I get at least a dozen new metal albums every week. And quite frankly, way too many of them sound exactly the same: A bunch of testosterone-guzzling assholes furiously and relentlessly blasting away at top speed while some self-styled gorgon belches and vomits incoherently over the cacophonous avalanche of brown notes. Who needs it? Not me. Not you.
Thankfully, these Brits are the exception to the rule. Sure, they can (and do) pummel, thrash and scream bloody murder with the best (and the rest) of them. But damned if they don’t have riffs and grooves till hell wouldn’t have ’em. Not to mention a vocalist who can summon the savage beast within while managing to enunciate enough to get his point across. And none of their songs sound like they’re just trying to get through them as fast possible so they can catch the last bus home. About goddamn time. They might not be one in a million, but they’re one in a dozen. Good enough for me. And you.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Attrition (from latin attritio, to grind): The process of reducing something’s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure. Burning with an inextinguishable fire and displaying attitude in spades, Hands Of Attrition are a collective force to be reckoned with. Formed in 2018 in the West Midlands, the five piece have steadily built their own sonic identity by melding their groove metal and metalcore influences from Lamb of God to Devildriver and Pantera, injecting a substantial dose of emotion and technique to form a boiling, ear-shattering and unstoppable metal whirlwind.
With 11 tracks that deal with mental health and the impact of self-doubt, depression, addiction and tragedy in one’s existence, their debut album Colder Places also invokes resilience and catharsis, delivering a forceful metal experience enhanced by Tom Alexander-Scott’s impressive vocal performance. Be ready to embrace the full force of this relentless heavy machine. Colder Places was mixed and mastered by Justin Paul Hill. The album artwork was designed by Arabella Eugenie de Cadenet.
“Our debut album Colder Places is a collaboration of powerful riffs and raw emotion; as friends foremost, we get together and make music that means something to us. Our influences stem from groove metal as well as fast-paced, emotive music which has helped us define our sound to what it is today. We are proud to be releasing an album that highlights our values as a band,” say the band. “One of the themes for our album is the importance of men’s mental health. Collectively we, like many, have experienced first hand the impact self-doubt, depression, addiction and tragedy can have on mental wellbeing. Every song on the album tells a story and we hope that the same strength can be drawn from our music as we have gained producing it.”
