“Tell all your your friends you hate me – I won’t try to stop it.“
For those who had longing for Nails to make their return, you can be suitably pleased. Even with a fresh line-up outside of Todd Jones on guitar and vocals, singles “Imposing Will” and “Give Me The Painkiller” showed that the unit have not missed a step in their eight year absence. And for those who indulge in grindcore, it’s one hell of a year for Nails to make a return, with HEREISAROPEGOODLUCK dropping Nothing to Write Home About.
With aforementioned opener “Imposing Will” and “Punishment Map“, the ferocity of Nails‘ is hostile and venomous, as Jones bites “Don’t give a fuck how you fucking deal, make you feel the way you make me feel” on the latter. The whirling guitars and blast beats alongside the vocal performance make for a punishing experience that shows Nails aren’t spending any time pissing about on their return.
There’s sheer stubbornness and wrath present across Every Bridge Burning, with “Give Me The Pain Killer” declaring “Beat down and broken as my world fell apart, my hands are empty, but I still have my heart“. Later, “I Can’t Turn It Off” barks “Point your finger, play the victim, say I’m so fucked up“, making this record utterly pissed from its lyrics to its feral instrumentals.
The sheer maddening pace of Nails sounds is a spectacle in itself, as tracks such as “Lacking the Ability to Process Empathy” contain a D-beat sound that could have you headbanging along too while going for a mic grab. Even more powerful is “Made Up in Your Mind” which goes straight for the jugular, full of pit-inducing riffs and flexing Cruz power on the drums as he slams away. Following track “Dehumanized” shows the performance on the drums is nothing short of impressive, the kick and popping of the snare is nothing short of commendable.
Closer “No More Rivers to Cross” shows that Nails aren’t just here to chew your ear off, seeing themselves pull back to a slower tempo and showcasing their technical ability. It sees Jones prescribe a nihilist outlook with “Every bridge burning bodies, blazed on the shore, I got fucking nothing for you anymore“, while the guitars noodles away in the background.
In amongst the huge amount of records that have been released this year, Every Bridge Burning is something to latch onto. Jones has done it again, in an accumulate and rage-fuelled fashion, seeing Nails present a record of resilience and one that pushes each boundary to the extreme.
8/10
Every Burning Bridge is set to release August 30th via Nuclear Blast and can be pre-ordered here.