Album Type : Full Length
Date Released : 1/4/2013
Label : Southern Lord
Abandon All Life, album tracklisting:1) In Exodus
2) Tyrant
3) Absolute Control
4) God's Cold Hands
5) Wide Open Wound
6) Abandon All Life
7) No Surrender
8) Pariah
9) Cry Wolf
10) Suum Cuique
Info/Bio
Southern Californias’ NAILS was formed in December 2007 by Todd Jones along with the help of Taylor Young (CREMATOURIM), and John Gianelli (FELL TO LOW).
Nails is beyond brutality. Filthy, vicious and raw. These grindcore tyrants of the American underground have triumphantly returned with their second full length: “ABANDON ALL LIFE”!
The album was recorded with CONVERGE’s Kurt Ballou. The result are ten tracks of barbaric rage. Abandon All Life brutally carpet bombs the listener with a horrifying brand of Death/ Grind/ and Hardcore chaos. Nails flawlessly blend the purest and best moments of death metal akin to SUFFOCATION, early NASUM, and CELTIC FROST with their own sadistic aggression. With profound hatred, the howling war cry of Abandon All Life shows Nails as a band without equal in their class
Review
So it's finally here - one of the first key releases of the year, hyped by many to be the second coming of awesome. The new Nails record, 'Abandon All Life', has such feverish expectancy heaped upon it's shoulders that it's almost doomed to fail. There is no way that a record ever lives up to this degree of hyperbole.
FUCK THAT NOISE.
This album is so good that it almost seems wrong to review it. Like it should just be left to the realms of urban legend. Maybe if you say it's name 5 times into a mirror it appears and rips your ears off, laughing maniacally. Or it has a hook for a hand. Kids should tell stories of this LP around a campfire.
'In Exodus' is a storming opener of equal parts crossover thrash, grind and hardcore. Pure undiluted rage spews forth like a volcano of acid. REALLY pissed off acid. Four musicians so tight and full of vitriol that if they ever got together to plan somebody's demise, rest assured that person would be DEAD and they would sure as hell stay that way. The riffs are so fast and aggressive it is almost impossible not to bang your head like an idiot.
'God's Cold Hands' has a magnificent breakdown that takes up virtually all of it's second half. Bass so low it could originate in the Mariana Trench pummels forth with pounding drums backing up it's every intent. People with heart conditions should avoid. And this weight carries right over into 'Wide Open Wound', one of the slowest offerings on the whole album. It's still heavier than the Earth's molten core, and even more white hot.
This whole ordeal is a master class in unfiltered hate. The down tempo moments are perhaps even more face-melting than the average speed for the rest of the thing; that is to say, the speed of light. Title track 'Abandon All Life' is the perfect example of both elements colliding headlong in an unholy game of chicken. I love it.
Top cut award though goes to 'Suum Cuique', a low-end rolling behemoth of death metal riffage and hardcore chugging that's rammed full of groove and bile to the neck and beyond. It's practically drowning in the stuff. Rhythmic drum rolls and droning guitars contribute to what may well be an early contender for track of the year status.
I cannot get over just how good this new Nails album really is. It's sure to feature on many a year end list, and with great warrant. Most of the time I myself am a firm subscriber to the age-old adage of 'Don't believe the hype', but truly this does not apply here. This is absolutely essential listening, and you NEED this in your life. Grab it ASAP, and remember where you were when you heard it first. You'll be talking about this album in reverential terms for years to come. I know I will.
Words by : Matt Fitton
As always show your support to the band. You can pre order the record here and is available everywhere from 1 April 2013. Thanks to Lauren at Rarelyunable for hooking us with this one.
