Salem - Attrition

Salem with “Attrition” is part of the series Dissonance Productions and producer Bart Gabriel are releasing of new efforts from unsung NWOBHM legendary bands. I confess I did not know the band until receveing this album, and I guess even a specialist on NWOBHM would find it difficult. After a little digging (actually I read it in the press release I received), I found out that Salem were formed after Ethel The Frog split.

“Attrition” is an album that would please the fans of a more melodic sonance. But do not go on thinking that this melodic sonance is the modern one. No, it is not. Salem are near what we used to call heavy pop back then in the 1980s. “Attrition” is an album that is lost in time with the sonority many known and unknown bands used to make circa 1983-5. It is a sonance that were specially handmade to play on american FM radios. It is a dilluted variance of NWOBHM. Vocals are more melodic and prominent. Guitar solos do exist, but do not take so long, and the guitar sound is on purpose mixed down the voice. It is a formula that was a commercial success back then, but NWOBHM hardcore fans hated mostly because it wiped out all the excess in metal music. But those excesses are what fans love. I particularly like it. As I said before I like contrast the melodic voice with the harsh guitar sounds.

My Only Son and Warning Signs are the highlights of “Attrition” mostly because to me they sound emotionally stronger. Warning Signs has the best guitar motifs. The main thing in “Attrition” is that Salem brought back the old feeling. It is a sonance that there has been some time bands do not try it out.

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