Remember when it seemed like every time you turned around another sub-sub- sub-sub genre of some other sub-sub genre that was really “the shit” seven hours ago popped up to pollute the already overcrowded HC/punk bin at yr local floppy black spinny spot. All the while good, bare bones, solidly played stuff was only to be found on records you’d taped for friends too many times to count? “Goddamn!!!!” you’d scream, “When will this shit end! When will someone come along and crush these weak ass perpetrators of so called hardcore punk rock?!?!?!” Well motherfuckers the past couple of years have treated you like a real winner (for once, ya buncha terminal losers). With the emergence of such killer acts as DIRECT CONTROL, GOVERNMENT WARNING, DEAD STOP, STRUNG UP, and hella more, raw “old school” hardcore is back with an iron fisted, steel toed, cupcake baking vengeance! But you already know all about that, right? Well I want to let you in on a little secret, you are missing out on one of the best bands bringing this shit full force right now…I’m talking about Chicago’s own I ATTACK! Rising from the ashes of hometown heroes LOS CRUDOS, these south-siders have been brutalizing local ears for a few years now and have reached an absolute boiling point. Forget compartmentalizing them, hardcore, skate punk, street punk, thrash, whatever… don’t worry ‘bout it. These guys are just five down ass gnarly dudes busting the shit outta their instruments to bring you some of the most ruthless and relentless, pose-free punk rock this town has ever seen. Rob’s lyrics are as surly and honest as any out there, as he takes in his surroundings, chews them up, and spits them out like an M-16. The drums are just sick, and the guitars will cut you the shit up. Their self titled debut LP on A Wrench In The Gears Records was an instant classic with songs like “Skate City Riot” (which while I’ve long since given up the wheelie board for the sake of me not embarrassing my clumsy self , makes me feel like I NEED to go out and thrash the city wide open, or at least bust out some cop car windows!), “Freedom," and their absolutely amazing theme song “I Attack” (duh). This record must be obtained if you want to have the proper soundtrack for breaking bottles over some chump’s head. Their follow up EP, released on Criminal I.Q. Records, continues the ballistic bruising with some fucking waste laying guitar sounds and more of that un-apologetic lyrical assault they’ve become known for. Live they are a force to not-be-fucked-with, it’s all a blur of speed, aggression, and 40 year old ragers arm in arm with zit covered teenagers singing along and straight wrecking shit. I hope for your sake that they decide to bring their hate skate to your town, because trust me, you are going to fucking DIE!!!! Check out some songs HERE, and be at The Beat Kitchen in Chicago tonight for their all-ages show with the reformed GERMS at 7pm. Also catch them at another all-ages house party show at the Butcher Shop on Saturday July 29th
