Born of collusion between the thuggish intensity of powerviolence and sawing groove of Wolverine Blues, Nails has evolved in sprints from wrecking ball riffmongers to a band whose chops aim to prove heavier than their breakdowns. After all, Nails doesn’t have to prove they are your favorite grindcore band—they wouldn’t even claim themselves as such. Always entrenched in the brutish slow slam of hardcore, Nails doesn’t care to always keep it fast or keep it anything “pure” for that matter. Nails does Nails. Every Bridge Burning is not trying to be powerviolence crown jewel. It seeks to prove only that in less than twenty minutes, Nails can destroy you in whatever way Todd Jones and co. see fit.
On roster, Nails has changed a good deal in the eight-year bridge between now and You Will Never Be One of Us. Carlos Cruz (Warbringer, ex-Hexen) now pummels the skins, adding a thrash-laden groove to lengthier breaks (“Bring Me the Painkiller,” “I Can’t Turn It Off”) while still maintaining the blast and d-beat that fuels the fervent punk two-step character of Burning’s tangible angst. Jones himself, while not entirely foreign to the concept of quick solos or leads, finds a comfort in stretching the bounds of that character, lowering the breakdown to screaming string disparity with class. Bringing on Ulthar/Thanatotherion guitarist Shelby Lermo and multi-instrumentalist/engineer Andrew Solis (Apparition) on bass too may have helped thicken the filth of HM-2 gain stains and the metal musicality that scatters wild life into the hardcore thread that threatens to unravel in the face of Nails’ boiling-over rage.
Though 2010’s Unsilent Death set a modern touchpoint for full-fury powerviolence, Nails never had a strong desire to replicate that album over and over to succeed, which shows in Burning’s continued iterations about the tones that define their sound. Ever increasing the focus on guitar tone and pick attack, the very crackle of each riff that cuts—through double-kick run, over a Bannon (Converge) approximating throat lashing, against a snare tumble that just won’t let up—feels more urgent and defined than any in prior Nails outings. Every Bridge Burning won’t likely win any contest for its dynamic range, but its tonal arrangement allows for the intensity of loudness to carry through, with longer cuts like “Give Me the Painkiller” and “I Can’t Turn It Off” finding breathing room in breaks for screeching solo work and classic metal riffwork. Occasionally, this even means that a dry bass rumble pops through—once a growling feature of the weight of their hardcore shuffle now reduced to a standard supporting partner. But as tracks like “Lacking the Ability to Process Empathy” and “No More Rivers to Cross,” a saw and rabid bark work together plenty fine to crush skulls.
Is there a such thing as crushing too much though? Such is the question that every powerviolence-informed assault asks, to which Every Bridge Burning responds by continuing to be the Nails pit thug that Nails always is. It’s crazy to say that an album of this level of snappiness is too long—and really it’s still not—but with the mid-album duo of “Give Me…” and “Lacking..” and the closing pair of “I Can’t…” and “No River…,” many of the supporting floor-churning other pieces don’t measure up in intensity. Opening salvo “Imposing Will” does a good job slathering your ears in its fresh tonal onslaught, hissing away in pressurized feedback. But then, so does “Punishment Map.” And so does “Every Bridge Burning”—albeit with a little more setup. Either way, the penchant to pummel, breakdown, and skreeeee remains ever-present. And though Nails does it well, their success in more diverse channels on this very record has me wondering what more could have been with a few less breakdowns and few more songs highlights.
Regardless of whatever familiarity sets in at short moments throughout Every Bridge Burning, Nails consistently delivers the energy to spin kick, throw arms, and mosh about its flaws. With all the finesse of a bulldozer, Nails wears each of their scuttles with a leaking, manic frown and a cab that groans with power. While previous Nails outings may have succeeded through a manic vibe and unstoppable intensity, Every Bridge Burning succeeds by being classically memorable at its best moments. And when it’s not? Well, at least it rips.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp
Websites: nailsmerch.com | facebook.com/nailsoxnard
Releases Worldwide: August 30th, 2024
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