J-Man Though they only have two (very) short releases under their belts, American grindcore acts Nails has quickly gained a reputation as one of the world's most devastating forces in extreme music. 2013's Abandon All Life, the band's second full-length observation, clocks in at only 17 minutes, but there is enough crushing brutality contained within its duration to satisfy most of the genre's enthusiasts. The music here is generally fast-paced, chaotic, and rather noisy grindcore - it's nothing that most listeners haven't heard before, although Nails occasionally explores a heavy and slow-paced style that sets them apart from some of their influences. A strong example of this would be the unbelievably crushing closing piece, “Suum Cuique”, which also stands tall as the album's highlight. Nails's music comes across as too one-dimensional for my taste, but I do sense a few glimpses of brilliance throughout Abandon All Life. Although this record isn't for everybody, fans of extremely noisy and feedback-laden grindcore will love what it has to offer.

UMUR "Abandon all Life" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US grindcore/hardcore act Nails. The album was released through Southern Lord Records in March 2013. The band must have made some kind of world record with "Unsilent Death (2010)" as it clocked in at around 15 minutes but was still released as a full-length studio album. "Abandon all Life" is slightly longer with it´s 17:32 minutes of playing time, but still a very short full-length release.

...those minutes are used wisely though and personally I think a short length release of very high quality is better than a longer release where the quality is seldom consistent throughout. "Abandon all Life" certainly delivers quality all the way through just as the case was with "Unsilent Death (2010)". The music is crushingly heavy (but mostly fiercely fast-paced) and raw grindcore/hardcore. The band both blast away and play heavier sections, which help make "Abandon all Life" a relatively varied grindcore release. Try and compare the furiously fast-paced "Tyrant", "Absolute Control" or "Abandon All Life" to the ultra heavy onslaught of "Wide Open Wound" or the brilliant closing track "Suum Cuique" and you´ll get the picture of how varied Nails are within their genre.

Compared to "Unsilent Death (2010)" this album is slightly more in the grindcore fold and a little less in the hardcore fold, but it´s details that set them apart. The sound production is sligthly more professional and clear than the case was on the debut, but it´s not less intense and powerful.

"Abandon all Life" delivers exactly what you expect from Nails. A musical kick in the face, raw aggression, distortion on the verge of feedback, excellent musicianship and a musically well thought out concept. These guys are very successful in placing the tracks in an order where they leave most impact and that´s one of the things that makes "Abandon all Life" such a great listening experience. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.