ATTILA's "Outlawed" is Not Bad Enough

ATTILA, (make sure it is all in caps, I guess), is a mish-mash of heavy metal and scream sounds, mixed with a healthy dose of punk attitude. Hardcore, death, speed, whatever metal you want to call it, thrash, grind, funk, groove, uniformunicornia, I'm not up to speed on labels, but ATTILA did provide a mixture that in and of itself was a slightly entertaining formula. I tried to like their album "Outlawed," but in the end I think the critic in me didn't get loosened up enough to view it as more than an occasional novelty listen, which does make it of some value. I mean, I rocked out to several of the tracks! My song by song notes are below.

"Outlawed": I think it was Jack Black that said rock needs to come running in with the beats of horse hooves. This song does that and then they shoot the horse! Unfortunately the horse was probably the one with all of the original material for the album in his head, and that went out with his brains. A short opening track, hello, this album is called Outlawed, it's going to be metal, enjoy? Maybe, nothing proven in the two minute greeting song.

"Light Me Up": Jack White joins a screamo band that changes its mind and goes death metal ala Cannibal Corpse. You can understand their lyrics more closer to a Mushroomhead band delivery though. There are some cool screech line moments that keep race with the guitar, a neat flip to the angry gorilla lines. A mish-mash and I am on the fence. Ah, screw it, rock out! Fun song, really.

"Nothing Left To Say": Imagine if the monster aliens from "Space Jam" came to rock instead of play basketball with Michael Jordan. This is THAT masterpiece.

"Another Round": More cowbell! This song could be heavy metal's chance to take over pop radio, it has that kind of hook loop element embedded in there. I mean, never going to happen, but one can dream. A semi-dumb party song though, with parts that could appeal to the Avenged Sevenfold crowd.

"Nasty Mouth": "I like girls like a like my coffee, cream and sugar and some big round ass." Ha ha. Um, this song is just kind of beat over your head, in danger of numbing you to any adrenaline from the sound.

"Smokeout": Quit trying to sing (screech) boys, the guitars are already doing it, and it's not working for me here.

"Holler At Ya Boy": Preppy metal party, metal street cred coming into question.

"Sex, Drugs, Violence": Accessible hardcore. The posturing further along into the song is kind of silly though.

"White Lightening": Listenable, but more or less a filler track filled with man screaming like a non-man witch.

"Payback": Decently orchestrated immaturity. More annoying than not.