NAILS
Abandon All Life


4.0
excellent

Review

by Xenophanes EMERITUS
March 1st, 2013 | 796 replies


Release Date: 2013 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Don your Entombed patch laden denim jacket and get pissed.

Abandon All Life is an exercise in immediacy. Nothing is veiled during the album’s 17 minute runtime as the band begins with a beguiling and thunderous wall of oppressive heaviness that does not relent until the final moments. Each track is gravid with a sense of dread and repulsive anger, spread over 10 cathartic bouts of intensity. Much like 2010’s Unsilent Death it works perfectly as Nails hold no punches with their excessive delivery.

Often likened to a strange amalgam of Entombed and Drop Dead, Nails provide everything there is to love about “heavy” music, all while retaining a tight musical core. At a cursory glance, it’s pure unbridled chaos. Well, sure it is, but Abandon All Life brings together a bevy of great ideas whilst still providing an unmatched energy. Produced by Kurt Ballou, the album features a vicious and filthy sound that works well with the overall tone. The riffs kill and Todd Jones is a behemoth of a vocalist. With the added brilliance of Taylor Young on the set, the album acts as a force to be reckoned with. Combined, Abandon All Life is a beast of an album that is both engaging and dismaying.

“In Exodus” opens things up with absolute precision. With an infectious pace it feels like all hell breaking loose. But it’s the rapid fire changes in tempo and mood that truly show that Nails know exactly what they are doing. Whereas many bands may fall into a trap of each short burst of a song feeling the same, the 10 tracks found here are perfectly distinct from one another. With varying lengths, the songs may see condensed peaks and valleys or merely erupt over the course of 24 seconds. It’s impressive, to say the least. All of this culminates into the album’s final act “Suum Cuique.” The song moves full of purpose, deliberately and succinctly. At times it lumbers while at others movingly briskly. With a frenetic guitar solo to bisect it, the song stands as the perfect closer and an immense song in its own right.

With their sophomore record Nails stand proudly as one of the most interesting and concise hardcore bands around. Full of thoughtful songwriting and brilliant instrumentation, Abandon All Life is a hellish and exigent work that grabs hold and refuses to let go.



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user ratings (1168)
3.9
excellent
other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
robertsona
Staff Reviewer
March 1st 2013


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 3.9

ROME PLOWS

foxblood
March 1st 2013


11237 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

gonna listen soon can't wait

Ignimbrite
March 1st 2013


6903 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

rules

TheNexus100
March 1st 2013


2696 Comments


nice review

album is really nice

FearThyEvil
March 1st 2013


18806 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I'm liking this more than Unsilent Death.

kris.
March 1st 2013


15504 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

this is about on par with unsilent death for me. it's all about that HATE

kris.
March 1st 2013


15504 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

great review by the way

eternium
March 1st 2013


16358 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Nails are proving to be a rather consistent band so far. Unsilent Death is better but this is still awesome.

Trebor.
Emeritus
March 1st 2013


60012 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Holy shit it's march already

klap
Emeritus
March 1st 2013


12410 Comments


indie pop?

WeepingBanana
March 1st 2013


11395 Comments


hadn't actually listened to unsilent death but this is pree sweet

zaruyache
March 1st 2013


27750 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

This album killed my whole family.

Kman418
March 1st 2013


13271 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

It took my dog's virginity

kingsoby1
Emeritus
March 1st 2013


4970 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

this definitely beyond unsilent death

alachlahol
March 1st 2013


7593 Comments


scene hate

kingsoby1
Emeritus
March 1st 2013


4970 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

aoty for me so far

alachlahol
March 1st 2013


7593 Comments


only wanted to listen to entombed and drop dead after reading this

alachlahol
March 1st 2013


7593 Comments


minor errors here n there

1.

the album features and vicious and filthy sound


2.
With he added brilliance of Taylor Young on the set


3.
the album acts as force to be reckoned with.


Ire
March 1st 2013


41944 Comments


thought this was going to be a hanson review from that summary

ethixx
March 1st 2013


1170 Comments


sup



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