Nails - Every Burning Bridge (Nuclear Blast Records) [GC]
Is has been 8 long and depressing years since Nails released their last album and, in that time, we can all agree that the world has changed and in most ways its for the worst, so there really is no better time for them to return with their nihilistic and punishing sound and a new album in the form of Every Burning Bridge.
They take absolutely no time to re-introduce themselves on Imposing Will which has no subtlety or finesse and is a full on grinding attack on all senses all at the same time, if you could distil chaos into a sound then this would be as close as you could get and is an absolutely breath-taking start to proceedings and shows that the 8 years away has not dulled the fire one little bit!Punishment Map then manages to somehow up the violence and blasts and crashes its way in and out of your consciences in just over 1 minute of intense guitars and 1000mph drumming it really is a case of blink and you will miss it but if you do just skip back and listen again just so you can really take in the utter unrelenting viciousness of it all, with Every Burning Bridge we get a title track that is the perfect distillation of the record as a whole it’s got the unpredictability of grindcore mixed with mixed with some brutal hardcore to outline that while you can be fast and to the point you can also mix in sections that are focused and pinpoint but no less heavy and precise in their delivery.
On the basis that the opening trio has paved the way for getting me on board, Pyrotheology comes in with stabbing chords that swiftly move into the classic quiet verse structure which gives them room to sonically go large with some nifty rhythm work and a change in direction that shows a heavier turn into the closing moments of the song that reminds you that they can bring a harder edge if required.
Give Me The Painkiller is the first track that finally clocks in at over 2 minutes, but it does not lose one bit of the urgency or brutalness that we have had so far and when the lock into the groove of this track it is infectious and really takes you along for the ride and the raucous guitar solos towards the end are another nice layer of noise and on Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy there is a complete 360 degree turn and they slow the pace of the attack down and it is a death metal influenced hardcore stomp that gives you some time to re-group but still manages to feel like its suffocating you and never lets go of its grip once it hooks you in, that is then kicked directly to the curb on Trapped which is just 38 seconds of pure grindcore delight, no time for subtlety or measure her it’s just start, play, done, fuck you! Wonderful!
Made Up In Your Mind is another absolute battering from all angles that never really gives you the chance to take in fully what is happening on first listen so another spin really solidifies the relentless nature of the song and exactly the same can be said of Dehumanized the short fire nature of these songs could maybe hinder a lesser band but Nails absolutely, well no to be too obvious absolutely nail it every time and the force and feeling involved in every single second is gobsmackingly brilliant.
I Can’t Turn Off is almost an epic at 2:19 and we once again get another heavily hardcore influenced track and the ‘’longer’’ run time allows for the sound to expand and incorporate more death metal influences as well and of course it’s all done with such conviction you just sit and admire the beautiful noise before what seems way to soon we are on the last track No More Rivers To Cross and at 3:14 we have the longest track on the album and her they now mix in some wonderful sludge sounds and incorporate every sound we have heard into one final blitzkrieg of a track that ties everything together in a brilliant and dizzying fashion to finally put us out of our misery and is one last big fuck you to the world.
So, after those 8 years away? Was Every Burning Bridge worth the wait? The answer is a resounding yes and this is probably one of the most obviously easy scores I have given an album this year, it’s a horrible, chaotic and wonderfully savage noise and its all done in under 20 minutes, what is not to like about that? 10/10
Tantrum – No Place For The Damned (Self Release) [Paul Hutchings]
Totally unaware of this Glasgow outfit, I’d selected No Place For The Damned purely on the promise of old school heavy metal. And what a choice, for this is as solid a heavy metal album as you’ll get in 2024.
The third album by the band follows 2023’s Another Life and debut record Melt It Down, Tantrum describe themselves as having classic guitar-driven riffs and driving rhythms. They are not wrong, for this is the backbone of everything the band do, with dualling guitars, a thunderous drum sound, and the soaring vocals of Mark Reid which present as a cross between Blaze Bayley and Michael Kiske and tick every box I needed them to do.
Put simply, this is a joyous and glorious celebration of pure heavy metal in the best traditions of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Thin Lizzy and UFO, although the latter two were no-where near to NWOBHM movement.
So, after those 8 years away? Was Every Burning Bridge worth the wait? The answer is a resounding yes and this is probably one of the most obviously easy scores I have given an album this year, it’s a horrible, chaotic and wonderfully savage noise and its all done in under 20 minutes, what is not to like about that? 10/10
Tantrum – No Place For The Damned (Self Release) [Paul Hutchings]
Totally unaware of this Glasgow outfit, I’d selected No Place For The Damned purely on the promise of old school heavy metal. And what a choice, for this is as solid a heavy metal album as you’ll get in 2024.
The third album by the band follows 2023’s Another Life and debut record Melt It Down, Tantrum describe themselves as having classic guitar-driven riffs and driving rhythms. They are not wrong, for this is the backbone of everything the band do, with dualling guitars, a thunderous drum sound, and the soaring vocals of Mark Reid which present as a cross between Blaze Bayley and Michael Kiske and tick every box I needed them to do.
Put simply, this is a joyous and glorious celebration of pure heavy metal in the best traditions of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Thin Lizzy and UFO, although the latter two were no-where near to NWOBHM movement.
With 11 songs over just shy of an hour, there is ample to become absorbed into here. Opening duo Manifest Destiny and the snarling rage of Minotaur provide the bombastic entrance that you need, and within minutes I defy you not to dive full on into this album.
Yes, it’s nothing new, and some of the tracks veer very close to the Maiden sun, but it is joyful, routine and non-complex yet provides all the intricacy that one needs for an album like this. Rampant, fast in tempo, and powerful from start to finish it’s difficult not to keep this on repeat and power along.
There’s plenty of heaviness here, the two guitars combine well, the rhythm section ensures that nothing is going to slip, and Reid’s vocals are fantastically suited to the band’s sound. There’s the stellar Hellbound Planet, which makes you want to scream “METAL” at the top of your voice, and the majestic closing eight-minute The Pit and the Pendulum, the standard ‘epic’ that really demonstrates what the band are about.
A band that are now firmly on the radar, if you like your metal with one foot firmly in the 80s but with a contemporary flavour, then Tantrum should be on your list. It’s solid from start to finish. 8/10
Entropy - Dharmakāya (Crazysane Records) [Mark Young]
So, digging into the online fount that is Bandcamp, it notes the following about Entropy (DE):
‘Trading In heavy shoegaze, indie rock and grunge’ which if I have to be blunt does not make me leap up like a gazelle shouting Huzzah. Although, I don’t believe that Gazelles shout Huzzah.
Opening track Dharmakāya certainly does evoke a sense of the early 90s, especially of Bob Mould and Sugar (If you haven’t heard Copper Blue, please amend that immediately) and this is a very strong start. Using Bob Mould as a starting point, he has this knack of just making his songs fly. Entropy are drinking from the same well, and on this have distilled that same ability to craft a song that flows superbly, almost effortlessly.
Yes, it’s nothing new, and some of the tracks veer very close to the Maiden sun, but it is joyful, routine and non-complex yet provides all the intricacy that one needs for an album like this. Rampant, fast in tempo, and powerful from start to finish it’s difficult not to keep this on repeat and power along.
There’s plenty of heaviness here, the two guitars combine well, the rhythm section ensures that nothing is going to slip, and Reid’s vocals are fantastically suited to the band’s sound. There’s the stellar Hellbound Planet, which makes you want to scream “METAL” at the top of your voice, and the majestic closing eight-minute The Pit and the Pendulum, the standard ‘epic’ that really demonstrates what the band are about.
A band that are now firmly on the radar, if you like your metal with one foot firmly in the 80s but with a contemporary flavour, then Tantrum should be on your list. It’s solid from start to finish. 8/10
Entropy - Dharmakāya (Crazysane Records) [Mark Young]
So, digging into the online fount that is Bandcamp, it notes the following about Entropy (DE):
‘Trading In heavy shoegaze, indie rock and grunge’ which if I have to be blunt does not make me leap up like a gazelle shouting Huzzah. Although, I don’t believe that Gazelles shout Huzzah.
Opening track Dharmakāya certainly does evoke a sense of the early 90s, especially of Bob Mould and Sugar (If you haven’t heard Copper Blue, please amend that immediately) and this is a very strong start. Using Bob Mould as a starting point, he has this knack of just making his songs fly. Entropy are drinking from the same well, and on this have distilled that same ability to craft a song that flows superbly, almost effortlessly.
What they do have in common with those bands from the 90’s is how the running order is scheduled. Americans Will Save You (In The End) occupies the position of ‘the one that is not as speedy / immediate as the first one’ but is still a class song. I appreciate that in typing this I’m being a bit snide. It’s not, its just a description that will make sense to listeners of my vintage. As a song, it shows that the clever arrangements that float and hooks that catch was not a fluke. It is a steady away number and is joined by Don’t Deny Me as the third of three opening tracks that manage to successfully capture that sound of 1991 / 1992, at least for me. The first three must grab you, get you onboard, and make you invest yourself in the music that is coming.
On the basis that the opening trio has paved the way for getting me on board, Pyrotheology comes in with stabbing chords that swiftly move into the classic quiet verse structure which gives them room to sonically go large with some nifty rhythm work and a change in direction that shows a heavier turn into the closing moments of the song that reminds you that they can bring a harder edge if required.
However, as we reach King Of Rain there is a familiarity creeping in with this one. It’s certainly doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint they have in place and is a good song but after the heavier moments in Pyrotheology I would have liked them to explore that heavier side a bit further. Gap-Toothed ups the tempo a little, and like King Of Rain stays within familiar territory but because of that increased speed it hits a little differently. It zips along at a decent rate and you could call it their ‘bouncy’ one. I mean that it comes over like a summer song, yet there are moments of cloud that obscure the sun briefly and it’s one of the stand-out tracks on here for me.
Papered Over Some owes more to that heavy start / quiet school but drags whilst Olympian takes a leaf out of Gap-Toothed’s book, going for that quick snappy delivery which after Papered is required. The preceding track was fine but sat between Gap-Toothed and Olympian it felt a little lifeless and almost unnecessary. Are the final three going to be as good as the openers? To an extent yes, on Kenoma they go for that subtle pace with bright chords and there is an overall joyous vibe running through it. It has that build and feel that used to be commonplace on alternative radio and it is as good as anything you would have heard back then.
Papered Over Some owes more to that heavy start / quiet school but drags whilst Olympian takes a leaf out of Gap-Toothed’s book, going for that quick snappy delivery which after Papered is required. The preceding track was fine but sat between Gap-Toothed and Olympian it felt a little lifeless and almost unnecessary. Are the final three going to be as good as the openers? To an extent yes, on Kenoma they go for that subtle pace with bright chords and there is an overall joyous vibe running through it. It has that build and feel that used to be commonplace on alternative radio and it is as good as anything you would have heard back then.
When their songs have that bit of zip to them, they land so much better, and you can say that for Pleroma which starts off brightly and stays there, keeping that up-tempo approach in place, setting us up for the final track that nails that Bob Mould style perfectly. Well/Sad is a fine song to close out on, and I would recommend headphones just so you can pick up on those quality chords deployed here (and elsewhere).
All in all, this is an impressive set of songs that fans of early 90’s alternative will dig into. It has a confidence running through it that comes from knowing that they have written the best songs they can. Looking back over it, you can’t say that there are any truly weak songs and for those wanting something a little different from the more extreme types of music available this would be the place I would start. 8/10
WALL - Brick By Brick (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]
Desert Storm brothers Ryan & Elliot Cole, build their WALL once again. After 2 EP's and some major performances, this lockdown project has taken on a life of it's own, a two piece riff machine that worships Sabbath and sludge, inspired by crushing Iommi riffs and instrumental masters such as Karma To Burn, both of whom are covered on this debut full length.
When the Cole brothers are involved you'll get quality and WALL has quality, packed with stoner/doom jams, the lack of vocals is nothing to miss though on their cover of Electric Funeral,they show if they ever wanted to add them they could easily. The album is inspired by many things but a lot comes from Stephen King and horror movies, maybe not Filthy Doner Kebab On A Gut Full Of Lager perhaps.
Ryan and Elliott know riffs and WALL has them slow and low. 8/10
All in all, this is an impressive set of songs that fans of early 90’s alternative will dig into. It has a confidence running through it that comes from knowing that they have written the best songs they can. Looking back over it, you can’t say that there are any truly weak songs and for those wanting something a little different from the more extreme types of music available this would be the place I would start. 8/10
WALL - Brick By Brick (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]
Desert Storm brothers Ryan & Elliot Cole, build their WALL once again. After 2 EP's and some major performances, this lockdown project has taken on a life of it's own, a two piece riff machine that worships Sabbath and sludge, inspired by crushing Iommi riffs and instrumental masters such as Karma To Burn, both of whom are covered on this debut full length.
When the Cole brothers are involved you'll get quality and WALL has quality, packed with stoner/doom jams, the lack of vocals is nothing to miss though on their cover of Electric Funeral,they show if they ever wanted to add them they could easily. The album is inspired by many things but a lot comes from Stephen King and horror movies, maybe not Filthy Doner Kebab On A Gut Full Of Lager perhaps.
Ryan and Elliott know riffs and WALL has them slow and low. 8/10
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