3 Arms and a Dead Cert comes from my favorite era of Attrition’s musical output.  After the sounds of a radio tuning in to something uncanny (something wicked this way comes!), Attrition lays out a perfect trifecta of electro-Goth; “White Men Talk,” “Acid Tongue,” and “Cosmetic Citizen” are monumental tracks of Martin Bowes’s low, semi-whispered vocals, Julia Niblock’s operatic shriek, driving beats, inventive electronics, and eerie violin.  There is a reason that these three tracks are considered classics in Attrition’s catalog, and hearing them back-to-back is simply mind-blowing.   

Things open up into different spaces after the first half of the album.  “The Second Hand” takes the prior formula and makes it more experimental and a good deal darker.  It’s all into the shadows from there on out: “Predicament?” is a Coil-esque slice of threatening ambiance, “Red Eye” burbles with subliminal life, and the title track puts a unique spin on the idea of neo-classicism.  Taken together, the album is a certifiable darkwave classic.  And since it has recently been re-issued on the Two Gods imprint, you’ve got no excuse not to have this in your collection.

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