ART OF ATTRITION

track-list:
Drown in Fog
Vitriol
Emaciate
…And It Will All End Forever

mixed & mastered by Kimera Recordings

Art Of Attrition are:
Jack Sutherland – guitars, synths, bass, orchestrations, samples
Johnny VanderRoest – guitars
Joshua Hahn – vocals
Greg Smith – drums

discography:
2022 To Dance in the Den of Snakes Single
2022 Under the Weight of Apathy Single
2022 The Malthusian Catastrophe Single
2022 The Void Eternal Full-length
2024 …and It Will All End Forever EP

9.5/10 – Hellfire Magazin:
“Since the speed is incredibly fast, you get the feeling that every song is a 10-minute epic, but they are all in the 5-minute plus/minus direction. But epic is a good keyword, because every single piece has such technical power that you really need several runs to understand, what’s actually going on and that’s what brings tears of joy to the eyes of every metal fan who loves the technical hidden refinements. A small highlight is probably the last of the four songs, as well as the title song ‘…And It Will All End Forever’, which expresses the band’s entire range and makes it clear to everyone, what is meant by ‘Technical Deathcore’.”
[9/10] – metal Noise:
“‘…And It Will All End Forever’ rises to the surface with the speed and dexterity of bands like Archspire. Mesmerising lead guitars shine brightly above the powerhouse rhythms, momentary silences between anvil heavy sections giving fleeting respite. A gargantuan monolithic breakdown is the last thing you might expect to hear on a track with such stunning lead guitars but the band brought it and it is nothing short of brutal, contrasted perfectly the delicate piano fade out. It’s hard to fathom how this band are not on a major label because this record is sublime”
89.9 WORT FM – The Moshpit (Madison, WI):
“Blackened technical deathcore… brutal and pissed off too”
Teeth of The Divine:
“But then the EP’s ending title track. Holy fuck do they knock it out of the park with 6 minutes of killer melodies, a killer chorus and key/choirs, and a massive breakdown that make it an absolutely killer track, maybe one of the year’s best in the genre.”
8 out of 10. Bringer of Death Zine:
“Art Of Attrition plays a musical style that takes a very technical form of blackened death metal and mixes it with deathcore and symphonic metal to create a sound of their own. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark themes. In my opinion Art of Attrition are a very great sounding technical and blackened deathcore band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE ‘Drown In Fog’ and ‘Emaciate’.”

Art of Attrition have released their new EP ‘…And It Will All End Forever’ and it is pure chaotic inoculation.
A culmination of everything AoA has worked so hard to achieve in one record.
Now, they are set to write a bit out of their comfort zone and delve into other genres that they love.
The EP is recommended for fans of Lorna Shore, Aversions Crown and Gaerea.
Art of Attrition:
“’…AND IT WILL ALL END FOREVER’ is going to be fun. This new territory is an amalgamation of all the music we have heard and been inspired by in the past couple of years. So many ideas had been channeling through, that it was necessary to create something unique for us while still maintaining our roots. Adding more beautiful cleans, soft choirs, haunting solos, catchy chorus’ and more emotive sections in our song structure. We present a record that you can listen to from front to back and can be easily repeated. Every time you repeat, you find more in the songs, another layer. We love this record and are super proud of it.”
‘…and it all will end forever’ is a head-first dive into self-introspection.
Each track is not only an acknowledgement of the existence of inner struggle, but a confrontation.
An open-ended internal dialogue, within itself.
The album is a metaphorical checkpoint on the steep and winding journey that is self-discovery.
‘…and it will all end forever’ endeavours to facilitate a starkly honest sense of self-accountability.
As a whole, the album is musically:
Fast, Technical, Haunting, Groovy, Brutal, Melodic, Emotional, Ethereal, Atmospheric, Eerie, Bludgeoning and Chaotic.
‘Drowned in Fog’:
Musically: “Is MUSICALLY brutal. It was written with speed and intensity in mind. It is an extreme and fast song that offers a lot of emotions such as anger and anxiety. The guitars are driving, the drums are fast while maintaining technicality and it also showcases a lot of groove. By the way, it ends with the heaviest breakdown we’ve ever done!”
Lyrically: “‘Drown in Fog’ is a song about trying to understand the reasons behind substance use as a means of coping. Whether or not the effects of a substance are worse than the feelings they are helping to mask, can be a very difficult question to ask.”
“However, in chemically soothing these lower emotions, we often inadvertently rob ourselves of natural highs. Pain and suffering bring healthy balance to our existence. Without a frame of reference, we trudge leniently through the fog.”
‘Vitriol’:
Musically: “Is MUSICALLY technical and epic. It starts with a melodic intro that is reflective of the first verse riff and gives an eerie rising effect. It is fast and technically proficient. It has a very epic chorus haunting and catchy! Throughout the track you’ll experience speed, emotion, groove and sway. This one showcases the definition of our newly found ebb and flow structure.”
Lyrically: “If left unchecked, anger tends to fester over time.”
“Whether it be directed at individuals, circumstances, or otherwise, this may build to a burdensome degree. ‘Vitriol’ is an introspective foray into the worthiness of allowing space for such feelings and actions, into one’s own life. It is a delicate subject, and we cannot be too hard on ourselves for succumbing to the allure of vengeful thought. Life can be difficult, and we are not always dealt a fair hand. However, it is important to note that in hurting others, we are often hurting ourselves. Regardless of how redeeming it may feel to be enacting a supposedly necessary retaliation. Such is the irony of Vitriol.”
‘Emaciate’:
Musically: “Is MUSICALLY very intense, driving and emotional. It was derived from the classic black metal feel and given the AOA treatment. Bludgeoning, catchy, technical, groovy. Emaciate is one of the most emotional and intense songs we’ve ever written. It features a very creative drum part that is almost impossible to play.”
Lyrically: “It hurts to wither, emotionally. ‘Emaciate’ is a metaphorical description of the feeling of watching oneself become increasingly jaded.”
“It is heavy. To yearn for the days in which you were more open to vulnerability, feared less, and had more cheer to bring to those around you, is a difficult experience. It promotes a painful awareness of the continuation of said decline, as well as a bitter sense of nostalgia. However, there are always more sunny days ahead. There is always an opportunity to burn it all down and take your life back.”
‘…And it will all end forever’:
Musically: “Is MUSICALLY our most juxtaposed song. It’s up and down, and up and down. In the middle you will hear our most brutal and disgusting breakdown yet, then right back into beauty and emotion. The solo is hauntingly memorable, and the ending gives you a heroic feeling as the song climaxes and burns out.”
Lyrically: “Every material has a breaking point. We as humans, are no exception. We too, have an elastic limit. Pushed far enough, we may break.”
“‘…And It Will All End Forever’ is an acknowledgement of a collision with the breaking point. A sublime release of pent-up emotions, held hostage by a patient tongue. The dam has broken, and a surrender has been made. Hate-free and loveless, in true neutrality. Pride, gumption, and fortitude. Swept away.”
About the album artwork the band comments:
“All our artworks are painted. A being is sitting, hands cut off, and blood running down the arms to the ground. The being is swallowed by the earth. The colour concept is moody cool tone pastels, dark blues and greens which match our first album colour scheme and a contrast of red. Empty, no one to help, no one to care. The raw emotion of helplessness and being consumed by the cold, steel environment. Its official description is ‘Despair’.”
Art of Attrition is a blackened technical deathcore band who separated themselves from the underground local scene with their 8-string barrage of dueling melodic guitars, gravity blast beats, intense guttural vocals, and epic orchestration.
Formed in early 2019, AOA wasted no time writing what would be their debut full-length album ‘The Void Eternal’.
They released three singles and a music video in promotion of their debut record.
‘The Void Eternal’ was released on September 22nd 2022 independently and was very well received by the genre’s fans and the metal community across the world.
During the making of this record, Diego Fernandez of Oracle Studios provided drum recording and the mix and master of the entire album while all guitars, bass, orchestration and vocals were captured at home by the respective members.
“Jack learned all the orchestration, samples, tracking, and extra sounds in order to get them in our album and our live set. He worked extremely hard to make his vision come to life.”
Influenced by such powerhouses as Aversions Crown, Lorna Shore, Dimmu Borgir and Archspire; AOA defined their sound as the epic, melodic, fast and intense experience as demonstrated on their first record.
With multiple shows, festival appearances and a Canadian tour under their belt, AOA continues to demonstrate their talents and brutality live with the endearing hunger for more.
“Greg played two back-to-back sets on the sola pravitas tour and was burning up to 1400 calories a night. He played for 30 minutes with Art of Attrition and then 1 hour with Plaguebringer. Greg is also one of the few drummers who can do crazy left-handed gravity blasts while doing blazing-fast kicks.”
“‘Loud as Hell’ was a last-minute decision. Geoff was in a pinch and needed a support band for the night and we made it happen. One of our most memorable live performances.”