Bio
What began in 1993 in Washington D.C. as a two man project without any expectations has become one of the most solid, unstoppable forces in heavy music today with intentions that are deadly serious. After releasing two seven-inches with it's founding members, guitarist Ken Olden and singer Mike McTernan, Damnation A.D. transformed from project to band as bassist Alex Merchlinsky, drummer Dave Bryson, and guitarist Hillel were added to the mix.
There are a lot of bands today that play fun music with a lighthearted feel to it that is meant to be played at parties and in the summertime with the top dow. Damnation A.D. is not one of those bands. And although Olden also played and wrote songs for Battery and Better Than A Thousand, Damnation A.D. couldn't be further away from the sounds of those other projects. Kingdom Of Lost Souls comes roaring at you out of the gates like a Panzer tank doing 80. Thick, dense, dark, and incredibly powerful, these ten tracks were cut at the legendary Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara (Fugazi, Bad Brains) at the helm. If Damnation A.D.Us music is like an armored assault vehicle, then McTernan's voice is a flame thrower. Brutally honest and compelling lyrics with a vocal style that can only be described as apocalyptic. The overwhelming production, the matured, dynamic songwriting, and the nightmarish lyrics and vocals make this record a truly exhausting listening experience.
Lineup
Mike - Vocals / Ken - Guitar / Alex - Bass / Dave - Drums
Interviews and Reviews
DAMNATION A.D. | kingdom of lost souls
This is the review of what I would call a milestone. This record isn't new for all you guys who have never heard of this band. It was released in 1998 and I have to tell you one thing in the first place to make everything clear. This record is for me personally one of the best hardcore records and even beyond the scope of hardcore. These 10 songs have more energy than 10 records together and I'm trying not to exaggerate. Rarely are there records that leave you speechless or that give you a hard time trying to explain what they create in you. Damnation A.D.'s "Kingdom Of Lost Souls" is such a record. This record is 8 years old and still I think it's one of the heaviest records I've ever heard. Sure there might be more brutal ones but when it comes to the lyrics and the energy this record is my personal number one. This mixture of an appealing simplicity and Mike McTernan's voice paired with the production that is more powerful and raw than many of today's records. "Kingdom Of Lost Souls" is timeless. Where the "Misericordia" 10" and the "No More Dreams Of Happy Endings" had some really awesome tracks but also have some minor weaknesses this record has not one bad song and some of the best songs and riffs ever. The tension starts with the first chords of the first song "Kingdom Of Lost Souls". It's a simple riff but I haven't heard it anywhere else and I haven't even discovered something like that on any other record. This first chords already make me shiver and I don't know how many hundred times I've listened If I think of "In The Flesh" which has one part which just makes me want to destroy everything where I moshed so hard in my flat that I had a headache after these couple of seconds. That's these kind of intensity that I was talking about in the beginning. "The Mortal" one of the fastest songs on this record has just pure despair in its lyrics. It's almost impossible to describe it but I always have goosebumps when I hear these words: "I am not beyond the tears that are ripping at my heart, I am not beyond the pain that tears my soul apart". "Wait For A Day" has additional keyboards but not like current bands use them and it's also not that "blackmetal" kind of keyboard arrangements. It fits perfect to the overall mood of the song and is complementing the other instruments and is also not used the whole time. The last song "Circles" has more than two minutes introduction until the vocals start and that reminds alot of the songs on "No More Dreams" where there are much more instrumental only parts. As you'll probably can imagine from my words above I could go on forever ranting about how insane and how powerful this record is but please figure it out for yourself. This band deserves your attention.
SILENTSTAGNATION.com, LB - 19/08/2006
