(Wil Cifer reviews the new album by Nails, released August 30th by Nuclear Blast)
Thankfully, during the 8 years since You Will Never Be One of Us, Todd Jones just released a few splits and 7-inches rather than work on the issues spurring the anger that gives “Imposing Will” its feral menace.
The new album finds them moving in a more Hardcore direction – though the drumming has a more Slayer-like precision due to the presence of Carlos Cruz behind the kit – with Jones joined by a new line-up this time around which includes Andrew Solis (Despise You) playing bass and Shelby Lermo (Ulthar) on guitar.
That being said, the main influence of Grindcore lingers on in the way these raging riff fests get crammed and bullied into a savage series of sub-two-minute bursts of brutality.
Photo Credit: Hristo Shindov
At first listen to this album my initial concern was the intensity with which they attacked the songs, finding the momentum running away with them. A reasonable concern, as with any genre of music what makes an album great is having songs that stand the test of time, and make you want to hear them time and time again.
Too soon to say how it will hold up, but it does make me look forward to giving it repeat listens. This is a testament to Jones‘ ability to create not only a sonic battering ram but also arm it with hooky riffs. These riffs are strong enough to force at the very least nodding of your head. Unlike many hardcore bands they do rely on breakdown-style riffs, but instead finesse the dynamics enough to ease off on the gas for big moshing chugs.
“Give Me the Painkiller” carries more rock ‘n’ roll in its more Motörhead-like DNA. The songs create the space to remind the listener the vocals have a purpose here. Jones‘ bark gets the message across as more of a blunt instrument. The production is very raw, and close to what this band sounds like live.
“Lacking the Ability to Process Empathy” finds the guitars attacking with even greater clarity as the powerful chug drops. On “Trapped” the band prove it’s easier to make a song in 38 seconds than you might have expected.
“Dehumanized” finds them continuing to pour on the speed. The drums blast with fury until they throw in another one of their hooky riffs. “I Can’t Turn it Off” is another chugging beast moving in a direction more aligned with hardcore. If you wanted to accuse the band of writing more accessible songs, this might be the best case in point, since it even includes a rather rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo. Nothing is wrong with writing in a more deliberate fashion as it makes for songs that stand the test of time, rather than being a flurry of riffs you forget by next month when the next fastest flurry of riffs album comes out.
“No More Rivers to Cross” is not just the album’s heaviest song, it might be the year’s heaviest song, with a deliberate pounding that is equally catchy and powerful.
Jones and friends find a balance; there are the faster moments that create a frenzied wall of sound, which are outweighed by the intentional songwriting masterstrokes delivered here, and that makes this album worth the wait and puts the band on the top of the heap. This time it’s the hardcore heap rather than the extreme metal one.
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