Live Review: Attila w/Our Hollow Our Home and Rage Doll at Camden Underworld!

The 10th Anniversary of the controversial “About That Life” from Party Deathcore collective Attila brings all the boys (and girls) to the yard for a sold out show at the iconic Camden Underworld. At the time it saw the band abandon some of the lead guitar work and Death Metal moments from predecessor “Outlawed” in favour of embracing a rap influence and slab after slab of rhythmic battery and they haven’t looked back since. The prospect of the full album performance is too good to sleep on, even if the Altanta Georgia natives were only in town in February and let’s face it, it’s going to the a party! This tour is also a test of the new line up surrounding original vocalist and guitarist Tobias Young of South coast Metalcore heroes Our Hollow Our Home who released their first single together in “Downpour” just a week ago…

Not to be confused with “Rag Doll” by Aerosmith, a joke they’ve probably heard a million times at this point, Rage Doll [6/10] open the show to a filling venue and are on paper at least an interesting concept. One part Republica, one part Marilyn Mason, their  industrial tinged Pop Metal finds their vocalist giving a sultry performance against a quirky and yet deadly soundscape, her soothing uncleans contrasted perfectly by her vicious uncleans. However there are a few cracks in the concrete as the band heavily rely upon a backing track. In order to maintain a high energy level and put on a performance, their guitarist is constantly moving around the stage and given that their are guitars playing when he is not it detracts from the performance.

Our Hollow Our Home [9/10] open with new single “Downpour” which goes down a storm, the new line up proving that they are a match for the previous incarnation very quickly when it comes to live prowess. Tonight almost feels like a co-headlining show, such is the out pouring of love for the band as they rip through older cuts like “Hartsick” and get everyone off the floor with “Shatterdome” as their non stop energy proves why they are regulars on the European circuit. Cage Fight vocalist Rachel Aspe and her guitarist counterpart James Monteith, also of TesseracT are spotted in the crowd as “Idlewaves” steals the limelight, the five piece not having as much room to move around on the stage as they might like but loving every moment. The boys are back and they’re hungry for more.

It’s no surprise given all that surrounds Attila [10/10] that bassist Kalan “Kal” Blehm, guitarist Chris Linck and vocalist Chris Fronak are the only members of the band from the “About That Life” line up of the band however these songs from what remains their most successful album are why we’re here. By the time they take to the stage Camden Underworld has become a sauna of sweaty bodies. The band play the album in its entirety but not front to back, flipping the script to keep things fresh. Every single moment is a scream-a-long, everyone knowing all the words and Fronz holding out the Microphone to bask in the glory on a few occasions with cuts like  “Breakshit” getting crazy mosh pit action. The atmosphere in the venue is incredible, it feels like a home coming and everyone, band and fans, are grinning from ear to ear. “Gimmicks and Lie$” doesn’t get it’s rapped vocals, the band using it as a moment to take on board some water and breathe before tearing up “Callout” with the kind of incendiary performance that reminds us just why Attila are who they are. Once the album is done we half expect the band to disappear off stage and to return for three more but the band don’t leave the stage. After the crowd chant for “Pizza” the band bring out a guest before playing a Metalcore single from 2023 in “Bite Your Tongue“. A special night and a moment in history, the appetite is certainly here for the Party Deathcore collective to bring out 2014’s “Guilty Pleasure” for a 10th Anniversary tour next year…