Welcome to Demo:listen, your weekly peek into the future of underground extreme metal. Whether they’re death, black, doom, sludge, grind, thrash, -core, heavy, speed, punk-, stoner, etc., we’re here to bring you the latest demos from the newest bands. This week, Demo:listen brings you total annihilation from Ontario’s Attrition.
We return from last week’s massive, end-of-the-year extravaganza only to be held hostage by a Canadian war metal demo. Get ready to stain the nearest wall with your shadow because this one is nasty. Released last November, Attrition’s Demo 1 is a three strike face-seeking assault unleashed by an Ontario-based extremist calling himself Warhead.
“ATTRITION is conceived of, recorded, mixed/mastered, released and promoted entirely by me,” says Warhead. “I do not like the feeling of relying on someone else. No one is to be trusted with the obliteration that is necessary, so I barrel through all of the obstacles to get the end result I want. ATTRITION is by and for the individual strength and stands for the DEATH of the weakling collective.”
If you think Warhead sounds harsh, you’ve clearly yet to hear Demo 1. As strong as Warhead’s words may seem, they’re but the klaxon howl attending the force of this demonstration of might under the banner Attrition. It begs reiterating that Warhead does everything himself on Demo 1. Riffs, blasts, vocals, jackhammers, and orc rearing. And as more bands are becoming self-reliant and insular, it’s awesome to witness a demo come flying in and just blast all of that to hell!
“I have little interest in collaborating with others unless their vision is executed with uncompromising fury and conviction,” Warhead says, explaining why he acts alone.
Depending on how you look at it, Demo 1 is really Warhead’s latest attack in an ongoing campaign. In 2016, Warhead operated under the band name Atomic Grave. Under this name he covered a few Bathory songs, an Emperor track, and put out a gnarly tape last summer that, in hindsight, was a precursor to Attrition – Demo 1.
“ATOMIC GRAVE was my project from 2014 – 2017. I decided to change the name to ATTRITION because it became clear to me that this name was far more fitting and also had not been taken. Some aesthetic changes were made in the sound for ATTRITION and it was far closer to what I wanted, which I felt I had not fully achieved with the sound of my previous incarnation.”
Warhead is surprisingly candid in discussing Attrition’s genesis. He has nothing to hide when the end result is this lethal. He talks about writing the song “Attrition.”
“[‘Attrition’] was the first track conceived for this project and when I played back the finished instrumental, I knew the future of this project was utter chaos and slaughter.”
Warhead states that with Attrition his mission is “to completely exterminate with music that actually fucking stands for something in a sea of complete mediocrity. War metal is uncompromising, abrasive and when done right, can stamp out the overly technical crap that these weaklings call ‘extreme.’ I became bored with making music that had a ‘second wave’ more classic ‘riff to beat’ structure, and just wanted to make something through this style that was challenging to make and ended with complete uncompromising barbarism.
“I think in the modern times, too many are concerned with trying to fit in and lower their possible potential as an individual to the collective’s uninspired and dull failings. They care too much about being liked and it’s fucking weak and boring. Bestial metal is my outlet for my war spirit and hatred of the braindead mass.”
When asked what drew him to the word ‘attrition’ in the first place, Warhead says, “ATTRITION fits because that’s what it takes to record with the grinding extermination that is required. ATTRITION outlasts its combatants til death and the weak who cannot keep up are trampled.”
By now you’ve pledged fealty to Attrition, only to be disappointed to find out that both tape runs of Demo 1 are sold out. Fear not, there are whispers of a coming official release. In the meantime, know that Warhead says of Demo 1, “I made it to be an uncompromising atrocity so I knew the die hards would love it, but I was surprised the initial tapes sold out in less than a few hours. If I receive an offer from a worthy label that fits my vision to do another run, I would for sure unleash another wave of tapes. As of right now though, I will not be, and am focusing on bigger and more ferocious releases for ATTRITION.”
Be on the lookout for a new “holocaustic EP” from Warhead via Attrition. Until then, Warhead promises he “will continue to become more vicious and uncompromising and eviscerate the unworthy scum.”
