UMUR "You Will Never Be One of Us" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, California based hardcore/grindcore act Nails. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Entertainment in June 2016. It´s the successor to "Abandon All Life" from 2013.

Stylistically the material on the 10 track, 21:43 minutes long album continue the raw and uncompromising hardcore/grindcore style of the preceding releases by the band. The tracks are harsh, fast, noisy, and brutal, and most definitely not for the faint at heart. The listener is exposed to a caustic aggression and a convincing savage approach to delivering the music. While the pace is predominantly high throughout the album, there are sections featuring crushingly heavy breakdowns and the 8:14 minutes long closing track "They Come Crawling Back" is a slow and heavy track throughout. So there is a bit more variation on the album than what is initially revealed when you´re pummelled by the opening title track.

"You Will Never Be One of Us" features a raw and powerful sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. So upon conclusion "You Will Never Be One of Us" is another high quality release by Nails. Some people may shy away from a full-length album which is only about 20 minutes long, but I asure you that it´s a perfect length format for Nails music. Music this extreme is seldom enjoyable for the duration of an hour long album release, and that has nothing to do with the quality of the music. This type of music is just better enjoyed in shorter intense doses. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Obscene Humanity" is an EP release by US, California based hardcore/grindcore act Nails. The EP was released through Six Feet Under Records/Streetcleaner Records in early 2009. The material was recorded during November and December 2008. The EP features 7 tracks and a full playing time of 10:56 minutes. The vinyl version features the same 7 tracks on both sides.

If you wonder what 7 tracks of hardcore/grindcore distributed over a 10 minutes long playing time sound like, I can tell you that it´s noisy, raw, distorted, and at times quite chaotic. There is a primal aggression to the material and especially the bestial delivery of said material is greatly charming. It´s definitely Nails biggest asset, although the tracks themselves are quite well composed too. Nails successfully combine blasting grindcore, with fast-paced hardcore, and ultra heavy sections, and they are actually relatively varied within their style. It´s not exactly an issue that the band are skilled musicians too, who deliver their music with great conviction and passion. Organic playing by a tight unit. The vocals are shouting distorted hardcore type vocals, which suit the instrumental part of the music perfectly. The sound production is loud, raw, and organic, and it´s the perfect sound for the equally mean music.

"Obscene Humanity" is the first release by Nails and considering that this is a debut release from the band, it´s a quality product. Not necessarily the most original sounding hardcore/grindcore release out there, but definitely a solid effort featuring some great moments here and there. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

siLLy puPPy NAILS is a hardcore punk band band from Oxnard, CA that has been gaining in popularity in the last decade due to its unrelenting mix of crust punk, D-beat and powerviolence with elements of grindcore and death metal. The band was founded in 2007 by Todd Jones (vocals, guitar), John GIanelli (bass) and Tom Hogan (drums) but since then has released three albums, two splits and this debut EP titled OBSCENE HUMANITY which is a mere 10:56 in length.

This EP was originally released as a seven song, one-sided vinyl EP but was re-released with three rerecorded songs bringing the playing time up to 21:42. All NAILS releases are succinct, explosively brutal and to the point with caustic guitar and drum orotundity and incessant percussive explosiveness. Todd Jones’ vocals are a tortured scream out from under the din sort of madness. Although the band has adopted the D-beat and hardcore punk approach in the compositions, the caustic nature of the music is more akin to grindcore with a few elements of death metal thrown in.

The band cites the Japanese hardcore scene as the primary influence but also includes the crust punk and death metal scenes. Despite a near 11 minute playing time this EP hosts 7 tracks with most lasting around the one minute mark. “Lies” is the oddball here extending well past the 3 minute mark. NAILS is the epitome of a powerviolence band which infuses hardcore punk with extreme metal (such as thrashcore) and engages in confrontational socio-politically charged themes that are iconoclastic.

NAILS can be considered some of the most extreme music out there however even OBSCENE HUMANITY isn’t as heavy and extreme as the band’s following classic “Silent Death” which is even more hardcore and engages in more experimentation. This debut is a little more by the books as far as powerviolence rage is concerned but still the band proved it had the chops to pull off the incessant rampaging prowess required to successful evoke the hardcore punk demons to do their bidding. Pretty good start.



Original Track listing

"Disorder" - 1:09 "Alienate You II" - 0:42 "Obscene Humanity" - 1:42 "White Walls" - 1:09 "Confront Them" - 1:21 "Lies" - 3:37 "Alienate You I" - 1:13

Obscene Humanity 7" Track list as above (on both sides) but includes re-recordings

"Obscene Humanity" – 1:43 "Confront Them" – 1:20 "Lies" – 3:34

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.