METALLIAN - Attacker

Battle At Helm's Deep - 1985 - Metal Blade
The Second Coming - 1988 - Mercenary
Soul Taker - 2004 - Iron Glory
The Unknown - 2006 - Sentinel Steel
Giants Of Canaan - 2013 - Metal On Metal
Sins Of The World - 2016 - Metal On Metal
The God Particle - 2024 - Cruz Del Sur

Members

Vocals

Phaze, Blast>>Bob Mitchell>>Blackstarr, Nighthunter, Denim And Leather, Sleepy Hollow, Vyndykator, Black Hag, The Bob Mitchell Band, Alchemy X, Mind Assassin, Wycked Synn, Sceptor, The Hounds Of Hasselvander - Hawkfire, Phantom Lord>>John Leone - Phaze, Blaze, Blackstarr, Nighthunter, Denim And Leather, Sleepy Hollow, Black Hag, The Bob Mitchell Band, Sceptor, Vyndykator, Alchemy X>>Bob Mitchell>>Mind Assassin, Nighthunter, Sleepy Hollow, Wycked Synn, Sceptor, The Hounds Of Hasselvander - Harlot, Morbid Sin, Seven Witches, Exhibition, Overlorde, Reverend, Bless The Wicked>>BOBBY LUCAS>>Morbid Sin, Reverend, Bless The Wicked

Guitar

Jim Mooney>>Nighthunter, Sleepy Hollow - Sleepy Hollow>>Pat Marinelli>>Sleepy Hollow - Tom D'Amico - Mass Hysteria, Apollyon, Jersey Dogs, Sleepy Hollow>>MIKE BENETATOS - Shock To The System, Morbid Sin>>JON HASSELBRINK

Bass

Hades, Jersey Dogs, Karyn Kuhl Band>>Lou Ciarlo>>Jersey Dogs, Karyn Kuhl Band - Apollyon>>Felix Torres - Jon Hanemann - Steve Bello>>BRIAN SMITH>>Steve Bello

Drum

Jersey Dogs, Restless & Wild, Grill, Steve Bello>>MICHAEL V. SABATINI>>Jersey Dogs, Restless & Wild, Grill, Steve Bello

History & Biography

Warloc was the name of the heavy metal band from New Jersey between 1983 and 1984. This band had a couple of originals, but mostly played cover versions, Singer Mitchell, who was recruited by his school-mate Sabatini, had come from two previous cover bands himself. The band went on the attack in 1983 and disbanded in 1989 before returning in 2001. The founding members were guitarists Pat Marinelli and Dominic Spina (who did not migrate over to Attacker from Warloc and played one gig with the band), as well as drummer Mike Sabatini. The band changed its name because Germany had given the world Warlock. In those days, bands wanted to be unique and did not like sharing names. The group opted to call itself after an already existing song called (Call On) The Attacker. The suggestion to name the band after the song had come from future member Lou Ciarlo who was in Hades at this time.

Demo '84 was Warloc’s Demo 84. The group was heard on the Metal Massacre 5 compilation with the aforementioned The Attacker. Metal Blade signed the band and released the debut album, which included the demo tracks. The band parted ways with bassist John Joseph citing his playing levels. Jimmy Schulman replaced him. The band was singer Bob Mitchell (who left due to musical and personal differences in 1986 and again in 2008), guitarists Jim Mooney and Pat Marinelli, bassist Lou Ciarlo and drummer Michael V. Sabatini. Not happy with Schulman's bass tracks, the band had fired him and drafted Lou Ciarlo from Hades. Attacker and Hades had shared gigs and Lou and Sabatini were college-mates and friends. Attacker was an early adopter of Tolkien’s work on the metal scene. Helm’s Deep referred to a valley and site for a battle in The Lord Of The Rings.

Demo ‘86 led to a deal with Mercenary Records, which promptly closed shop. The band recalls being offered an extension deal with Metal Blade earlier and turning it down. Regardless, The Second Coming featured new members singer John Leone and guitarist Tom D'Amico. Mitchell had left due to his disenchantment with the other members. His colleagues had also accused him of laziness and partly blamed his girlfriend. Mitchell and Mooney left in 1986 and formed Nighthunter in 1987. The story was that Mooney had left Attacker over a song arrangement. He had wanted the new singer to not scream over his solo and the rest of the band did. Losing that vote made him walk out. Leone had been in a cover band previously. Nighthunter went nowhere and Mitchell initiated Sleepy Hollow before becoming a ring announcer for American wrestling. He would later found a cover band called Denim And Leather.

Back in the Attacker camp, the new album The Second Coming was written by Ciarlo. The band broke up in 1989, as mentioned, but returned in 2001. Mitchell was back too. However, he had initiated his own version of Attacker in 2000, which he reported had the blessing of the original members, and appeared at the Power Mad festival before switching the name to Vyndykator after all. The monicker (well actually 'Vindication') was a suggestion of Deceased's King Fowley. The Bob Mitchell version of Attacker also featured guitarists Rolo Macias and Rob Oriani, bassist John Armstrong (who was in Denim And Leather cover band with Mitchell) and drummer Tommy Akel (also of Denim And Leather and Nighthunter). Jim Mooney, who had been in Nighthunter with Mitchell in the late 1980s, had died of heart problems in 2000.

The stated intention for the reformation of the actual original Attacker was to write a tribute album for dead members (Mooney, guitarists John Leone and Tom D'Amico). This incarnation also added guitarist Mike Benetatos, who had also been in Jersey Dogs and whose prior band Mass Hysteria had shared a rehearsal space with Attacker. Mitchell too rejoined this Attacker in 2003. The result was 2004’s Soul Taker, which was mostly written by Ciarlo again. Felix Torres was on bass. The band played at Europe’s Keep It True and Heavy Metal Maniacs festivals. The fourth album was on a fourth label. Sentinel Steel issued the new album and proceeded to rerelease the earlier albums with new cover artwork. The Second Coming, whose original artwork was meant to represent the opposing superpowers with an American made and a Russian made weapon, was given a completely different aesthetic. The group announced a US tour with October 31 for 2006. Standing The Test Of Time was the name of a compilation on Chavis Records in 2007. The group was booked for the Keep It True Festival in 2008 and performed the Battle At Helm's Deep saga. It was following this performance that Mitchell left citing his college studies, family situation and more. In the interim, singer Walter Figueroa came and went in 2008. Former band singer Bob Mitchell and drummer Joe Hasselvander (Pentagram and Raven) recruited guitarist Pete Vorias and bassist Eric "Orion" Cabana (of Hounds Of Hasselvander) to form a doom metal band called Black Hag in 2009. The man also found time to form another act called The Bob Mitchell Band. Attacker recruited bassist Jon Hanemann replacing original bassist Lou Ciarlo, who decided to leave to work on other music and loss of interest in heavy metal in 2012.

The next album came seven years later. Fifth album was on a fifth imprint. Giants Of Canaan was released at the Metal Assault festival on February 2nd 2013. Much of the material was contributed by Mike Benetatos. The group recruited new bassist Brian Smith as the replacement for Jon Hanemann. Sins Of The World broke the mould and remained on the same label as its predecessor, but the band gave us a new bassist (and a new singer in the form of Bobby Lucas)! Still, Pat Marinelli left the band in 2016. Armor Of The Gods was a 2018 EP. It was partly recorded at the Up the Hammers festival in 2017. A former band-mate of Bobby's was the newest guitarist. Bobby left in 2020 and was replaced by singer Ski formerly of Deadly Blessing and Faith Factor, but Lucas returned in 2021 and Ski was pushed downhill and out.

Attacker had an album called The God Particle through Cruz Del Sur Music on April 12th 2024. A lyric video for the song The Mighty Have Fallen was available. The band was “celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2024.” The band was booked for Keep It True in 2024. There was a gig with Attacker, Blood Feast, The Donner Party and Legion in the USA in summer. The group was billed at France's Courts Of Chaos Festival in 2025. Other bands appearing included Tonnerre, Quartz, Necrophobic, Crimson Glory and Palantyr.

Reviews

Interviews

Attacker