Attrition
The Black Maria – Two Gods
Born from Coventry’s burgeoning do-it-yourself post-punk scene, it was obvious that darkwave band Attrition weren’t going to be constrained by that movement. They’ve been busy carving out a unique niche for themselves and have cast a dark spell over the globe for almost 45 years. Pulling it’s name from either a 19th-century figure who would cart away malcontents or a 20th-century police van (take your pick), Attrition’s latest long player, The Black Maria, finds them further honing their dark craft to deliver a terrifying, hairs-standing-on-end listen. There’s always been something slightly sinister, but strangely tempting, about Attrition; it’s a razor blade hidden in an apple on Halloween and the band are just daring you to take a bite. That’s precisely the vibe that songs such as ‘The Reprisal’ serve up, these are echoes from another dimension and it feels as if the band are peeling back the curtain that separates this world from the next and offering a frightening glimpse of what awaits. Two suites of dark cabaret is the monolithic title-track and it brings the album to a ghostly conclusion, and one that will haunt you forever.
Review by Peter Dennis