Is this throne crumbling?

Attila have never been interested in subtlety. Since forming in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2005 while the members were still in high school, they've built their identity around obnoxiously catchy metalcore, giant breakdowns, party lyrics, flashy attitude, and Chris “Fronz” Fronzak's unmistakable vocal delivery. CONCRETE THRONE still has plenty of those ingredients, but the problem is that the band seem less certain about how they want to put them together. There are flashes of the Attila that longtime listeners know, along with some interesting attempts at country, trap, deathcore, djent, and electronic influences. Unfortunately, several of those experiments feel more like ideas than fully developed songs, and the production often doesn't give the heavier material the punch it needs.

“CONCRETE THRONE” opens with distorted guitars, simple drums, and deep bass before Fronz comes in with his familiar combination of low screams and processed vocals. The basic riff has the right foundation, but the production immediately feels thinner than expected. The guitars don't have much physical weight, and even when the breakdown arrives, it doesn't hit with the force you'd expect from Attila. The riffs are there, but they sound strangely restrained, like someone turned down the part of the mix that is supposed to make you want to punch a wall.

“BIG DAWGS” featuring Don Louis takes things in a completely different direction with twangy country-rock guitars and laid-back rap. Attila have always mixed party music and hip-hop into their sound, so the concept isn't completely out of nowhere. The problem is that the country influence becomes the gimmick rather than something that naturally fits the songwriting. The heavier sections feel almost inserted to remind you that this is still Attila, while the country portions sound like they belong to another song. It's an interesting idea, but the execution doesn't fully connect.

“HANDSHAKES WITH SNAKES” gets much closer to what I wanted from the album. The djent-flavored chugs have more bite, the bass has some actual weight, and the combination of cleaner and harsher vocals gives the track more personality. The drums aren't particularly complicated, but the riffs are tighter and more focused. It doesn't need to reinvent anything. It just needs to sound confident, aggressive, and fun, and this is one of the moments where Attila remember exactly how to do that.

“GRIFTER” unfortunately loses some of that momentum. Distorted synths, compressed drums, and heavily processed vocals create a dark modern atmosphere, but the track never develops enough weight to make those ideas convincing. Even the breakdown feels smaller than it should. “BITE YOUR TONGUE” is more cohesive, using cleaner guitars and softer vocals before returning to heavier sections. There's a strong early-to-mid-2010s metalcore influence here, but the formula is familiar enough that it doesn't leave much of an impression.

“Killdozer” has the ingredients for a proper Attila crusher: massive riffs, thick bass, heavy drums, strange samples, and sirens. Fronz sounds more comfortable here, and the guitars have some solid ideas, but once again the production holds the song back. You can hear how big the riffs are supposed to sound without actually feeling that size. “ROCK$TAR” has a similar problem from a different angle. The hard-rock guitars, simplistic lyrics, and distant sirens are clearly aiming for an exaggerated rock-star atmosphere, but the result feels more cheesy than entertaining. Attila can absolutely be ridiculous, but the ridiculousness needs enough personality behind it to make it memorable.

“I DON'T DRINK, I GET DRUNK” featuring Shi Eubank continues the country experiment, and for me it lands even less effectively than “BIG DAWGS.” The twangy guitars and washed-out vocals aren't terrible individually, but the song never fully decides whether it's a country-rock party track or an Attila song. The drinking theme also feels like a callback to the band's established persona rather than something that adds another dimension to it.

“AMERICA'S REJECTS” is more convincing because the electronic elements actually interact with the heavier material. The riffs have more size, the vocals are more aggressive, and the glitchy production gives the song some texture. It's still not a standout, but at least the different influences feel like they're working together. “ATL” should have been another easy win considering the band's Atlanta roots. The heavier riffs and more aggressive delivery are promising, but the chorus shifts back toward hard rock and the guitar solo feels disconnected from the rest of the arrangement. The idea is there; the execution just doesn't completely land.

Then “PRESSURE” featuring Will Ramos finally makes the album fucking wake up. The riffs are tighter, the drums hit harder, the vocals become more extreme, and blast beats push the song further into deathcore territory. More importantly, Will Ramos doesn't feel like a celebrity feature dropped onto a normal Attila track. His presence actually pushes the band to become heavier. For once, all the different elements are pulling in the same direction. The production also gives the low end more room to hit, making this one of the clearest examples of what the album could have sounded like with more commitment.

“DOG PACK” closes things out with trap-inspired production, deep chugs, bouncy drums, thick bass, and guest vocals from Smoke Chapo. Surprisingly, this experiment works better than several of the earlier genre switches. The electronic elements feel integrated into the rhythm, the clean vocals fit the arrangement, and the hip-hop influence actually gives the song movement. It isn't perfect, but at least it sounds like an idea that was developed into a song instead of simply being added for novelty.

That's ultimately the biggest issue with CONCRETE THRONE: the experiments aren't necessarily the problem. Attila have every right to try something different after two decades of making music. The problem is that some of these ideas feel like the band are showing you the influence instead of actually incorporating it. “PRESSURE” works because deathcore makes the song heavier. “DOG PACK” works because the trap elements become part of the groove. “HANDSHAKES WITH SNAKES” works because the djent influence strengthens the riffs. Meanwhile, “BIG DAWGS” and “I DON'T DRINK, I GET DRUNK” lean so heavily into country that the songs sometimes feel like novelty tracks.

The guitars are still capable of producing some strong riffs, especially when Attila lean into the heavier material. The problem is the production frequently makes them sound thinner than they should. The bass occasionally provides the necessary body, particularly on “PRESSURE” and “DOG PACK,” but it often disappears underneath the guitars. The drums are competent but rarely stand out, with “PRESSURE” being one of the few tracks where the more aggressive patterns genuinely add another level of intensity. Fronz remains instantly recognizable, but some of the vocal processing is so heavy that it takes away from the personality of his performance.

The production is probably the biggest problem overall. Attila's music needs to sound huge, stupid, and physical. CONCRETE THRONE sometimes sounds like it's holding itself back. The guitars lack weight, some of the drums feel compressed, and the vocal effects occasionally flatten the performances. When everything clicks on “PRESSURE,” you can hear how much better these songs could sound with a more powerful mix.

I also think Attila need to trust themselves more. They already have an identity. They don't need to throw country, trap, hard rock, industrial electronics, and deathcore at the listener just to prove they're changing. The strongest moments happen when the new ideas actually make the existing Attila formula stronger. “HANDSHAKES WITH SNAKES” gives the riffs more bite. “PRESSURE” makes them heavier. “DOG PACK” gives them a different groove. That's enough.

CONCRETE THRONE isn't completely without merit. There are good riffs, recognizable vocals, some genuinely fun experiments, and a few moments where the old Attila energy comes roaring back. But too many tracks feel like they're one or two songwriting decisions away from being memorable. The party attitude is still there, but sometimes it feels recycled rather than naturally coming from the music.

Attila don't need to become a completely different band. They just need to make the weird ideas serve the songs instead of becoming the songs. When they do that, CONCRETE THRONE works. When they don't, it feels like a collection of half-developed experiments sitting on top of a production mix that doesn't hit hard enough.