Attacker – The Unknown

2006’s The Unknown is the fourth full-length album from long-running New Jersey-based heavy metal band Attacker, and their second release since returning after a nearly two decade absence. The band blurred the lines between heavy, power and speed metal in the ‘80s, and they continue to do so here.

Between the high speed riffing and Bob Mitchell’s gruff yet high vocals, Attacker sounds a lot like Accept here, which isn’t a bad thing. The Unknown is a pretty safe album, but again, that’s not a bad thing. Attacker hits that power/traditional metal sweet spot, and they put together some really solid songs, of which “Anger Aggression,” “Nail It Down” and the title track are the highlights. It’s similar to the recent Helstar and Vicious Rumors releases, though not at the same level.

It’s not as essential as Battle at Helm’s Deep or The Second Coming, but The Unknown is still a rock solid traditional heavy metal album that should satisfy most Attacker fans. And it’s always good to see these veteran bands like Attacker continuing to make strong heavy metal albums decades after their original heyday.