ATTRITION TEARING ARMS FROM DEITIES 1980-2005 COMPILATION EMI RELEASE: MARCH 27, 2006 REVIEW: JUNE 26, 2006

This collection, spanning an impressive quarter century, provides an interesting look in the rearview mirror, and a healthy reminder that darkwave veteran Martin Bowes did not always make classically tinged nu goth in the Projekt Records style. Early efforts such as "Shrinkwrap" and "Monkey in a Bin" are energetic, jagged documents of the politically tinged post punk era in which they were conceived.

Slow viola pieces pairing male and operatic female vocals make up a large chunk of the work of Attrition, but the streaks of harsher electronic work and purely ambient music strike me as the most intriguing part of the legacy. Hearing how many strings Bowes has on his lyre makes you wonder why the variation hasn't been greater on his albums of the last ten years. Wonder, and hope that this collection leaves a clean slate for a brave new world of sound.

MATTIAS HUSS

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