Droids Attack

Madison has developed an intense relationship with neo-punk stretched across heavy metal architecture, mixing testosterone with a heavy dose of humor. Crustacean Records defines and refines this sound and Droids Attack's all your chicks are belong to us is an impressive addition to their roster. The guitars are tightly distorted with a chunky, metal edge while the vocals are delivered with a screaming punk-rock angst and wit. Droids Attack uses their disarmingly lighthearted approach to raging metal in an admirable attempt to keep every fist pumping in the air without ever taking themselves or their music too seriously.
The album begins with a robot voice delivering the history of droid ascendancy in mock Terminator style. But the machine is quickly overtaken by a very human and very dramatic seque into their first tune, "Droids Attack." The riff is hot, the energy is right up front, and they maintain this almost manic drive throughout the album. The next tune, "Droids Attack is Gonna Move You," flows with barely a breath in between. This song creates the most infectious groove on the disc with the repitition of "Your gonna die, motherfucker" leading to the refrain of "Word to your mother." A blazing guitar solo propels it forward until it suddenly bottoms out, with guitarist/vocalist Brad Van screaming the chorus from Mariah Carey's "Emotions." "Napster" maintains this texture, tearing into Metallica with rage and humor, even borrowing the hook from "Master of Puppets" while plunging a knife into Lars Ulrich's hefty ego.
The heavy riffs are tight and full and they only let up for robot-infused musings and freakish, mechanized noise. Though Droids Attack is fully dedicated to their frontal assault style, it doesn't allow for much variation. At times this allegiance to their frenetic method impedes the forward motion and blus the distinctions and unique qualities between tracks. However the smooth performances and stylized production maintains the pace. The bass is harsh and growling, melding nicely with the hard and scratchy vocal delivery. Bassist Nate Bush proves his talent in the introduction to "Magic Bullet Theory" by varying the vibe and keeping the substantial riffs from over taking the album. Drummer Tony Brungraber is an absolute force, alternating between outraged tom attacks and subtle fills with dexterity. The production plays a staring role on this disc, providing a taut framework that allows this album to progress while keeping the weighty tonality and punk rock passion balanced and effective.
Droids Attack's fury and levity steamroll this album toward it's rock-and-roll ending, finally breaking to the hum of a robot heart. The style is heavy, the riffs are tight and the humor is welcome. Madison is developing a defining sound, borrowing from Seattle's grunge and LA's metal while keeping a thoroughly Midwestern edge. While grunge is too moody and metal too pompous, Droids Attack is having too much fun to brood or boast. When it comes down to it, you can't take this ride very seriously when, after all is said and done, "you're gonna die, motherfucker."

-Tim Thompson - Rick's Cafe

Droids Attack is a cheeky local band that's spent a good amount of time opening for other bands over the last couple of years, but it takes center stage Saturday to introduce it's debut full-length. If the disc titled All Your Chicks Are Belong To Us after a years-old Internet phenomenon, proves as blisteringly fun as the trio's live shows, it should be excellent. Look out for the giant robot that often surfaces at it's live appearances, too, or check out the bad boy's path of destruction in video clips at crustaceanrecords.com.

-Stephen Thompson - The Onion

Droids Attack weren't aiming to please a wide swath of Madisonians by naming their new full length offering All Your Chicks Are Belong to Us (Crustacean), but they'll certainly please anyone with a sense of humor. Hard-rockin' and relentlessly fun, the cyborg-friendly DA blast into a musical space pioneered by the MC5 and the Stooges, and turn the tried and true into an eardrum-massaging celebration of controlled noise. Hit that's picked to click: the relentless guitar assault "Napster."

-Tom Laskin - The Isthmus

Even border troubles that nearly saw them lose their merch couldn't mute the pummelling Palm Desert-inspired chug and groove riff rock offered up by this Wisconsin-based trio. With more than cursory nods to Kyuss and Black Sabbath, their ear-shattering sonic thud proved almost too much for the club they showcased in to handle. Passers-by must have thought a bomb was going off when the windows began to shake and throb. Although they probably could have done without the “Ace of Spades” cover, they score bonus points for having a life-size robot working the room while they played. SG
- Exclaim (http://www.exclaim.ca)

I had heard that Madison, Wisconsin's Droids Attack were not to be missed, so I headed on over to The Bovine Sex Club to check them out. The heavy rockers came complete with a guy in a sheet metal robot suit handing out free demos. Whereas I was sweating to death in just my regular clothes, that guy must have been immortal...or just extremely tough. Anyway, just as I was about to remark that the band sounded a lot like Motorhead, they ripped right into "Ace Of Spades," confirming my suspicion that Lemmy & co. might just be one of their main influences. On my way out, I noticed controller.controller's Nirmala Basnayake totally rockin' out at the front of the stage, amidst the rest of the metal lovin' showgoers.
- http://coastclassic.ca/nxne

Madison's Droids Attack practically define the power-trio sound: One guitar is more then enough when it is as fat and full as Brad Van's. The edgy, solid hooks combined with repititious, shoutable choruses in songs like "Droids Attack" and "Pop Ninjas in Stereo" Make for rocking fun.

- Keith Phipps - The Onion