Southern California’s NAILS are back & they are burning every bridge with their newest album in eight years.
When it comes to pissed-off metallic hardcore Nails are the gods.
First releasing 2010’s “Unsilent Death” and taking the hardcore underground by storm & following it up with the now modern classic “Abandon All Life” the band grew rapidly within a few years.
Their last album “You Will Never Be One of Us” in 2016 saw them become the torchbearers of modern hardcore & was some of the most vicious music of that year.
Now after an extended hiatus, they are back! Founding vocalist/guitarist Todd Jones has gathered a new lineup of superb musicians for this newest album. Drummer Carlos Cruz (Warbringer), bassist Andrew Solis (Despise You, Apparition), and guitarist Shelby Lermo (Ulthar).
The album’s opening track “Imposing Will” gives you everything you want from a Nails opening track, Unrelenting, ruthless & full of hate. A fast-blasting track that doesn’t give you a moment to breathe until the band smashes into this great double kick section & bringing that swagger only Todd Jones can write so perfectly. Short but not sweet.
“Punishment Map” keeps the momentum going & gives Jones a chance to unleash that beautiful but poisonous tongue of his in the vocal department. The ability of his & Nails to write these instantly singable lyrical lines is just flawless. The drumming on this track shows off the thrash & hardcore style Carlos Cruz does so well & brings a new swagger to Nails.
Having the title track this early shows its true power, “Every Bridge Burning” is a true powerhouse of a track but has these great moments in the chorus. With multi-tracked vocals that increase the intensity & pure hardness of Jones’s delivery. The breakdown two-step section is also fucking fantastic & shows that the tempo changes these guys always write are simple but they give you what you want next without even knowing.
Now there’s been a lot of buzz around the single track “Give Me The Painkiller” and it’s truly deserving. This track somehow has this anthemic style chorus & feels like the band is pushing hard on the walls of the box that they sometimes put in & can burst out of it giving you something new & exciting. Jones’ lead work on this track is some of his best to date. Fluid & graceful but also deadly, giving you that 80’s true heavy metal stomp.
Becoming one of my new favourite Nails tracks “Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy” gives me everything I love about the band. That more mid-paced track that just feels like you are constantly being beaten in the chest & letting the lyrics & vocal performance drive the song. Oh yeah, the breakdown section too will have you throwing punches around the room & want to spin-kick so hard you turn into a twister.
As the band blasts through the rest of the tracks can keep the punishment pure & sharp but as they lead to the closing track “No More Rivers To Cross” they continue my favourite tradition of the album track being a slower, sludgy track & this one does not disappoint. Feeling like Jones has saved all his most painful moments for this track it feels like a culmination of every track’s passion & anger is unleashed in the album’s final moments. “I’ve got nothing fucking for you anymore” just shows you Jones & co have given every ounce of blood, sweat & tears for this album. And it’s truly worth the wait & is another album in the band’s unmatched discography.
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Every Bridge Burning is out on 26th August via Nuclear Blast
Tracklist:
1. Imposing Will 1:22
2. Punishment Map 1:03
3. Every Bridge Burning 1:57
4. Give Me The Painkiller 2:44
5. Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy 2:03 6. Trapped 0:38
7. Made Up In Your Mind 1:04
8. Dehumanized 1:20
9. I Can’t Turn It Off 2:19
10. No More Rivers To Cross 3:14