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This Means War (Attack Attack! album)

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This Means War is the third studio album by American metalcore band Attack Attack!.[3] It was released on January 17, 2012, through Rise Records. Initially scheduled to be produced by John Feldmann (who previously produced tracks for the band's reissue of their self-titled album), production was instead handled by frontman Caleb Shomo in his home studio,[2] making it the band's only album not to be produced by Joey Sturgis.

This Means War
Studio album by
Attack Attack!
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2012
RecordedOctober 2011
Genre
Length36:24
LabelRise
ProducerCaleb Shomo[2]
Attack Attack! chronology
Attack Attack!
(2010) 		This Means War
(2012) 		Long Time, No Sea
(2021)
Singles from This Means War
  1. "The Motivation"
    Released: December 20, 2011
  2. "The Wretched"
    Released: January 12, 2012
  3. "The Revolution"
    Released: July 1, 2012

It is also the only album to feature Shomo on both singing and screamed vocals, after the departure of former singer/guitarist Johnny Franck. It was also the final album by the band before its disbandment in 2013, until the band reunited in October 2020.

This Means War received generally mixed to fairly positive reviews from music critics, with some commending it as an improvement over the band's previous material, while others criticized its use of formula. It has since become the band's most commercially successful album to date, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling more than 17,000 copies in its first week.

Background

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In October 2011, the band began recording the album.[4] On November 6, 2011, it was announced that the album was completed.[5] On November 14, 2011, it was announced that This Means War would be released on January 17, 2012. Along with this news they also posted dates for the "This Means War Tour" with supporting acts The Ghost Inside, Sleeping with Sirens, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, and Dream On, Dreamer.[6] The band headlined the This World Is Ours Tour with Escape The Fate and the Word Alive from April to May 2012.[7]

On November 20, 2011, Attack Attack! filmed a music video for the song "The Wretched."[8] On December 13, 2011, the first single titled "The Motivation" was streamed on YouTube and was released for digital download on December 20, 2011.[9] On January 12, 2012, the band debuted the music video for the second single off the album, "The Wretched".[10] On July 1, they premiered a music video for the third single, "The Revolution".[11]

Composition

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In an interview with Loudwire, drummer Andrew Wetzel stated that the band went into the writing process without "anybody on the outside to touch anything on this record." The group went into the recording studio without talking to anybody for 35 days and came out with the album.[12] Guitarist Andrew Whiting described the record as "heavier and darker" and noted how the writing process was different since the departure of former clean vocalist and rhythm guitarist Johnny Franck.[13] Speaking about the song titles, the band titled them in a way that "acts of a play or the chapters of a book" to make it "one coherent story."[12] The album's concept is about soldiers going to war which for the band, is a metaphor for "what it's like to be in a band and go on tour."[12] The album was produced by Caleb Shomo and was recorded in October 2011.[13] Whiting felt that self-producing the album rather than working with past producers like Joey Sturgis or John Feldmann helped them find their "core sound."[13] The group spent working on instrumentals on most of the songs first, before Shomo wrote them.[13]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60%[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com     [15]
AbsolutePunk(40%)[16]
AllMusic     [17]
Alternative Press     [18]
Bloody DisgustingSlightly favorable[19]
Consequence of Sound     [20]
Kerrang!     [21]
Melodic     [22]
Metal Hammer          [14]
The Washington PostSlightly favorable[23]

This Means War received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, the album has a score of 60 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews based on 6 critics".[14] Gregory Heaney of Allmusic gave the album a 3.5/5 rating and said "Attack Attack! strip down their sound and focus on heaviness, making This Means War their hardest hitting and most coherent record to date" and continued "by not trying to force an evolution, Attack Attack! have managed to actually push their sound in a new and interesting direction".[17] Alternative Press noted that "This Means War exhibits admirable growth, but if Attack Attack! radically purged themselves of all their pop predilections in favor of more savage riffage and chattering electronics, they’d set the bar so high, they’d be touring with the Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge’s Kurt Ballou would wear their shirts onstage."[18] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post noted that "Ohio-based Attack Attack!’s main claim to fame is its alleged authorship of crabcore, in which band members squat-walk like crabs", and while the band members are "viewed as insufficiently ferocious scenesters by hard-rock purists", Attack Attack! "changed things up slightly on its latest outing, a pop-metal concept album that places most of its emphasis on metal."[23] Stewart concluded that "Although Attack Attack! has never sounded tighter or smarter, this latest effort will never find an audience on the dance floor."[23] Other reviews were much more negative. About.com gave the album a 2 out of 5 and stated that This Means War "is stale and predictable" and lacking imagination, and that while heavy metal music should change, "it shouldn’t sound like this."[15] Sloane Daley of Punknews.org commented that while the album "is a step in the right direction for Attack Attack!", the "progress feels like it might be a band plateauing."[24] Consequence of Sound webzine was severely critical, giving the album 1.5 out of 5 stars, saying that the album was a "deluge of whining that’s lyrically incomprehensible" that "becomes sonically dull after one song."[20] Consequence of Sound continued on to say that the only sonic stamp to separate the band from similar metalcore acts are its electronic flourishes.[20]

Speaking about the album in retrospect, Wetzel felt that the process started off "really strong but the cycle fell off really hard with no one around to push."[25]

Commercial performance

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This Means War has since become the band's highest-charting album to date, debuting and peaking at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than 17,000 copies in its first week.[26] The album peaked at number four on the Top Rock Albums chart,[27] number four on the Top Alternative Albums chart,[28] at number two on the Independent Albums chart,[29] and number two on the Hard Rock Albums charts.[30] On iTunes, it peaked at number one on the Rock charts[31] and charted at number eight overall.[32] It also reached number 120 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[33]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Attack Attack![34]

No.TitleLength
1."The Revolution"4:11
2."The Betrayal"3:26
3."The Hopeless"3:37
4."The Reality"3:50
5."The Abduction"3:01
6."The Motivation"4:06
7."The Wretched"4:06
8."The Family"3:11
9."The Confrontation"3:36
10."The Eradication"3:21
Total length:36:24

Personnel

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Attack Attack!
Production
  • Caleb Shomo – production, recording, mixing
  • Sean Mackowski – vocal engineering
  • Dave Shapiro – booking
  • Joey Simmrin – management
  • Megan Thompson – art direction, design, photography

Charts

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Chart performance for This Means War
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[33] 120
US Billboard 200[35] 11
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[29] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] 4

References

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  1. ^ Christian Law (January 16, 2012). "Attack Attack! – This Means War Review". We Got This Covered. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Attack Attack! wrap recording "This Means War"". Indie Star. Reiniku Films. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Exclusive: ATTACK ATTACK! "This Means War" album tracklist". Indie Star. Reiniku Films. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Attack Attack! post studio update, recording new album". Alternative Press. October 24, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  5. ^ "Attack Attack! complete new album". Alternative Press. November 6, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Michael Bird (November 14, 2011). "Attack Attack! announce new album, 2012 headlining tour dates". Alternative Press. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  7. ^ Matt Ramone (February 8, 2012). "Escape the Fate / Attack Attack! (US / Canada)". PunkNews.org. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Caleb Shomo official twitter". Twitter.com. November 20, 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  9. ^ "The Motivation - Single by Attack Attack!". Apple Music. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  10. ^ "Attack Attack! Take No Prisoners on 'The Wretched' -- Video Premiere". Noisecreep. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Attack Attack! release "The Revolution" music video". Alternative Press. July 1, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Liz Ramanand (February 8, 2012). "Attack Attack! Drummer Andrew Wetzel Talks New Album, Touring + More". Loudwire. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Stephanie Castor (February 29, 2012). "Interview: Guitarist Andrew Whiting of Attack Attack! on the Band's Evolution and New Album, 'This Means War'". Guitar World. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "This Means War by Attack Attack!". Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b Jervis, Marcus. "Attack Attack! - This Means War Review". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  16. ^ Ryan Gardner (January 16, 2012). "Attack Attack! - This Means War - AbsolutePunk.net". Absolute Punk. Buzz Media. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  17. ^ a b Gregory Heaney. "This Means War". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  18. ^ a b Jason Pettigrew. "This Means War from Attack Attack!". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  19. ^ Key, Sammy (19 January 2012). "[Review] Attack Attack! 'This Means War'". Bloody Disgusting. The Collective. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  20. ^ a b c De Revere, Paul (10 January 2012). "Album Review: Attack Attack! – This Means War". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  21. ^ "This Means War - Attack Attack!". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  22. ^ Kaj Roth (January 15, 2012). "Attack Attack! - This Means War". Melodic. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Stewart, Allison (13 January 2012). "Music review: Attack Attack!'s 'This Means War' isn't made for dancing". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  24. ^ Sloane Daley (January 24, 2012). "Attack Attack! This Means War". Punknews.org. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  25. ^ "Self Titled. TMW started really strong but the cycle fell off really hard with no one around to push". Formspring. April 26, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  26. ^ Keith Caulfield (January 25, 2012). "Adele's '21' - Biggest No. 1 Album Since 'Bodyguard'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  27. ^ a b "Top Rock Albums: Week of February 4, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  28. ^ "Attack Attack! Chart History: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Attack Attack! Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  30. ^ "Attack Attack! Chart History: Hard Rock Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  31. ^ Tate, Jason (17 January 2012). "Attack Attack! Currently Number 1 on iTunes Rock Charts". Absolute Punk. Buzz Media. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  32. ^ "The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store". Associated Press. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.[dead link‍]
  33. ^ a b "Nielsen SoundScan Charts". Jam!. Sun Media. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. ACE Repertory. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  35. ^ "Attack Attack! Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
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