It upsets me that this band are so unheard of on this site...my love for aggressive and brutal music which remains intelligent and emotional is fulfilled by this album.
Nothingface are one of the angriest bands I have ever heard.
Skeletons is an album crammed full of heaviosity and anguish that could rival an obese mentalist. Frontman Matt Holt has an inredible voice; a lot of people will classify the band as Nu-metal but that isn't the case - vocally and lyrically, he is an impressive frontman. He literally spits his vocals out when screaming; the aggression is pretty much unrivalled. In terms of the instrumentation,
Nothingface meld together the grooves found in metal such as Pantera with a heavy hard rock sound. The guitars provide some cunt-smashing riffs whilst incorporating incredibly melodic sections which help to make this album that little bit more impressive. The drums and bass combine and form a bulldozer of aural punishment - overall, bands do not often get as aggressive as these guys.
The strengths of the album are obvious - this is the kind of music you want to beat people up to. The sheer brutality of it all is one thing - often, with this brand of metal in particular, lyrics are immature. However, the true beauty of [b]Skeletons[b/] is that lyrically it as hateful as the next band whilst maintaining intelligence and pure emotion. Matt Holt could scrape the paint off my walls if I were to blast this through anything over 15 watts. Songs like
Patricide contain incredibly thoughtful, superb lyrics. A lot of people can relate to it and
Nothingface are the perfect place to begin if you want to evolve from bands that are heavy yet lyrically immature.
As mentioned previously, the musicianship is notably excellent. The guitars pump out some great, heavy riffs. In terms of sound, the riffs are a mix of
Pantera style groove and
American Head Charge aggression. Deep within all this chaos however, the guitarists often throw in a relatively technical guitar line and or a well crafted melodic section. This helps to make the band a lot more than a one-dimensional barrage of insane brutality. Combined with the ferocity of the vocals, the pure pain and anguish that inspired their lyrics and the instrumentation that wouldn't be out of place in a criminally insane institute for angry people, the whole album suceeds in blowing your head clean off. What makes it all the more enjoyable is the connection you can make with the music; lyrically, it is a masterpiece in expressing emotion (mostly anger, and a high dosage at that). To be honest, the whole album is an unrelenting, constant combo of punches to all your organs - if you like brutal music, then check this album out. Ignore the flaws and nuances; this album will leave you wanting carnage.
Recommended Tracks
Murder Is Masturbation
Ether
Patricide
Big Fun At The Gallows
