Review Summary: An industrial rock masterpiece that is not only essential, but really fun to listen to
3 of 3 thought this review was well writtenJ.G Thirwell, or commonly known as Foetus, has remained a huge role model in the Industrial rock field for nearly 30 years, releasing 10 studio albums (and hopefully/possibly more on the way). His quirky personality and eccentric melody/rhythm roundups have showcased well in his music, particularly in his earlier albums; and
Nail is a near perfect representation of this. His overall
sound has never really been accessible or family-friendly (earth shaking percussion layouts, sickening yet hilarious lyrics, and kinky vocals), but his 3rd album released in 1985 called
Nail is his most amicable, and in my humble opinion, his best he’s ever accomplished.
There’s a definite fact that needs to be explained here now; this album has incredibly energetic and uplifting choruses that will easily bring a grin to your face, even if your day is going terrible. They are almost guaranteed to shock you and bombard you with enjoyment, almost as if you just won the Mega Million lottery. All of the choruses to found here are very distinguishable in their own right, and not one song sounds the same, at all.
What is really cool about Foetus himself (that one could notice on all of his albums), is the fact that he (more than likely) doesn’t care what he says lyrically. He could one minute be talking about how life is troublesome, and next shift over to sperm, vomit, and/or piss; it’s all what the figure has his mind set as for the time being. Really though, he is one funny dude, and is brilliantly unpredictable. Basically, he doesn't let anything get in front of him.
The melodies on this record are really diverse as well. A lot of them resort to horns and brass sections to create an exhilarating sense of joy, and well, entertainment. A prime example of this is ‘Enter the Exterminator’, a cheerful tune packed with a bulldozer of a chorus and lightning bolts of horns/brass pieces which are all fun to listen to. That song is also my personal favorite on this record too. The song named ‘Throne Of Agony’, which has been acclaimed as his most popular, also retains a rumbling melody and exceptional vocals that rotate from screeching highs to lows. The song is a perfect example of him doing work, and is a fantastic tune to get the album opened. ‘Pigswill’ is a rather darkish song compared to the rest of the album. It features a wide variety of forceful percussions (which, who knows, could be from different parts of the world), a rather amusing lyric line with Foetus shouting
DESTROYY ALLLLLL GIRRRRRLS!!!!!!, and one completely badass bass melody; all of those characteristics make this one of the best there is on this album.
Another tune like
DI-1-9026 is a pretty good song, but can get really repetitive and a tad annoying with the constant shouting of the song name.
The Overture from Pigdom Come on the other hand, is a beautiful instrumental, with its frantic yet outstandingly melodic violin/viola, and the well-known-for percussion lines that overlap occasionally. Honestly though, it some way or form, each song is powerful and will never fail to cheer you up.
Nail is just about everything you could ask for from JG Thirwell. It has his cocky yet hilarious sense of humor, spine-tingling lyrics (well, sometimes), and beautiful melodies; it’s basically fun Industrial rock. To bare it down for you, though, if you are looking for a huge adventure within an album, this album is a definite essential.
