Attrition – The Black Maria (Album – Two Gods)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, Cinematic, Experimental.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.
Background/Info: Martin Bowes strikes back with a new album of his sonic brainchild Attrition. Being active since 1980 Attrition can look back at an impressive discography. The new work reveals eight songs and has been accomplished together with multiple guest singers and musicians. Martin Bowes teamed up with female vocalists including Emke (Black Nail Cabaret), Yvette (Vaselyne), Joanne Wolf and the return of the original Attrition singer Julia Niblock Waller. Guest musicians Alia Miroshichenko, Annie Hogan, Vancorvid and Marietta Fox, Ian Arkley, Steve Clarke and Kris Force joined forces together with Attrition.
Content: Attrition stays true to their recognizable sound mixing Electronic sound treatments and Neo-Classical elements -played with acoustic instruments. There is a Soundtrack atmosphere interspersed with more danceable songs. The female vocalists bring a sensual touch to the work that is reinforced with the slow, sultry, rhythms. Martin’s deeper timbre of voice brings a nice contrast to the singing.
+ + + : The album and its overall approach to sounds and arrangements remains recognizable. I like this sound DNA where Electro and Neo-Classical are in total harmony. Attrition also remains intriguing for its sensual passages covered in dark atmospheres and Industrial sounds. There is something to say about almost every song, but the well-known “The Switch” (previously released as an EP-title song) remains an absolute delight. Other highlights include “The Zero Hour” and the title track “The Black Maria.” Attrition remains a warrant for an original and very personal sound full of subtlety and other, small details.
– – – : I regret the work only features 8 tracks including an intro.
Conclusion: This is an astonishing and highly artistic work by Attrition; for Electro gourmets.
Best songs: “The Switch”, “The Black Maria”, “The Zero Hour”, “The Pillar II”, “The Great Derailer”.
Rate: 8½.
Artist: www.attrition.co.uk / www.facebook.com/ATTRITIONMUSIC
Label: www.twogods.co.uk / www.facebook.com/TwoGods Read the news on ‘The Black Maria’.
About Attrition
Attrition is an English dark wave band formed in Coventry in 1980 by Martin Bowes and Julia Niblock, emerging from the early-1980s post-punk scene alongside Throbbing Gristle, Coil and Einstürzende Neubauten. Early releases included the cassette album “Death House” (1982) and the debut “The Attrition of Reason” (1984) on Third Mind Records. The band moved to Belgium’s Antler-Subway label for “At the Fiftieth Gate” (1988), then signed to Projekt Records in the US for a run of albums including “3 Arms and a Dead Cert” (1996) and “The Jeopardy Maze” (1999). Bowes founded the Attrition label Two Gods in 2006, reissuing the back catalogue and releasing the anniversary set “Tearing Arms from Deities”. Later albums include “All Mine Enemys Whispers – The Story of Mary Ann Cotton” (2008), “The Unraveller of Angels” (2013) and “Millions of the Mouthless Dead” (2015), the latter made with Anni Hogan and featuring a guest appearance from Wolfgang Flür. Current members are Martin Bowes, Simon Stansfield, Ashley Niblock, Richard Woodfield, Ian Arkley and Alia Miroschichenko. Following the 2022 compilation “A Great Desire (1986 – 2004)”, Bowes returns with the new album “The Black Maria” on Two Gods.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
