Don’t really know how you could interpret what Nails does as anything but antagonistic, except maybe great when referring to the overall quality. From the frothing, corroded galactic beatdown of their powerviolence sound to their album titles like You Will Never Be One of Us, they’ve been a scourge on extreme music for well over a decade at this point. If you’ve lamented recent bands’ softer, varied approach to hardcore and metal lately, rest assured that Nails, unsurprisingly, still give absolutely zero fucks on Every Bridge Burning.
Every Bridge Burning is fast as hell, a paltry sub-18-minute iron cudgel to the dome as is customary of powerviolence and grindcore music, but the question at the end of these types of albums is, did it say anything of importance, or maybe, is this memorable beyond any novelty? Only time will truly tell on the latter, but deliberation on the former was swift and resolute. There’s always room for baneful rage righteously aimed at the people and systems seeking our destruction. It makes the music relatable as we’ve all encountered shitty people in our lives.
You can tell guitarist/vocalist/band leader Todd Jones really pushed himself on this record too, not just in power and visceral emotion, but writing and playing itself. Jones was in a bit of an uninspired funk in the late 2010s which is what made this album take eight (8) damn years to rear its fire-breathing demon head (see the great cover art from Jef Whitehead) but, as he told Decibel, broke out of it during the pandemic lockdown after binging on rock albums from the 1970s and ‘80s. You can hear a bit of that in the singles for this album. “Give Me The Painkiller” has a riff that sounds like a Blue Öyster Cult riff sped up at least three times, and don’t forget the high-flying solo toward the end. “Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy” is more subtle, but has a more alluring structure with deliberate pacing that flirts with the type of groove you might hear from that era.
Elsewhere, it’s just hammer-down focused on fuck-busting your whole shit wide open. “Punishment Map” is a vengeful screed draped in violence, nearly nonstop save for the seconds of recalibrative, savory groove toward the end. The title track harangues against the hubris and arrogance of mankind, Jones screaming about knives in backs, hypocrisy, and jealousy turning a relationship beyond sour over some of the most vile drumming I’ve heard in a while. “Made Up In Your Mind” is similarly about a very particular brand of narcissism and ignorance, flanked by blistering guitar leads to make for barely a minute of unchecked hate against those without the capacity to look within.
I love the approach taken on “I Can’t Turn It Off”, a hardened declaration in the face of manipulative people who cry when they don’t get what they want out of you. It’s slower, but marginally so - the weight of the instrumentation and punky rhythms still keep things plenty bludgeoning. The coup de grace though is “No More Rivers To Cross”, the customary long song at the end and this one might be my favorite from Nails. This one has fluttery, anxious guitars throughout and the slowest pace of all as resentment curdles and boils below. It really is just an average Nails song slowed to about half-speed, retaining the elements you expect, but able to breathe without threatening to become overly long like “They Come Crawling Back” did on You Will Never Be One of Us (functionally one of the only flaws that album had).
I’m of the opinion that Nails have never dropped a bad or even mid project. Ever since I started listening to them around the release of Abandon All Life when an old friend introduced me to them, they were one of the heavier bands I was listening to at the time. Since then, I’ve listened to hundreds more, some heavier than Nails, most not, which really made me wonder how a new album from them would translate in an age where we just seem to get more extreme as time goes on. It only took one loop to dispel any doubt I had, to hear the feedback screeching, the searing vocals, the entropic drums in my ear song after song. Props to Jones for not giving into the hype cash-in, taking his time with this one, and forming a new lineup to put out what could stand to be their best work yet.
Bottom Line: Nails remain a top biller of aggression with Every Bridge Burning, a pantheon razing, planet cracker of an album that doesn’t forget about melody. The thing sounds like getting a skin graft while wide awake. It’s a reminder to unga our bunga on a regular basis and never forget that while this life might be terrible in spots, the music sure as hell doesn’t have to be.
55 comments
Post CommentI'm new to this site. Do they cover bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Avenged Sevenfold, Sevendust, etc.? Thanks! Looking forward to coming back to this site more.
I'm new to this site. Do they cover bands like Torso f*ck, Begging for Incest, Sewerhermit, etc.? Thanks! Looking forward to coming back to this site more.
I'm new to this site. Do they cover bands like Zulu, Zulu, Zulu, etc.? Thanks! Looking forward to coming back to this site more.
Yes glad you asked. Zulu received a 9 for their latest album and will go down in history as one of the greatest ever.
anonymous 6 hours ago I'm new to this site. Do they cover bands like Torso f*ck, Begging for Incest, Sewerhermit, etc.? Thanks! Looking forward to coming back to this site more. We get it, you listen to shitty grindcore. Somehow even Five Finger Death Punch is better than these bands.
straightedgehack 2 hours ago bad band. will never listen. Well then, you'll never be one of us.
We get it, you listen to shitty grindcore. Somehow even Five Finger Death Punch is better than these bands. ^gaytard
Do I not understand some English grammar convention or does D.-tard think some idiots on this site don't know how to sound out the word eight?
All of these song titles are references to Todd's weight gain and voice loss
More like "Every Ass Burning" because this shit gave me gay gonorrhea of the ass. Seriously, we waited EIGHT YEARS for this 18-minute slop? Imagine going to one of their concerts, and leaving in the same amount of time it would take you to watch an episode of FRASIER. Sounds like a better salad-tossing (and scrambled eggs) than this """album""". Oh well, maybe they can redeem themselves in the mid 2030's with their follow-up. Solid 4/10
How hard is it to include the day the album comes out in the review? It could be with the score. 8/10 Releases 08.30.2024 See it's super easy!
Zulu is a better band who received a rating of 9/10. Also I am gay.
anonymous 17 hours ago Nasum for posers ^ nasum is too melodic, napalm or terrorizer would be a better reference
anonymous 1 day ago That said, rotten sound wipes the floor with nails They're both good. I know it's cool to shit on Nails but it's a good album.
They're both good. I know it's cool to shit on Nails but it's a good album. ^^ ok Todd Jones
Its a decent listen. Better than half of the ghey hardcore shit that is out lately.
Fat professional widget counters in some office that obsess over the movie Falling Down think Nails is the real deal because they're literally the fantasy. A bunch of newjack nobodies who one day wore hardcore like a Halloween costume.
Nails will never measure up to ZULU's level of superiority
anonymous 22 hours ago Fat professional widget counters in some office that obsess over the movie Falling Down think Nails is the real deal because they're literally the fantasy. A bunch of newjack nobodies who one day wore hardcore like a Halloween costume You're mad at people that don't actually exist lol.
^i have screenshots of you asking for feet pics from r/teenrateme you sick little f*ck so consider keeping your greasy sausages off the keyboard next time you reply to me unless you want to be Ian Watkins tummy sticks roommate in the future
This gets an 8, but Spectral Wound gets a 6? Stick to reviewing hc, guys. I think the only reason I visit this site is because it's nostalgic. I used to check it every week in the early / mid 2000's to find out about new bands, but now you can hear everything free without having to read shitty reviews.
This gets an 8, but Spectral Wound gets a 6? Stick to reviewing hc, guys. I think the only reason I visit this site is because it's nostalgic. I used to check it every week in the early / mid 2000's to find out about new bands, but now you can hear everything free without having to read shitty reviews. ^ same
how many f*cking 8's can you guys give out? OR have some kind of original thought that isn't a post just dick riding the album. If you had your reviewers actually give a spin on their own tastes and opinions it might look better than just some dude who gives an 8 and says "yeah, this f*cks"
anonymous 2 days ago ^i have screenshots of you asking for feet pics from r/teenrateme you sick little f*ck so consider keeping your greasy sausages off the keyboard next time you reply to me unless you want to be Ian Watkins tummy sticks roommate in the future Look out everyone, we have an absolute sigma male edgelord tough guy on the loose
Look out everyone, we have an absolute sigma male edgelord tough guy on the loose ^^^hold me upside down like a beer bottle and chug the turds falling out of my asshole while you cum to more child pageant feet closeups
You sure know a lot about fetishes for kids, clearly you're passionate about the subject Nd have done exhaustive research
^^ i kno wut u r but wat am i adurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr damn felt my IQ raise up to 90 after that one, thanks for feeding brah
You're a grown ass man crying about newjacks on a dying niche website, I think you needed that IQ boost Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh they dont like hardcore as much as I DO waaaaaaaaahhh
holy shit you're that retarded huh? I'm really sorry man, please accept my apology
Wow, the racist incest children of the Lambgoat comment section finally shut up about Zulu for the most part. Probably too busy getting backshots from their uncles.
The all superior ZULU plays in the background while my uncle backshots on me
Rode to a Zulu show and all I got was my bike stolen. :(
My parents drove me to Zulu and they stole my parents' car
they can f*ck in the review but we cant in the comments? wtf
Elsewhere, it's just hammer-down focused on f*ck-busting your whole shit wide open.