Bis Aufs Messer Weekly news 03/04 2021
hi. Welcome to another newsletter for April. A bunch of killer new records from IMPROVED SEQUENCE arrived like like two amazing new DAVID GRUBBS collaborations, the fantastic soundtrack by AARON CUPPLES - Island of The Hungry Ghosts (OST) LP on PAN, the EXEK - Biased Advice LP re issue, the mindblowing GRAUZONE - Limited Edition 40 Years Anniversary BOX SET, the beautiful LINDA SMITH - Till Another Time: 1988-1996 LP re issue, PAINTED SHRINES - Heaven And Holy LP, RYO FUKUI - Scenery LP restock, WOODS - Reflections Vol. 1 (Bumble Bee Crown King) LP, some THOU / RAGANA LP restocks, DAMNATION A.D. - Pornography TAPE (!!!), PHOEBE BRIDGERS restocks and more ..
We also have the SHIFTERS - open vault DLP at the pressing plant and the we will start pre orders for the upcoming PIGEON LP pretty soon. (release date will be June 11th).
Thank you for your support in those difficult times
Norman & Robert
www.adagio830-records.bandcamp.com
LP
AARON CUPPLES - Island of The Hungry Ghosts (OST) LP (PAN _ Island of the Hungry Ghosts is a hybrid documentary that moves between the natural, human and spiritual worlds. Located off the coast of Indonesia, the Australian territory of Christmas Island is inhabited by migratory crabs traveling in their millions from the jungle towards the ocean, in a movement that has been provoked by the full moon for hundreds of thousands of years. Poh Lin Lee is a trauma therapist who lives with her family in this seemingly idyllic paradise. Every day, she talks with the asylum seekers held indefinitely in a high-security detention centre hidden in the island's core, attempting to support them in a situation that is as unbearable as its outcome is uncertain. As Poh Lin and her family explore the island's beautiful yet threatening landscape, the local islanders carry out their "hungry ghost" rituals for the spirits of those who died on the island without a burial. They make offerings to appease the lost souls who are said to be wandering the jungles at night looking for home. This album presents the original score Aaron Cupples created for the film. Rich in texture and harmonics, the music is characterized by the bespoke instruments and recording techniques employed in its creation. The soundtrack also features sound recordist Leo Dolgan's vivid field recordings. All captured on Christmas Island, the four pieces recall insect choruses, strange and ominous bird calls, erupting blowholes, fire, ocean, and Buddhist prayers for the dead. The album is mastered by Rashad Becker, featuring design by N MRE 08. *LP comes with an obi strip, a booklet containing stills from the documentary & liner notes, as well as a postcard granting access to the full film*) 27.00
BOB LOG III - Bump Or Meow Volume 1 LP (improved sequence - Originally released on CD in 2016.Deep plunges into the wild, absurd, excessive rock'n'roll world of Bob Log III. "So when you see a man in a jumpsuit and full-face helmet rigged up with a telephone receiver come barreling down the honky-tonk stairs in a lifeboat while beating away on a hollow-body guitar, don’t get out of the way. Jump right in there with him. And as long as you live, you’ll never forget what he taught you" - Taipei Times) 18.00
BOB LOG III - Guitar Party Power LP (improved sequence - Originally released on CD in 2016. Deep plunges into the wild, absurd, excessive rock'n'roll world of Bob Log III. "So when you see a man in a jumpsuit and full-face helmet rigged up with a telephone receiver come barreling down the honky-tonk stairs in a lifeboat while beating away on a hollow-body guitar, don’t get out of the way. Jump right in there with him. And as long as you live, you’ll never forget what he taught you" - Taipei Times) 18.00
DAVID GRUBBS & NIKOS VELIOTIS - The Harmless Dust LP (improved sequence - The Harmless Dust is a unique release in the discographies of both David Grubbs and the Athens-based cellist Nikos Veliotis (Mohammad). In 2005 the duo were on tour in the U.S. in support of Grubbs’s album A Guess at the Riddle when they took a most productive break at John McEntire’s Soma Studios, over the course of a day laying down something utterly different from the song-based set they were playing most evenings. The Harmless Dust presents the same composition in two arrangements: one for piano and cello (played with a curved bow that makes it possible to sound multiple strings simultaneously) and the other for Hammond organ and multi-tracked e-bowed piano. What resulted are worlds within sound worlds, within whirls, within whorls, without words. The piece was first performed live in Tokyo and then released on CD in Japan by the Headz label; this is its first release on LP, with new artwork by Nikos Veliotis from the same series that yielded the original design.) 20.00
DIALECT - under between LP (rvng - Dialect's Under~Between unfolds with the hopeful energy of seedlings springing forth from soft earth. The longstanding project of Liverpool-based artist Andrew PM Hunt, Dialect's cross-pollination of acoustic and synthetic ensembles with human voice on Under~Between grows into a joyous ecosystem of delicate sound and intimate, unexpected melodies, yielding a strange yet delectable fruit.) 26.00
EXEK - Biased Advice LP (castel face - "A weird trip of a band…the second this was playing I was immediately hooked. I initially dove in because their name was attached to Mikey Young for mastering (I have a rule with Mikey…if he had his hands on it, it’s probably worth a listen) This band exceeds in all my trials. Esoteric nature, but oddly poppy and ready to prick up any ears out there. Deconstructed, but full of hooks. If I were a lazy man, and I am, I would say its for fans of PiL, but they transcend that pigeon-hole. Wonderful production lends its self to this unique LP. It seems as if the room expands and contracts throughout songs. Pulling away, then blocking your field of vision entirely. Wasteland Funk. Dub from the depths. Punk from the pit. Even the instrumentation is worth mentioning: Saxophone, Drums (and cut up drums), Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals (poetry) and general fuckery all combine to make this a very interesting and worthwhile escape from the average. And thank the Gods for that right now. Inspired and desired by the active mind. A job well done by EXEK, and there’s new stuff brewing too... For fans of BEAK>, Phantom Band, PIL & general Jah Wobbleness, Magazine, Short wave radio, ESG and underground Kraut” - John Dwyer ) 23.00
THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS - Live at WNUR 2-6-92 LP (improved - Originally released on cassette in 1992 and then CD in 1996 this is The Flying Luttenbachers' first transmission to Earth. A furious snapshot into the early days of the band and featuring the incredible line-up of head honcho Weasel Walter, Hal Russell and Chad Organ. First time on vinyl. 300 copies, limited edition of 75 pressed on purple vinyl. "The Flying Luttenbachers have quite an impressive history for a band whose lineup seems to be constantly in flux. The one constant is drummer Weasel Walter, who formed the band in Chicago in 1991. Walter was a fan and pupil of Hal Russell, leader of the explosive NRG Ensemble. Walter’s friend Chad Organ (tenor sax) joined them and the trio became the Flying Luttenbachers. That lineup made its first and only public appearance February 6, 1992 on a college radio station. Live at WNUR, released originally on cassette but reissued on CD, is similar to some of Russell’s NRG Ensemble work, but more frenzied and loosely constructed. This is the Luttenbachers at their closest to pure jazz; it is fast and furious, upbeat and funny. The band’s ethos is already evident: short bursts of noise strung together with energetic abandon, yet somehow evincing an aura of control and overall melody.") 20.00
GNAW THEIR TONGUES - Spit At Me And Wreak Havoc On My Flesh LP (improved - Originally released on CD in 2006, this is the debut album by Gnaw Their Tongues.) 18.00
GRAUZONE - Limited Edition 40 Years Anniversary BOX SET (wrwtfw - GRAUZONE // LIMITED EDITION 40 YEARS ANNIVERSARY BOX SET - The pioneering band from Bern (Switzerland) had a short-lived but highly-regarded career which birthed a cult discography that still fascinates and resonates today. Consisting of core members Martin Eicher, Stephan Eicher, and Marco Repetto, and on-and-off participants Christian GT Trüssel, Claudine Chirac, and Ingrid Berney, the elusive group broke new grounds in the early 80s, experimenting with punk music, early techno sounds, minimalism, new wave, pop, and various electronics. With an innovative and polished approach to design, visuals, performance, and all around style and philosophy on top of the superb music, the cult band developed a whole experience - the Grauzone experience: wild and unpredictable, yet sophisticated and cohesive, or as Swiss music historian Lurker Grand would call it, "an Art band with a Punk attitude". Completely rejecting the music industry rules and refusing to play the game of promotion, touring, release schedules, and TV appearances even though they had a multi-platinum international hit with the song Eisbär, the band quickly disintegrated in full convention-defying glory, leaving behind an inspiring music legacy for the world to discover and discover again, one generation after the other. Stephan Eicher went on to be, arguably, the most successful Swiss musician ever, with an international career extending from pop chanson to experimental escapades and collaborations with Moondog, artists Sophie Calle and John Armleder, and author Martin Suter among many other luminaries. Marco Repetto flourished as a techno and ambient producer, releasing multiple projects including releases on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label.) 59.00
LINDA SMITH - Till Another Time: 1988-1996 LP (captrued tracks - When Linda Smith purchased a 4 track cassette recorder in the mid-1980s, it was not with the intention of launching a solo career. At the time, she was playing guitar in a band called the Woods, and thought it would be useful for sharing demos with her bandmates. In the end, the 4 track outlasted the Woods, but Smith had already started toying around with her own songs. The new hobby followed her from New York back to her native Baltimore, and over the next decade she’d release several albums worth of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette. Till Another Time: 1988-1996 is the first retrospective collection on vinyl of Smith’s charmingly lo-fi music, situating her as a pioneer of the home recording boom that persists today. Sparse and gentle, Linda’s music is tinged with lovelorn melancholy despite the sweetness of her voice. Over ‘60s pop-indebted melodies on tracks like “A Crumb Of Your Affection”, she delivers observations like “I’d been so hungry for so long, I’d forgotten how to eat” with an earnest softness. Elsewhere, her voice takes on a post punk deadpan, as on “I See Your Face” when she glumly repeats “someone speaks and I hear your name.” The effect of both modes is a haunting charm, equally reminiscent of early Cherry Red Records and ‘60s yé-yé. This sense of timelessness was bolstered by Smith’s no-nonsense approach to recording. She recorded almost all of her songs at home, using 4 and later 8 track tape recorders. There was a creative freedom that came with recording on tape - it eliminated the need for a band or studio to bring her ideas to life. Unbeknownst to Smith, this was a conclusion that many musicians were reaching at the time - the seeds of the home recording movement were being sowed across the country, and she was at the forefront. ) 24.00
JOHN DUNCAN & STEFANO PILIA - Try Again LP (maple death - Distorted classical choral recordings, synths, processed guitar… The exquisitely complex human-machine interface experiments conducted by Stefano Pilia are kept in a delicate balance by John Duncan‘s lyrics and the soulful quality of his vocals, for an album of electroacoustic songs that are a unique blend for both artists. Seeds and memories from the past are re-actualized in the present through a machine electroacoustic compositional process creating a dark, gloomy and terrifying image of the future. Duncan’s lyrics offer a counterpointing liberation to the machine processes in action here, poetically revealing the dark and intimate struggle between the human soul and its rapport with the machine. These recordings are a point of departure for Matilde Piazzi‘s inspired liner notes and photos, that take this release to another level entirely, becoming a metaphor for contemporary efforts to reach the limits of knowledge and discovery, their heroic nature and their inevitable failure. ) 20.00
LOREN CONNORS & DAVID GRUBBS - Arborvitae LP (improved sequence - This is the first LP release on Loren Connors’ and David Grubbs’ Arborvitae, originally released on CD by the Swedish label Häpna in 2003. Loren Connors and David Grubbs first performed as a duo on May 30, 2003 at the Green-Wood Cemetery Chapel in Brooklyn, N.Y. Green-Wood Cemetery is one of Brooklyn’s landmarks—it’s the highest natural point in the borough, and an unexpected expanse of tranquility in the midst of the city. The stone interior of the chapel makes the quietest of sounds audible, and Loren and David played a remarkably quiet yet extraordinarily varied hour of improvised music. Energized, they repaired to the studio to record Arborvitae. It certainly could have happened earlier. David first heard Loren’s In Pittsburgh LP (St. Joan) in 1990, and felt it a revelation. Loren’s example of creating silences, of singing—with the guitar—in silences, was crucial to David’s shift from the rock trio Bastro to the often percussionless Gastr del Sol. David and Jim O’Rourke reissued In Pittsburgh several years later on their Dexter’s Cigar label, and Loren and Gastr del Sol performed a number of shows on the same bill, including the 1996 Table of the Elements Yttritum festival in Chicago. ) 20.00
LOVE 666 - Armed Resistance LP (improved - Never released before "Armed Resistance" is Love 666's final chapter. A 'lost' album that documents the total outsider rock of Love 666, mixing industrial, proto-electronica, rock'n'roll and general sleaze.) 18.00
PAINTED SHRINES - Heaven And Holy LP (woodsists - Jeremy Earl (Woods) & Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, The Reds, Pinks & Purples) met sometime in the mid-oughts and bonded over a love of tambourines and DIY sounds. They shared many stages since, and their first serious collaboration was on the 2011 Woods album Sun & Shade. Around 2018, Earl was restless in upstate NY and accepted an invite to record in Donaldson’s studio in an undisclosed rural coastal town in Northern California. In a week they emerged with nearly an album’s worth of hazy folk-rock and psych-pop with touches of more outré lo-fi noise. Jeff Moller (The Papercuts) added bass, and they put the finishing touches on during quarantine. Heaven and Holy ebbs and flows like coastal fog between songs and dreamy instrumentals splitting the difference between The Clean’s Unknown Country and The Byrds Fifth Dimension.) 24.00
PERILA - Everything Is Already There LP (col. vinyl) (boomkat - Newly remastered by Rashad Becker for this vinyl edition, ‘Everything Is Already There’ is an incredible feat - a sprawling, hour-long, 12 track album recorded in the space of a week in 2020 and now easily one of the most inspiring records we’ve heard during this now year-long pandemic-haze. It’s an intimate fever-dream made real, a summoning of rich and complex spirits that reminds us of Giuseppe Ielasi & Nicola Ratti’s Bellows, Dean Blunt x Hype Williams, Ry Cooder’s Paris Texas, Ulla (who plays saxophone on two tracks under the Foamy alias), Grouper, Laurel Halo - a tapestry of suggestive, humid mood music for our time. Beloved for her tapes and LPs with everyone from sferic to The Trilogy Tapes and Motion Ward, as well as her role running Radio.syg.ma, Perila's productions and curatorial work have been central to the emergence of a new ambient rhizome in Berlin in recent years. The hushed but fractious patchwork of 12 cuts she deploys on 'Everything Is Already There’, however, speaks to the breadth and sensuous subtleties of her style, embracing opiated shoegaze, queasy concréte, and blushing ambient soul in a waking-daydream of a session that revels in the pleasures of locating and nourishing the inner life. Arriving not long since Perila's action in Critical Amnesia's 'ambient supergroup' with her pals, Exael, Huerco S., Ol, VTGNike, and uon, it contains some of the most detailed and textured work in her small but precious catalogue. She emerges like a ragged spirit from the viscous tronics of 'Time Swamp', and shapeshifts from urgent street-corner poetry in 'Pocket Full Of Nothing' to take in damaged ambient blues recalling Loren Connors on 'Riot In A Cornfield', with her descriptive sensitivities in lushest, illusive effect on the likes of 'On A Roof' and the gauzy aerial drift of 'Reality Scan’ Trust us, it’s a stunning, stunning album. ) 28.00
RYO FUKUI - Scenery LP (we release jazz - back in stock - Official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery (1976), sourced from the original masters."Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have. The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (also available on We Release Jazz) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo’s Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing 2 live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come.“) 25.00
RYO FUKUI - Mellow Dream LP (we release jazz - back in stock - Official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream (1977) by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor Scenery, sourced from the original masters. "Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent "Mellow Dream" and "My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui’s work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic "Baron Potato Blues" or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced "Horizon" which sees each member of the trio (Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums) demonstrating their virtuosity for 9 exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, reminding us that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back to back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo’s Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing 2 live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore.“) 25.00
SARAH MARY CHADWICK - Me And Ennui Are Friends, Baby LP (badabing - Me And Ennui Are Friends, Baby is the latest full-length from New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, Sarah Mary Chadwick, whose brutally honest songwriting has cast her contrary to the gentleness of most current music. Comprised entirely of minimal solo piano arrangements, the album is despondently clear-eyed and smirkingly self-deprecating, completing a trilogy of records that started with The Queen Who Stole The Sky recorded on Melbourne Town Hall’s grand organ, and her only outing to date featuring a full band, Please Daddy. Each record has followed Chadwick’s internal processing after a traumatic event, with Chadwick’s zeal for psychoanalysis front and center. On Ennui, Chadwick presents an exacting intensity with her choice to pare back to piano and vocals. It's in this stark setting that she focuses on the attempt she made on her life in 2019. The methods Chadwick employed on Ennui contrast those of her previous full-band record, which thrust her into a very different world of rehearsal, planning, restraint and control as a functional tool. The result, 2020’s critically acclaimed Please Daddy, was her most aching and engaging achievement to date: “a raw, often unnerving experience,” which “delivers compelling and uplifting catharsis” (Mojo). Recording Ennui shortly after the Please Daddy sessions, Chadwick concludes her trilogy by returning to the most immediate compositional process she can muster, doing it alone, with less between her and the microphone than ever before. On Ennui, Chadwick is free, there is nowhere for her or us to run from the need to very presently and repeatedly articulate her trauma until it is simply, “articulated out.” 2019 saw Chadwick endure the breakup of a long term relationship and attempt her own life just weeks before the Ennui recordings. These events followed the deaths of her father and a close friend, and it’s from this weighty internal mire that Chadwick emerges throughout the trilogy. Imaginably, the result is staggeringly abject. But the incandescent nature of her will, knack for reportage and searing dark humor sets fire to the world she describes over these 12 songs. Joined by long time production collaborators, Me And Ennui was mastered by David Walker at Stepford Audio and mixed & recorded by Geoff O’Connor at Vanity Lair - both expertly bringing scale, subtlety and intangible ascendence to this recording. ) 25.00
SUGAI KEN & LIEVEN MARTENS - Kagiroi LP (Completely singular work here, linking fading Japanese cultural customs with field recordings and Belgian instrumental performance. There's little else we've heard quite like it. Sound artist Sugai Ken and Edições CN boss Lieven Martens met five years ago in Tokyo, where they connected over a mutual respect for each others' work. More recently, Sugai sent Martens recordings out of the blue that he'd made of traditional musical performances in Tokyo, Toyama, Kanagawa, Kyoto and Tottori. He noted that due to Japan's declining birth rate, the art form was becoming extinct, giving the recordings an added resonance. Martens responded to the sounds by adding new elements from his world: percussion and strings from local Belgian musicians Jeroen Stevens and Roman Hiele and corresponding field recordings.) 23.00
VOMITO NEGRO - Entitled LP (mecanica - Vomito Negro is the mythical EBM-industrial act formed in Belgium in 1983. The band has a vast discography that started with a self-titled EP in 1985 and continued with diverse releases on renowned labels like KK Records, Antler-Subway and more recently on Out of Line and Scanner. Vomito Negro's musical approach, essentially based on the European "Industrialist" tradition, takes a different angle on every record with synthesized psychodramas that range from danceable to contemplative, from instrumental and ambient to voice-ridden and brutal. The new album “Entitled” was created with unreleased tracks from the early 80’s. All songs were re-arranged and re-recorded with the use of original vintage hardware synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines.) 23.00
WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES - Falling Up LP (hectic records - A wild new album from long-running West Coast electronic artist Whatever Your Heart Desires (AKA: Th' Mole). Featuring guest vocals from Kool Keith and Myka 9 (Freestyle Fellowship)!?! Experimental juke hip-hop?Experimental juke rap? It’s close, but it’s an understatement. Jonah Th’ Molé aka Whatever Your Heart Desires has been holding down the weirdo beats/rap/performance game on the West Coast for nearly two decades now. FUKDUP is proud to present his latest masterpiece and first full-length release as WYHD, featuring a Kool Keith vocal as well as well as a vocal from legendary West Coast rapper Myka 9.) 18.00
WOODS - Reflections Vol. 1 (Bumble Bee Crown King) LP (woodsists -First in archival series featuring rare and unreleased recordings of long-running cult folk rock band.With no touring in 2020, and possibly this year, Woods decided to take a deep dive into their archives and put together the first volume of their much discussed archival series, Reflections. Featuring rare and unreleased recordings from 2009 - 2013, including a ghost town desert jam off the side of the highway, their first live performance in Big Sur, the first recorded version of “Bend Beyond” and some shelved diamonds in the rough that were finished up during quarantine. Their hope is that it plays like a “lost record” from an extremely strange and fruitful period in Woods history.) 24.00
YOSHIO OJIMA - Une Collection Des Chaînons II: Music For Spiral DLP (WRWTFWW Records is insanely happy to announce the first ever vinyl reissue for both volumes of Yoshio Ojima’s superb environmental music project Une Collection des Chaînons I and II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988 on CD only. Each volume is sourced from original masters and comes as a double vinyl LP with liner notes in English and Japanese . This marks the inaugural release from the ESPLANADE SERIES by WRWTFWW Records which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima and friends. Une Collection des Chaînons I and II gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle. Named after its superb curled-shaped structures laid in a vast atrium, Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating the fusion of the notions of megastructures and organic biological growth - in essence, evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally.) 28.00
TAPES
DAMNATION A.D. - Pornography TAPE (hectic - Long rumored, recorded in secret its finally here... DAMNATION A.D. cover THE CURE'S critically acclaimed album PORNOGRAPHY in its entirety! 25 years in the making & their first release in ten years. Damnation A.D. was one of the first bands who arose from the U.S. hardcore scene to almost completely forgo their punk roots in favor of a full-on, heavy-handed, dark-metallic assault similar to the early-'90s work of Cleveland, OH's Integrity. Only Mike "DC" McTernan's sharp, biting, shouted vocal style, reminiscent of Rollins-era Black Flag, recalled any sort of punk rock or hardcore aesthetic. This despite the fact that most of the band's members were schooled in D.C.'s dynamic punk scene, and that one of them, primary songwriter/guitarist Ken Olden, doubled in more traditionally minded hardcore outfits Battery (for whom McTernan's brother, producer Brian McTernan, sang) and Better Than a Thousand. Damnation A.D. started primarily as a studio project, with Olden playing both drums and guitar, and McTernan singing. They cut a couple of singles this way, before recruiting Flying V-touting guitarist/Kirk Hammett-lookalike Hillel Halloway, bassist Alex Merchlinsky, and drummer Dave Ward. Damnation A.D. (who added the "A.D." to avoid confusion with the West Coast punk band) partnered up with Jade Tree Records, releasing a split single with Walleye and the dark, brooding No More Dreams of Happy Endings full-length album in 1995.)
