Is there not a whiff of conflagration in the air? Clermont-Ferrand-based Attack Mods have recently appeared on our radars with a couple of singles, including one in collaboration with neo metal band Hed Pe, and have just released The Hooligans EP. What's on the menu? Post-apocalyptic industrial, a desolate, violent world and an atmosphere of revolution: ok, we are all ears.
With a backdrop like this, we were hoping for a raw sound, something that scraped, that smelt of dust and petrol on the tarmac. Attack Mods take on this dirty, immediate side, but not before establishing a threatening climate with the whistling intro to the title track, the breath before the storm. Raging intensity, a biting guitar looping its resentment between two lulls: the tone is one of anger, revolt and ultra-violence. After a teasing start, it's great to hear it explode on Resistance, where a few samples suffice as vocals to create a sensation of collapse and panic.
Yet Attack Mods is not all fury, or at least it knows how to contain it: New World Warrior is all about holding back emotions and, with its minimalist electronics taking precedence over the guitar (sometimes reminiscent of a meeting between John Carpenter and the Nine Inch Nails of recent years), imposes a tension that is ultimately more anxiety-provoking than when the strings occupy the space. A little surprise: while we were expecting a crescendo leading to a new demonstration of violence, Virus presents a more desperate side of Attack Mods. We particularly appreciate the retro-futuristic melody that finds its way in here and there.
As the EP progresses, you often find yourself forgetting that Attack Mods have vocals too, even though they are very much present, so much so that you're guided by the furious riffs or the more subdued cinematic atmospheres. In fact, that's where the project's strength lies, as illustrated by the closing track U65 and its guitar that's expressive enough not to notice the absence of lyrics. The Hooligans is an EP in the image of his world, which he convincingly brings to life: abrasive and enraged, unadorned but sincere.
