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 . Only Mike "DC" McTernan's sharp, biting, shouted vocal style, reminiscent of -era , 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 , doubled in more traditionally minded hardcore outfits (for whom McTernan's brother, producer , sang) and . started primarily as a studio project, with playing both drums and guitar, and McTernan singing. They cut a couple of singles this way, before recruiting Flying V-touting guitarist/-lookalike Hillel Halloway, bassist , and drummer Dave Ward. (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 and the dark, brooding full-length album in 1995.

Rigorous touring — often mismatched with hardcore bands like and — saw them struggle to build a fan base that understood them. McTernan and held fast to the straight-edge ideal, often "X'ing" up at shows, though other members were drinkers. This confused some narrow-minded listeners, who liked their bands to be clearly definable by lifestyle, sound, or politics. Despite this, they soldiered onward, releasing the well-received CD EP in August 1996. Feeling confined by the decidedly indie rock/punk-oriented Jade Tree, the band signed on with California's Revelation Records, putting out one last full-length, , which featured new drummer . After split up, continued to work with and opened a recording studio called Monster Island; McTernan studied tattooing, then moved to Richmond, VA; Halloway joined forces with a metal band called Black Manta; studied design at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore; and Ward relocated to Los Angeles, CA.

After an eight-year hiatus, McTernan, who had started singing with a project called , called for some tips on recording his vocals. They went down to his studio, recorded some takes, and soon decided that they should reunite and record some tracks at Monster Island. Pleased with the results, the band went to work and recorded a full album of material called , which was released in 2007 by Victory Records. This record was a return to their initial sound of sludgy metalcore and featured appearances by members of , , , and . ~ Ryan J. Downey

Credits for Damnation A.D.