ATTIKA

[Temple of Blood]

I was wondering if any of you guys could describe the style of this band for me and tell me what their best album is.

[Prof]

Ah, let me reply to this one, as Attika are one of those American acts that were criminally underrated in their time and have been largely ignored and forgotten since - except by you, it seems.
Describing their style is not the easiest of things: on both 'When heroes fall' (Massacre Records, 1993) and the 2003 Cult Metal Classics re-release of their debut 'Attika' (recorded in '87/'88) they managed to craft a heavily NWoBHM-influenced sound uniquely their own. That the band always sounded intense and exceptionally raw (their recordings have a great 'live' sound) is in no large amount due to no budget production and to Robert VanWar's raspy, almost screamy vocals that are instantly recognizable. His voice truly transports despair and anger, there's no other one quite like it.
The promotional sticker that Massacre put on the brilliant 'When heroes fall' album has the text 'Power and thrash with melody from Florida! Join the reign of power!' Oh well. Somehow this cover blurb misses the mark completely, as Attika were as far removed from thrash (or regular US-power metal) as they were from death metal. Only VanWar's intense vocal delivery could perhaps be placed in the thrash genre.
A song like 'Filming the tragedy' gets me every time, with its guitar harmonies and transparent, yet heavy feeling. That one, the long 'Black Rose' and the smasher 'Deliverer' are worth the price of the disc alone. Joe Longobardi's highly melodic leads run through the entire album, just mesmerizing.

Attika may, by metal's current standards, not even remotely be considered commercially viable - and especially because of VanWar's vocals even be acquired taste - but they were truly one of a kind.
The music on the first album is even more from another age than the tunes on the second one are, but both are highly recommended if you're into the more archaic and 'difficult' stuff. In the booklet of the CMC-release, there's the band's story, as told by founder member Joe Longobardi.

[Temple of Blood]

Thanks a lot for the info Prof! I knew you guys were metal experts and could help me. A friend of mine had the album and he sent me a couple of mp3s which I am listening to now.

[Irish Coffee]

Cheers mate, how do you like ATTIKA then? Which album do you have? I have both and could easily send you some tracks, if you like...anything else you would like to hear?

[Temple of Blood]

Thanks for the offer man, but I was a bit disappointed by the two tracks I heard. They were both from the "When Heroes Fall" album.