Attack Attack!

The name Attack! Attack! could actually refer to a couple of bands - there’s one with that moniker from the U.S., too - but I’ll focus here on the Welsh outfit, from Caerphilly. They have a lot in common with some of their countrymen - think Funeral for a Friend’s early sound, or The Blackout before they (bizarrely) went pop and disappeared. They had an impressive rate of return where records were concerned - releasing four in six years - and toured extensively with similar-sounding bands, including Kids in Glass Houses, The Blackout and Zebrahead, guaranteeing themselves a cult fanbase in the process. Last year, though, the band released a statement to the effect that two members - Mike Griffiths and Ryan Day - were increasingly struggling to commit to full-time touring. With the other half of the group left in a difficult position, they opted to split, but only after bringing in a couple of friends to help them sign off in the fashion that their fans deserved. They lined up a thirteen-date tour of the UK, played career-spanning sets and managed to top the visceral intensity that they’d always brought to their live shows; nobody’s disputing that they went out with a serious bang.