Attila's "Party With The Devil" in Atlanta Does Not Disappoint

It’s no secret that Blueridge Rock Fest didn’t exactly go as planned. One of the many happy accidents that came from that was the impromptu festival that featured Until I Wake, Ten56, and Gideon and was headlined by Atilla in Greensboro. Since Blueridge was supposed to be their first stop in the tour, the impromptu festival filled that slot. Despite a 45-day tour, these bands showed up and put on an even better show on October 20th than I saw the first go ‘round.

Until I Wake opened and, despite a raspy voiced frontman, got the night started strong. Throughout their set they played all of their most popular songs and had some much appreciated crowd work- both to get the crowd worked up as well as give the vocalist a rest when needed. The raspy voice didn’t hold him back from the unclean sections of their biggest songs, much to the crowd’s enjoyment. Having had Until I Wake on repeat even before I saw them at the beginning of their tour, I was so excited to see them again. Their stage presence is a joy and you can tell how happy they are to be there. It’s also a joy to know how good they sound live. I was more than happy that I was able to capture some of the great moments involving crowd work the vocalist had with some of the audience who was singing along with him. If you’re able to see them on their upcoming tour with Imminence, I definitely recommend seeing them- that’s going to be a great show. 

Ten56 followed and shifted the mood. Ten56 is rooted solidly in metal, with unclean vocals almost entirely throughout. If you’re into either Resolve, Paleface, thrown, or Shadow of Intent, I highly encourage giving Ten56 a solid listen. I’m still not entirely sure why they aren’t a more popular band, but I’ll blame geography since they came from France for this tour. If you can see them on the NeverSayDie EU tour, I can’t imagine you’d leave disappointed- especially with that lineup. While ‘Shape of Water’ was the first song that I heard of theirs, it’s still one of my top recommended songs of theirs despite not being their traditional sound. Their willingness to genre jump shows their range to be able to have songs that are immensely metal yet also be able to fit right in with a less-than-metal song. They make sure to play a wide variety of songs in their set, even letting the vocalist stand on his own for a song to showcase different aspects of their musical capabilities. All this led to a great set and performance across the board. 

The crowd seemed to double in size in preparation for Gideon. Not only were there just more people but also significantly more cowboy hats that appeared out of nowhere. While I’ll never understand the connection between Gideon and country music, my respect for sticking to the bit is infinite. Whatever you want to call their music, it’s some of the hardest I’ve heard while still balancing a way to be catchy. I once asked an elder emo what band they would come out of ‘pit retirement’ for, and their quick answer was Gideon. I didn’t understand it then, but I understand it now. And if you’re wondering how they are on stage, I’m happy to say they put out the perfect amount of energy for their music. While they don’t do much crowd work, their sets are never dull or lacking. Honestly, I’m not sure how they manage that since a lack of crowd involvement is usually something that stands out to me. However, after both times I’ve seen them, I’m just noticing it now, and I’m not even mad. They put on such an excellent performance I’m not sure who would even notice it since, with their music, you really should be deep in the pit anyway. 

If the crowd doubled for Gideon, it quadrupled for Attila. And for a hometown show, I would expect nothing less. And for Attila? The crowd was just getting started. From the limited ATL HOE shirts Attila had made to the fan they brought on stage to sing an entire song, from Fronz hopping in to crowd surf, Attila did not skip a beat or disappoint. The crowd at the end of their set rivaled the crowd of the 12-band festival they helped set up post-Blueridge Rock Fest. And their own energy? Matched the crowd without hesitation. I saw Fronz excite the crowd post-Blueridge, but them exciting their hometown was a different tune entirely. Where there was pure frustration before, now it was just joy. I’ve seen a lot of crowds for different genres, but Attila’s footing deep in the hip-hop aspect of metalcore made sure the crowd covered all bases. From crowd surfing, pits, and ‘rapping’ along with Fronz to those just enjoying their incredible performance, the audience brought it just as much as Attila did. Where Gideon’s performance was musical, Attila’s was such a great blend of crowdwork and music. I’ve mentioned before how much energy can contribute to how the show goes, the energy Attila brings to the stage, and even the energy the crowd brings for Attila; there was no way that anyone in attendance left disappointed.