Nails - Unsilent Death

Band: Nails

Album: Unsilent Death

Genre: Grindcore with Crust and Hardcore Influence

Southern California grind trio Nails if following up their 2009 release, "Obscene Humanity."  Attacking the senses with hate, aggression and an attitude that screams "Fuck you all," "Unsilent Death" is a noteworthy release in the genre of grindcore and crust hardcore.  Lets see what makes this album worth your time:

Grindcore is a pretty difficult genre to expand on, granted that the majority of the music is pure chaos.  One of the things I appreciated most about this album is that it didn't try to go above and beyond with the expansion of the genre.  Nails is simply a group of dude who just want to play loud, pissed off music.  That being said, there weren't any failed efforts in transcending the genre they were making music for. The simply did what they new best, and it shows in all fourteen minutes (that's right - fourteen minutes) of the album.  

So, you're probably asking yourself, "what does the album actually sound like?"  Put simply, it sounds like unharnessed mayhem.  The crunchy guitars and low tuned bass give the album a pleasantly dirty grungy sound that any grind fan will instantly appreciate.  Passages of feedback and slow breakdowns give the album a subtle taste of sludge and crust punk.  The drums sprint at times with tasteful grind-blasts, and then slow down for the slower, crusty passages.  The vocals on the album are a clean 50/50 split of unrestrained hardcore yelling, mixed with a harsh taste of metal screams.  Put together, you get a take on grindcore that is original, yet still plays back to the ways of the greats like Terrorizer.  So, while it's been done before with other crusty grind bands, Nails has created their own, take on the genre, and it sounds prime.  

Now let's take on the other end of what the album sounds like - The production.  Granted, these guys are still a somewhat smaller, unheard of band in the genre, but the production on this album is damn near spotless.  It has a raw, almost D.I.Y. feel to it, as well as a polished, coherent sound.  When these two aspects collide, it becomes every grindcore fans wet dream.  The production adds a certain level of heaviness to the overall product, and it does nothing but compliment the work the band has done.  

My one complaint on the album, beside the fact that the album is only fourteen minutes long (which is a pro and a con for the album), is that due to the low tuning of the bass, and the raw aspect of the production, sometimes the instrument gets a little drowned out.  Obviously, it is more audible during the slow riffs on the album, but, during the speedy grind riffs, the bass is left M.I.A. at times.  But, this is only a minor gripe, and it certainly didn't ruin me enjoying the album and the replay value that it possesses.

So, if you're in the mood for some fresh, more underground grind or crust, I would highly suggest checking "Unsilent Death" out.  It's definitely one of the more noteworthy albums I have heard this year, and it will definitely be in my iPod rotation for months to come.  So, what the hell are you waiting for?  Go out and get yourself a copy.  Now.

Score: 8/10