How a waddling stage stance birthed the internet-famous microgenre known as crabcore
In short: In 2009, a music video for the song Stick Stickly turned an Ohio metalcore band into an accidental internet sensation. The guitarist's squat, crustacean-like stage posture sparked the viral crabcore meme, forever linking the band to a sound that blended aggressive metal with neon synths and pop hooks.
Formed in Westerville, Ohio, in 2007, Attack Attack! became an era-defining MySpace band by fusing metalcore with electronic dance music. Their debut album, Someday Came Suddenly, released in 2008, exemplified this experimental approach, pairing heavy, drop-tuned guitars and guttural vocals with Auto-Tuned pop choruses. While critics were often divided, the band's unique aesthetic and sound resonated with a digital-native audience, leading to significant early success on the Billboard charts.
The term crabcore emerged from the band's music video for their debut single, Stick Stickly. Guitarist Andrew Whiting's distinctive, low-slung stance—knees bent at right angles and feet splayed—led observers to compare the band members to scuttling crustaceans. This visual quirk went viral, cementing the band's reputation as pioneers of a sound that combined chugging riffs with Eurodance synths. Journalists have since described the band as a modern example of outsider music, noting that their strange, profitable amalgamation of disparate genres remains largely unmatched in the years since their rise.
The band's history is marked by frequent lineup changes and internal shifts. After disbanding in 2013, they reunited in 2020 with a mix of returning and new members. Throughout their career, they have navigated departures, label changes, and the cancellation of planned albums, yet they have continued to release new material, including the 2024 EP Disaster. Despite the band's own discomfort with labels like Christian rock or emo, their influence on the scene remains a subject of fascination, representing a specific, chaotic moment in the evolution of internet-era music culture.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Attack Attack! (American band)
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