisters.  The four sisters fromMassachusettsspun fiddle, acoustic guitar, a kick drum and four-part vocal harmonies into a warm blend of folk music with an Irish flair.

Next up on the main stage was Stiff Little Fingers – a light punk rock group from Belfast, Ireland. SLF combines a punk feel with catchy melodies and politically motivated lyrics, making their live set and message memorable. The band’s front man, Jake Burns, made a point to introduce songs and talk about the group.  Informative, yes, but it slowed down excitement of the show.

The final opening artist to perform before Dropkick Murphys was singer/songwriter Chuck Ragan. Originally from the punk group Hot Water Music, Chuck blends his unique voice and Celtic guitar style with upright bass, fiddle and drums, creating the raw feel of an acoustic set. Chuck sang songs from his new album that wandered through the topics of history, love and struggle.  Each song was moving in a different way, playing to the vast spectrum of emotions that exist within us.

At last, the crowd was primed.  They rose to their feet, shouting “Let’s go Murphys,” letting the headlining band, The Dropkick Murphys, know they were ready.

The group walked on stage and the crowd roared. Dropkick put on a captivating show, using multiple banners, collaborating with The Parkington Sisters and even bringing a magician on stage. Dropkick played crowd favorites like “Flight 69,” “Fail Me” and even old classics from their first EP, like “The Devil’s Brigade.” A special moment took place about a third of the way into the set when the group brought out stools and performed acoustically; an element of their set that the crowd showed respect and admiration for.

Dropkick performed with raw energy, passion and spirit as they sang into the night. By the end of the show, there was no doubt that Columbus Celtic-Punk fans were overjoyed.  The fans retreated from the LC after an energy-draining show, but they will return with the infamous “Let’s go Murphys” chant accompanying them again.

Zachry Earhart

Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club Concert Review

Location: Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH

Date: September 13, 2011

Tuesday night marked Ireland’s electro pop-rockers, Two Door Cinema Club’s second time to shake-down Newport Music Hall. The band came to Columbus accompanied by the indie-rockers, The Lonely Forest, and British folk/indie band, Bombay Bicycle Club. I saw Two Door at Newport back in January of this year, and had a great time. I arrived at the show full of excitement and ready to dance.

The Lonely Forest and Bombay Bicycle Club set the night off right with solid performances. The night quickly took a humorous turn while waiting for Two Door Cinema Club to begin their set. An elderly man had been displaying some awesome dance moves on the balcony the whole night. When the ever-famous song “Sandstorm” came on, everyone began cheering him on, while he boogied down. I don’t think I was the only person in the crowd wishing he was my dad. Now was what we were all waiting for, the lights began to pulse as Two Door made their way to the stage.

Lead singer, Alex Trimble began to sing and bassist, Kevin Baird, set the beat. A beautiful set with pearl-like circular lights lit the backdrop for the band. The band opened with one of my favorite tunes “Cigarettes in the Theatre.” A dance party ensued, and it was clear this was going to be a fun night. The crowd was lively and the band responded by commenting on their admiration for their Columbus fan-base. My favorite part of the night was the performance of a new song titled “Handshake.” This mellow rock tune was well-received by the crowd, and is sure to be the band’s next hit. The crowd’s energy intensified with each song, but I could feel a hint of anticipation in the air. What was everyone waiting for? Of course, it was the band’s performance of their biggest hit “I Can Talk.” The crowd went wild as the recognizable “Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh’s” began to fill everyone’s ears. As I spun around, dancing to my favorite TDCC song, I couldn’t help but notice every mouth singing along and every person rocking some moves (including Mr. Grandpa balcony dancer).

Lights off, stage clear, deep breath. Two Door left us all wanting more. Although I preferred the set from their January show, this show sounded even better and the band’s stage presence is clearly improving. The show was fun and musically interesting. With their signature high-pitched guitar licks and danceable beats, Two Door is certainly a band to watch. Be sure to check out their album “Tourist History” and upcoming shows.

Lauren Zacharias