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Album Review: Attack Attack! ‘Attack Attack! Reissue’

Published

15 years ago

on

As a big fan of Attack Attack! it’s safe to say that I was stoked when I heard they would be doing a reissue of their self-titled sophomore effort. It seemed appropriate to me that, one year later, the album that had been the soundtrack to my summer of 2010 would return to breathe new life into the months of July and August. Listening to this album was both nostalgic and renewing for me. Read on to see what I thought of this deluxe reissue, which includes 4 new tracks, 2 remixes, and 2 acoustic pieces.
 
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The record starts off with the new tracks that are unique to this release. I really hate to say it, but this part of the album disappointed me. Vocalist Caleb Shomo’s voice seems strained, higher than usual, and seems to lack that “oomph” that I’ve come to associate with his vocal style. Opening track “Last Breath” makes good use of synthesizers and sound engineering, but still seems repetitive and lacks the commanding quality of previously released tracks. Of course, Attack Attack! doesn’t fail listeners when it comes to the breakdown of the song, but otherwise this song does not strike me as exceptional. Second track “Pick A Side” begins with a familiar sounding guitar part, and draws audiences in with a satisfactory drop. Although I enjoyed being able to hear the lyrics (I need to find the reason for life/before I am hollow inside), this song lacks a steady vocal part and seems overpowered by the guitar section. It’s also very short, leaving very little time for redemption. Again, with third track “Criminal” I was disappointed to hear a guitar part all-too-similar to previously released songs by Attack Attack! Reminiscent of Escape the Fate, “Criminal” is poppy, short, and dare I say, almost radio ready. The track is saved by an interesting technical electronic section towards the middle, but otherwise lacks the spice that was evident on the original self-titled release. The fourth new track on the reissue, “All Alone“, is a solid track, but lacked the wow-factor that typically draws me into Attack Attack’s music. It seemed bland and uncharacteristic of the Ohio four piece, rife with tired chord progressions and boring structure. In fact, it was downright sweet sounding in the eyes of a seasoned fan, and though I appreciate Attack Attack’s move in a slightly softer direction, it was not personally something I expected to hear. 
However, I was entirely impressed and excited about the second half of the new content released on this reissue. The remix of “Sexual Man Chocolate“, a personal favorite, is absolutely delicious. The opening section delights with a bubbly build-up to a fantastic drop, and seems to pump the urge to dance right into listeners’ bodies. I want to give a huge round of applause to Attack Attack! for making what is pretty much a perfect remix; they have managed to retain the integrity of the original song while at the same time completely reinventing it. Additionally, the band’s remix of AC-130 is another gem. Although the only remnant left of the original track is the fan favorite battle cry of “You’re better off dead!” this remix has an opening melody that drips down the staff until it has listeners begging for the drop. Even the most steadfast wallflowers will find the need to dance irresistibly. 
Finally, the acoustic tracks on this reissue deliver a listening experience that fans of the Punk Goes Acoustic series will certainly relish. Caleb Shomo’s voice sounds wonderful in an acoustic format, and the stripped down sound creates an excellent spotlight for the lyrics of the songs. Listening to Shomo croon out the words “Cause I don’t want to know/who you really are/I thought you would’ve learned your lesson by now” in an acoustic version of “I Swear I’ll Change” creates a raw quality that wasn’t present on the original recording, and the same goes for the acoustic version of “Turbo Swag“. The bare-bones approach to this stand-out track completely changes the impact made by the song, lending itself to a more haunting and emotional feel. These unplugged tracks are the true gems of this reissue, shining a light on the talent and power that caused me to fall in love with Attack Attack’s self-titled album in the first place. 
The Final Word: I guess it’s safe to say that although I was disappointed by some of the original songs unique to this reissue, in a way the stark contrast between new and “old” made one thing clear: Attack Attack! have an ability to take something that they’ve already shown you (the song “Sexual Man Chocolate“, for example) and reinvent it in a way that not only reminds the listener of how good it was to begin with, but also that it has the potential to be just as good if not better than the original. Listening to this album showed me that Attack Attack! are most definitely trendsetters and can therefore make use of interesting beat down sections and musical engineering that surprises – and should allow themselves to stay that way. Like oil and water, “bland” and Attack Attack! Just don’t mix. 
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Music

Marco Beltrami’s ‘Scream’ Score Gets Deluxe Reissue For 30th Anniversary

Published

3 days ago

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July 9, 2026

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Seminal slasher Scream rewrote the rules in 1996, and for its 30th anniversary,  Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings are celebrating with a new anniversary reissue of Marco Beltrami’s landmark score.

The original 14-track album returns to vinyl in a collectible “blood-soaked” sleeve on August 28.

If blood red isn’t your color, there’s good news: the reissue will also be available in many different limited-edition exclusive pressings.

In addition to the wide “Woodsboro Bloodbath” red vinyl pictured below, look for the following exclusives:

An Extended Cut Edition of the Scream (Original Motion Picture Score), featuring all 40 of the film’s cues from the 2022 Scream boxset, will also be available on CD. All formats are available to pre-order or pre-save today.

Top L-R: “Knife’s Edge” silver vinyl with poster (Target), “Surprise, Sidney” metallic blend vinyl (Barnes & Noble), “Don’t Hang Up” clear vinyl (Books-A-Million),
Bottom L-R: “I’ll Be Right Back” blue vinyl (Urban Outfitters), “Final Girl” splatter vinyl (Hot Topic), “Wrong Answer” Blood Red Splatter vinyl (Varèse Sarabande/Craft Recordings), and “Final Phone Call” blue vinyl (Indie Retail)

Marco Beltrami composed the iconic score as a then young, up-and-coming composer—one who, ironically, had never scored or even seen a horror film.

Yet just three years after he completed the University of Southern California’s rigorous scoring program, Beltrami submitted 13 minutes of music for Scream’s opening sequence and his future was forever changed. “We knew in half a minute that we had found our composer,” Craven told Variety in 2012. “The music was haunting, beautiful and totally original. Marco turned out to be shy and soft-spoken, but a fountain of ideas and innovation. I never looked back.”

Scream (Original Motion Picture Score) (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

CD Tracklist

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Sid’s House (1:12)

5. Red Herring (2:13)

6. Killer Calls Sydney (2:52)

7. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

8. Cell Phone (1:00)

9. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

10. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

11. Sid’s Doubt (1:23)

12. Bathroom (2:58)

13. Mr. Himbry Gets It (2:11)

14. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

15. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

16. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

17. Dewey and Gale (1:57)

18. Off to See Himbry (0:41)

19. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

20. Randy Almost Gets It (2:33)

21. Gale Crashes the Van (1:33)

22. They’re Crazy (9:42)

23. Sid Stabs Billy (4:24)

24. Billy’s Back (0:52)

25. End Credits (1:40)

26. Sid’s Window (0:26)

27. Gut Someone (0:13)

28. Sid Looks (0:16)

29. Billy Looks (0:24)

30. Billy to Cell (0:34)

31. Killer Calls Again (0:35)

32. Bang Into Billy (0:12)

33. Girl Talk (0:54)

34. Video Store (0:45)

35. Why She’s Here (0:16)

36. Billy Sting (0:13)

37. Prescott’s Car (0:29)

38. Hairbrush (0:38)

39. The Cue from Hell (Orchestra Only) (6:28)

40. I Don’t Care (Vocals Performed by Dillon Dixon) (3:01)

Scream – Original Motion Picture Score

Vinyl Tracklist

Side A:

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Red Herring (2:13)

5. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

6. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

7. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

8. Bathroom (2:58)

Side B:

1. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

2. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

3. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

4. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

5. They’re Crazy (9:42)

6. End Credits (1:40)

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