Five bands invaded the Lowbrow Palace in downtown El Paso this week to introduce and celebrate Attila recently released single, “American Rejects”, as part of the “American Rejects Tour” crossing the U.S. Nathan James and Dealer opened the show, followed by DED and Butcher Babies, all amping up the crowd before Attila hit the stage.
When I arrived at the venue, Nathan James had just taken the stage. They are a three-member metalcore band who brought brutality from the start. The guitarist, with his long blonde hair, was throwing riffs as fast as his fingers could move, embodying the “hair rock” phenomena, while the drummer, on the opposite side of the stage, was a master of tempo and spun his sticks between beats.
Nathan James, the band’s frontman, belts out heavy sounds reminiscent of Marilyn Manson or Mudvayne. Some of his song even have a rock-rap ambiance, nostalgic of the 2017 Soundcloud era. This up-and-coming artist is worth watching out for in the future as he prepares, in his spare time, for his first album.
Look for Nathan James on the following social media and links:
https://www.facebook.com/ThatsNathanJames
Dealer, a four-piece metal band, delivered some powerful lyrics and heavy guitar sound. On their first tour since 2010, they brought the crowd some strong songs off their debut album, New Order of Mind. With new hit songs “Red Teeth” and “Glass Preacher.”
The Australian metal band originally formed in 2018 but then disbanded in 2020. Throughout the latter year, the band faced serious allegations against one of its founding members, accused of inappropriate conduct and abusive behavior. These allegations, brought forward by multiple individuals within the music community, led to significant public scrutiny and ultimately contributed to the band’s disbandment later that year. Dealer issued statements at the time addressing the situation, and several members distanced themselves from the controversy. In the years since, the band has reformed with an entirely new lineup, though not without the public’s commentary. If you or anyone you know has dealt with similar situations of abuse, the National Confidential Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673, and you can visit their online website for additional resources and support at https://rainn.org/resources.
By 2023, the band was sparking rumors of coming back, releasing music, and putting together a new album. In 2024, it was starting to take shape and at the beginning on 2025 they announced joining the “Attila American Reject” tour bill.
If you want to find out more about the band Dealer follow these links.
https://www.thedealersound.com
https://www.facebook.com/thedealersound
https://www.instagram.com/thedealersound
DED, an American nu-metal band from Arizona, blends hardcore and punk rock influences with pop melodies. Although, they have only produced two albums since forming in the 2017, their rigorous touring schedule includes performances with bands like In This Moment, Black Veil Brides, Bad Omens, and recently rocking a back-to-back tour with Butcher Babies, hopping along as they tour with Attila on this leg.
DED recently released their new single “Rockstar,” which pokes fun at the rockstar trope. They opened their set with the single, followed by a selection of songs from both of their albums, even performing “Hate Me,” their current most popular song on Spotify.
This band has a lot to offer to its audience and if you want to know more about them you can follow them at these links.
https://www.dedband.com/#home-section
https://www.instagram.com/dedofficial
https://www.facebook.com/ded.official
Butcher Babies, an American heavy metal band out of California, started in 2013. Heidi Shepperd and Carla Harvey took the music business by storm, proving a heavy metal band, with two female vocalists, can make it as far as they did. Last year, Carla Harvey backed away to pursue her next calling in the music world, leaving many questioning what Heidi would do as the Butcher Babies kept moving on with just one vocalist. So far, she has forged ahead and brought her best to every performance, overcoming so many odds and struggles over her career; She is a survivor.
Butcher Babies opened with “Backstreets of Tennessee,” followed by “Red Thunder” and their monster hit, “Monster Ball.” They performed various other songs, and at one point the band left the stage. Shepperd returned on the platform solo and, in a heartfelt moment, she recollected that if it had not been for her fans that believed in her in 2019, she would have taken her life. As she sang her heart out to “Last December,” the rest of the band filed in and they finished the song together as an potent ensemble. They closed their set with “Magnolia Blvd,” and the crowd went wild, continuing to chanted as the band left the stage.
To find out more about Butcher Babies follow these links.
https://www.instagram.com/butcherbabies
Attila, a metalcore band from Atlanta, Georgia, has been performing since 2005. Now celebrating 20 years together, the band has released eight albums and continues to tour globally. Over the years, they have toured with many Atlanta-based bands amongst internationally touring musicians and performed in multiple festivals around the world. Vocalist Chris “Fronz” Fronzak is the only original member of the band and he clearly runs the ship, maintaining the same sound, unique to Attila, two decades later. The quintet currently includes lead guitarist Chris Linck, bass player Kalan Blehm, rhythm guitarist Walter Adams, drummer and Tyler Kruckmeyers, who embody the energy of early Attila effortlessly.
Attila opened with “Perdition” off the Villain album, then launched into “Handshakes with Snakes.” The crowd roared when they followed up with the tour title song, “American Rejects,” their most recent single released in 2024. The crowd jumped and shouted with their horns up and waving.
And while there’s a long-standing rumor that at past shows pizza was thrown into the crowd—usually the first question asked before writing this review—sadly, my friends, no pizza was thrown into the crowd on Monday night.
As the tour continues, be sure to catch Attila live—maybe get a free slice of pizza that has been touched by many, maybe even moshed over on a filthy venue floor. Anyways, seriously go check them out if they come to a city near you.
Check out these additional links:
https://www.facebook.com/AttilaGA
https://www.instagram.com/attila_ga
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