(2) Attrition was also a short lived US Hardcore band from Washington DC
(3) Attrition is also a Canadian war metal band formed in 2017.
1. Attrition are pioneers in a darker electronica. Formed in 1980 in Coventry, England, influenced by a mix of punk ideology and experimental art aesthetics, they emerged as part of the early '80's UK Industrial scene alongside contemporaries Coil, Test Department, Legendary Pink Dots, In The Nursery, Portion Control et al.
Founder Martin Bowes has steered the band through a 25 year career, fueled by a succession of critically acclaimed albums...
The band has regularly toured Europe, North America and Mexico, appeared at major festivals and had their music included on a number of film soundtracks.... (most recently two of their songs are included on the US cult film “Mint in box” alongside the Pogues…)
Through their career Attrition have worked with musicians as diverse as psychedelic veterans The Legendary Pink Dot’s to punk legend TV Smith to Franck Dematteis of the Paris Opera.
Attrition’s music has featured on countless releases - from 1984’s “Bullshit detector” on Crass records to the hugely successful “Animal liberation” album alongside Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Smiths, Nina Hagen & Lene Lovich etc…
Recently their song “Acid Tongue” featured on KTEL’s Industrial story CD - a who’s who of industrial music with Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Ministry, Nitzer Ebb, Neubauten et al…
In Germany Orkus magazine’s Best of the 90’s collection featured their darkwave classic “A girl called harmony”…
Attrition’s work been remixed by underground artists from an eclectic mix of genres including Chris n Cosey, Martin Atkins, Dance or Die and UK drum n bass act Rascal & Klone…(featured on the first Grand Theft Auto game soundtrack..)
Martin’s increasing studio production work has included mixes for The Damage Manual (Martin Atkins, Jah Wobble, Geordie Walker, Chris Connelly et al…), Die Form, In the Nursery, Black tape for a blue girl, Emilie Autumn and more…
He has contributed a song for the new Pigface album and is recording the narrators voice to an upcoming US horror film, “C for Chaos”…
2012... Invocation is the bands first full length film score...composed for US cult horror movie G.H.O.S.T.
2013... The Unraveller of Angels is the all new album...
(2) Attrition was also a short lived US Hardcore band from Washington DC
2. They existed from January 2005 - May 2007 and played a progressive style of emotionally charged, metallic hardcore influenced equally by screamo bands such as pg. 99 and Majority Rule, noisecore bands such as Converge and Botch, and more straight-forward hardcore bands. Their lyrical content approached issues such as anarchism, feminism, straightedge and veganism (an interesting similarity to their UK counterpart), but from a personal, anecdotal perspective, focusing more on alienation and frustration than on prescriptive politics. They toured the US once (partially with North Carolina crust band Requiem) and the East Coast once with Philadelphia vegan straightedge hardcore band Kingdom and self-released two CDEP's named, respectively, "Preface" and "Chapter One: We Are Fucking Serious". "Purist", from the second EP, was featured on "Open The Cages: SHAC 7 Benefit" on Catalyst Records and the previously unreleased "No Control" appeared only on "Keep Singing", an animal-rights benefit CD released by Exotic Fever Records. Their entire discography is available for free download at attrition.dead-city.org/.
The Ladder
Attrition Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With conversationâ?¦
I'm the box Pandora lost
Too complicated
What am I?
What am I?
An aspirationâ?¦
I'm on the ex-offender's list
I'm recommendedâ?¦
What am I?
What am I?
I kicked the virus from your silence
Good medicationâ?¦
I killed the siren on your island
Self preservationâ?¦
What am I?
What am I?
The lyrics to Attrition's song The Ladder seem to be speaking from the perspective of a mysterious and complex character, with each verse offering a different metaphorical description of themself. The first verse, "I'm the guest you can undress with conversation," suggests an ability to disarm those around them and elicit personal revelations. The line "I'm the box Pandora lost, too complicated" further emphasizes this sense of enigma and potential danger, as if the singer holds within them secrets and problems that can't be easily contained or solved.
The second verse uses darker imagery, with the singer comparing themself to an "asp in Eva's lap," a reference to the biblical story of the serpent who tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden. This suggests a seductive and dangerous nature, perhaps one that lures others towards sin or destruction. The following line, "on the ex-offender's list, I'm recommended," implies that this character has a criminal or troubled past, and that their presence could be seen as risky or threatening.
The final verse takes a more active tone, with the singer claiming to have "kicked the virus from your silence" and "killed the siren on your island." These lines suggest a heroic, or at least protective, aspect to this character - someone who is capable of rescuing or healing others. However, the ambiguity of their identity and motives, as well as the frequent question of "what am I?" throughout the song, leave open the possibility that this character is just as much a mystery to themselves as to others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the guest you can undress
With conversation...
I am someone who you can reveal your true self to simply through conversation, allowing you to metaphorically undress and be honest with me.
I'm the box Pandora lost
Too complicated
I am a complex and difficult entity, much like the box which contained all the evils of the world in Greek mythology, which was lost and never fully understood.
What am I?
What am I?
The repetition of this question suggests a deep inner turmoil and self-questioning about one's identity and place in the world.
I'm the asp in Eva's lap
An aspiration...
I am like the serpent in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, representative of temptation and the desire to achieve something greater than oneself.
I'm on the ex-offender's list
I'm recommended...
Despite being listed as an ex-offender, I am still considered valuable and necessary, perhaps due to my unique experiences and perspectives.
I kicked the virus from your silence
Good medication...
I help people to eradicate the negative and harmful thoughts and behaviors that keep them silent or withdrawn, like a good medication.
I killed the siren on your island
Self preservation...
I help people to overcome their self-destructive tendencies and behaviors, safeguarding their survival and promoting self-preservation.
What am I?
What am I?
This repetition again highlights a deep sense of uncertainty about identity and purpose, perhaps suggesting that the answer is still uncertain or constantly evolving.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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