Attack Attack! (American band)

Attack Attack!
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2007
Headquarters	Westerville, Ohio, United States
Products	Studio albums, EPs, singles

Attack Attack! is a metalcore group originating from Westerville, Ohio, formed in 2007 under the initial name Ambiance. After independently releasing their debut EP the same year, they secured a contract with Rise Records. Their discography includes three studio albums—Someday Came Suddenly, Attack Attack!, and This Means War—all distributed through Rise Records. The band parted ways with the label in 2012 and officially disbanded in 2013 following a final tour. On October 19, 2020, Attack Attack! revealed plans to reunite with a lineup blending original and new members.

Formation (2007)

The band came together in 2007 when Johnny Franck, Andrew Whiting, Nick White, and Andrew Wetzel connected with Austin Carlile while involved in local high school music projects. Caleb Shomo joined as the keyboardist, prompting the adoption of the name Attack Attack!. They recorded tracks at a nearby studio and promoted their work via Myspace. Initially, drummer Andrew Wetzel, the eldest member, also took on managerial duties for the group. In May 2008, Eric Rushing from The Artery Foundation signed them to Rise Records; due to some members being minors, parental approval was necessary. The recordings from 2007 were released as the EP If Guns Are Outlawed, Can We Use Swords?. David Shapiro of the Agency Group arranged national tours for the band.

Someday Came Suddenly (2007–2009)

Attack Attack! launched their first full-length album, Someday Came Suddenly, through Rise Records in November 2008. Several songs were re-recorded versions of those from their EP. Despite receiving mixed critical feedback, the album debuted at number 193 on the Billboard 200 chart with over 3,600 copies sold during its opening week and reached number nine on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. By April 2010, sales had climbed to 70,000 units.

During autumn 2008, they toured alongside Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, A Static Lullaby, Showbread, and Confide. Midway through this tour, vocalist Austin Carlile was replaced by Nick Barham—brother of Gabe Barham from Sleeping With Sirens—due to Carlile's conduct as stated by drummer Andrew Wetzel. Early in 2009, the band supported Escape the Fate on tour and appeared on a smaller stage at Warped Tour 2009.

In June 2009, they released a music video for their debut single "Stick Stickly," which drew criticism and led to the viral "crabcore" meme because of guitarist Andrew Whiting's unique stance. A live video for "Dr. Shavargo Pt. 3" followed in August 2009. Additionally, their cover of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" featured on Punk Goes Pop Volume Two gained notable radio play.

In October 2009, during a headlining tour with I Set My Friends on Fire, lead singer Nick Barham announced his exit for personal reasons without any disputes. Caleb Shomo then assumed lead vocal duties while continuing as keyboardist.

Self-titled album and Franck's departure (2010–2011)

In March 2010, Attack Attack! embarked on the Artery Foundation Across The Nation Tour alongside Breathe Carolina, I See Stars, Asking Alexandria, and Bury Tomorrow. Drummer Andrew Wetzel confirmed that their sophomore album would contain ten tracks. Originally intended to be named Shazam, copyright complications resulted in it being self-titled. The first single "Sexual Man Chocolate" was released on May 16, 2010, followed by "Smokahontas" on May 25. The album dropped on June 8, 2010; it sold 15,000 copies in its initial week and debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart while also topping the Independent Albums list. That November, they headlined the This Is a Family Tour with support from Emmure, Pierce the Veil, In Fear and Faith, and Of Mice & Men.

Johnny Franck departed from the band on November 10, 2010 to dedicate himself to his faith and launched a new project named The March Ahead. A preview of a new track featuring Caleb Shomo as lead vocalist was released concurrently with this announcement. The music video for "Smokahontas," which premiered on January 21, 2011, marked Franck’s final appearance with the band and included guest appearances by Sean Mackowski (My Ticket Home) and Cody Anderson (former In Fear And Faith frontman).

In June 2011, "Last Breath" was unveiled from the deluxe edition of their second album. On July 18 that year, they premiered "Criminal," another track included in the deluxe reissue released July 19 featuring updated artwork and eight bonus songs. Attack Attack! performed at Warped Tour during summer 2011. A planned South American tour supporting Sum 41 scheduled for September was canceled due to vocalist Deryck Whibley's health issues.

This Means War era and second lineup shift (2011–2012)

Recording for the band's third studio album commenced in October 2011 and was finalized by November 6. They revealed on November 14 that This Means War would be released on January 17, 2012. Caleb Shomo handled full production of the album from his home studio. To promote the release, the band embarked on the "This Means War Tour," featuring support from The Ghost Inside, Sleeping with Sirens, and Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!. The lead single, "The Motivation," dropped on December 20, 2011, followed by music videos for "The Wretched" and "The Revolution." The album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 17,000 copies.

In 2012, after completing ten tracks produced by John Feldmann, the band announced their exit from Rise Records. These songs remain unreleased due to ongoing legal issues. The band expressed no intention to join another label and suggested that Wetzel’s label, Oxide Entertainment, might serve as a platform for future projects. They headlined the This World Is Ours Tour alongside Escape The Fate and the Word Alive.

On December 13, 2012, bassist John Holgado departed from the group. Shortly thereafter, Caleb Shomo left as well, citing struggles with mental health; he was succeeded by Phil Druyor from I Am Abomination. That same year, Shomo went on to establish Beartooth.

Attack Attack! unveiled "No Defeat" on December 19, 2012, showcasing the revamped lineup with Druyor on vocals and Tyler Sapp handling bass duties. Drummer Andrew Wetzel confirmed intentions to record additional material following this release.

Cancelled fourth album, concluding tours, and Nativ project (2013–2015)

Between January and February 2013, the band shared two video updates regarding their unreleased fourth studio album. Later that year, they resumed touring across Europe with the new lineup. On April 22, 2013, they announced the Back in Action tour would mark their final series of shows, signaling the conclusion of Attack Attack!.

Following this, the members formed a new group named Nativ, utilizing songs originally meant for the scrapped album. The ensemble consisted of Phil Druyor, Andrew Wetzel, Andrew Whiting, Tyler Sapp, and William Honto. Nativ released three tracks: "Lately," "Not Yours," and "Subtle Ticks," making their live debut at Riot Fest in September 2013. That fall, they toured alongside Sylar and Lionfight. However, in November 2013, Nativ's activities were suspended due to a legal dispute stemming from an altercation between Wetzel and Whiting.

In 2014, Druyor launched a new project called the Bad Chapter and released the single "Deal With the Devil." Meanwhile, Wetzel formed Nine Shrines in August of that year. Whiting returned to music in 2015 with his band Drudge.

Reunion phase: Long Time, No Sea, Dark Waves, and Disaster (2020–2024)

In October 2020, Attack Attack! entered the studio once more with producer Joey Sturgis and released the single "All My Life" on December 7. This lineup featured original members Andrew Wetzel and Andrew Whiting along with new additions: bassist Jay Miller (soon replaced by Cameron Perry) and vocalist Chris Parketny.

On April 20, 2021, they unveiled "Kawaii Cowboys," a fusion of country, J-pop, and metalcore influences; this was followed by "Brachyura Bombshell" on April 30. Their sophomore EP Long Time, No Sea was released in October 2021. From March through April 2022, they toured the East Coast alongside Conquer Divide and other acts before co-headlining the Level Up tour with Electric Callboy later that year.

On February 10, 2023, singles "Dark Waves" and "Paralyzed (Until We Meet Again)" were released ahead of their Dark Waves EP which launched March 31. The band supported this release with a dedicated Dark Waves tour in May 2023.

Andrew Whiting exited the band in May 2023; this departure was publicly confirmed by January 2024. His exit left Andrew Wetzel as the last remaining original member.

Attack Attack! issued the single "Concrete" on May 16, 2024, followed by "Disaster" on June 14—both tracks were written prior to Whiting’s departure but still credit him as a writer. The third single from this period, "Blood On The Walls," was released July 12 with Whiting also acknowledged for songwriting contributions. On August 23, they premiered "We All Meet Up In The End" alongside announcing their upcoming EP Disaster, which was officially released on September 20, 2024.

Attack Attack! II (2025–present)

On May 2, 2025, rumors emerged suggesting that Chris Parketny, Cameron Perry, and Ryland Raus had departed from the group, leaving Andrew Wetzel as the only remaining member. Wetzel revealed plans for a new album titled Attack Attack! II, scheduled for release on August 8. Nevertheless, the release of the singles "Dance" and "Chainless" on May 9 confirmed that Parketny, Perry, and Raus were still part of the lineup.

Musical style

Attack Attack! is known for combining elements of screamo, crabcore, electronicore, and post-hardcore with electronic music influences. Although frequently categorized as a Christian rock band, drummer Andrew Wetzel has dismissed both this label and the "emo" tag. The band draws inspiration from diverse artists such as Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, The Devil Wears Prada, and Enter Shikari.

Legacy

Attack Attack! are credited as originators of the crabcore subgenre. Their music video for Stick Stickly gained viral status, largely due to the band’s distinctive headbanging posture. According to Pitchfork, their sound merges heavy, drop-tuned metalcore riffs with blast beats, harsh vocals, Auto-Tuned choruses, and Eurodance-style synthesizers, all paired with a unique crouched stance reminiscent of crab movements. This innovative style rapidly influenced other bands and became an online phenomenon.

In 2018, Michael Siebert from Invisible Oranges described Attack Attack! as a contemporary example of outsider music—an effective fusion of contrasting styles embodying "capitalist realism." He observed that no other bands have replicated their particular eccentricity since.

Band members

Current

Andrew Wetzel – drums (2007–2013; 2020–present), keyboards (2012–2013; 2020–present)
Chris Parketny – lead vocals (2020–present)
Cameron Perry – bass, backing vocals (2021–present)
Ryland Raus – clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2022–present), lead guitar (2023–present)

Former

Ricky Lortz – clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2007)
Nick White – bass (2007–2008)
Austin Carlile – unclean vocals (2007–2008)
Nick Barham – unclean vocals (2008–2009)
Johnny Franck – clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2007–2010)
John Holgado – bass (2007–2012), backing vocals (2010–2012)
Caleb Shomo – keyboards (2008–2012), unclean vocals (2009–2012), clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2010–2012), backing vocals (2008–2009)
Phil Druyor – clean vocals (2012–2013)
Tyler Sapp – bass (2012–2013)
Jay Miller – bass, backing vocals (2020–2021); unclean vocals (2013; touring)
Andrew Whiting – lead guitar (2007–2013; 2020–2023), keyboards (2012–2013; 2020–2023); rhythm guitar (2012–2013), bass (2012)

Touring

Sean Mackowski – clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2010–2012)
Jeremy Gilmore – unclean vocals (2013)
Sean Bell – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013)

Timeline

Discography

Studio Albums

External links