Attica Rage at The Hydrant, 24 May 2012

Attica Rage certainly put on a show not to be missed. Unfortunately, many people did miss this gig, leaving even The Hydrant looking spacious. Not that this was going to stop Attica showering every person that walked in with ballsy, no holds barred, metal that forces the breathe out of you like a punch to the gut. Travelling all the way from Scotland to bring us their own breed of old school but powerful metal, the night begins hard, with their track 36 Insane pummelling you with solid beats, chuggy riffs and gruff, testosterone filled vocals. Throw a shredtastic solo into the mix, and you have the perfect Attica opener, setting you up for a 13 song set list of unrelenting clout. Throughout the night, even with a minimalistic crowd, the band still gave it their all, with confidence and a clear pride in every one of their songs and managing to engross the ‘intimate’ crowd into every song, be it through relentless hair thrashing or clapping to the beat through the more mellow songs. Attica proved themselves to be a diverse band capable of many things, not least putting across a few softer, anthemic ballad type tracks, whilst still able to put across the raw power and emotion, as demonstrated beautifully, half way through the set, with Ashamed, off of their latest album Road Dog. By the end of the night, the set was back up to full tempo, and the band delivers us one of their heaviest songs of the night, Back to the Old School, to send us on our way. Perhaps the perfect ending to the night, reinforcing the way they came on stage and reminding the audience of everything Attica are about – forceful vocals, wailing, emotive guitar solo’s and nothing but unreserved power. Not to mention an absolutely killer breakdown midway through, which, had everyone’s hair scraping the floor!
The chances are that you missed these guys and the great acts on before them (who B-Metal will be reporting on soon) and you really should be kicking yourselves, as you missed out on a great night. The sparse crowd did not deter these guys, who delivered a phenomenal and professional length set as if they were playing Wembley Arena. If these guys grace us with their presence again, I urge you to check them out. But don’t be surprised if they’re playing a bigger and more expensive venue, as these guys are already well on their way up the ladder of success. If the venue they next play in Brighton is more expensive, don’t even think twice. You will not be disappointed.
Be sure to check out their website for all of their links and merch, as well as two killer albums. 

http://atticaragemerch.com/

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