Sonic Demise
Newly signed to Southern Lord Records, Southern California band Nails' latest release, 'Unsilent Death', is the sort of album that would not have sounded out of place amongst some of the seminal Earache releases of the late 80s; think Scum-era Napalm Death, Terroriser or Repulsion and you'll get some idea of the sort of savagery that Nails are dishing out. The no-frills production from Converge's Kurt Ballou further adds to the old school grindcore flavour, giving the album a rawness that accentuates the bellowing thuggery of the music.
If you're looking for finesse or intricate melodies then Nails are probably best avoided as, from the second that explosive opener 'Conform' kicks off, to the feedbacking end of closing number 'Depths', 'Unsilent Death' is the sound of nihilistic blind rage, irredeemably and unashamedly brutal and lyrically as well as musically, as subtle and to the point as a piece of lead pipe to the back of the head: "Fuck the sheep who tell me how to live, I wasn't born to follow or swallow anybodies shit".
Despite the extremely short length of the album (it clocks in at a measly 14 minutes), which makes it shorter than some cd singles, Nails still manage make it a relatively satisfying experience. Whether the jaw-dropping ferocity could have been sustained much longer without lessening the impact is open to debate. The fact that in 'Unsilent Death', Nails have produced an album that sounds almost psychopathic in its teeth-baring intensity is not.