Nailed - A Pure World Is A Dead World review artwork

Rating: 7.1

Country: UK

Release Date: 2005

Track list:
1. Rapist's Ruin [mp3]
2. Dark Spawn [mp3]
3. Without Hope There is No Fear
4. Vermin (Have Inherited the Earth)
5. Forgotten Idol
6. Crowning of a Cripple
7. A Pure World is a Dead World
8. Scorpio
9. Serial Killer Chronicles

Band Website: Nailed

Nailed - A Pure World Is A Dead World

Mass Firth - Guitar, Vocals
Andy Whittaker - Vocals
Dan Cocker - Bass, Vocals
Paul Cuthbert- Guitar
Garth Wray - Drums

Five words: Formulas Fatal to the Flesh. Morbid Angel is the predominant influence for Nailed as it was with their partially successful countrymen Throne of Nails and Mithras. Straight away that muddy but serrated dirge, wailing harsh overtones, rich bending chords, effects-sodden squeals and organic technical darkness swarms the listener riding a torrent of flesh-ripping percussive bombardment. This is the sound of a band with such intense love of a semi-classic album that it seeps through every pore and taints everything they do with the diseased paw-print of a bestial Trey Azagthoth. Even those dual guitar harmonies are Trey-inspired in their looseness and oddity.

But however worthy the performance, is this a totally derivative debut album with only one source of reference? The good news is no, particularly in the lyrical and vocal department. "Scorpio" tells a memorable story whilst being disturbingly direct and vicious ("She has oxygen 'til 6 am") and incorporating a Slayer detour. The title track seems touched by Erik Rutan, "Crowning of a Cripple" owes much to Cannibal Corpse and the final track is lifted by a silky blackened melody. The bad news is that most of the differences between this album and Formulas Fatal to the Flesh are negative ones. The leads are generally too low in the mix, the excellent and varied vocal performances are ruined by a tendency to throw cleaner metalcore undertones into the chaos and fundamentally the riffs are not as jaw-dropping as Morbid Angel in their brutal prime.

There is a shimmering droplet of freshness in this frenzied rehash. "Without Hope There is No Fear" strains to defy the easy categorisation of its fellow songs. It has far more space to breathe within its 6 minute frame and is dynamically the most interesting piece. There is a surprising At The Gates dose in the catchy introduction whilst retaining the sick direction. Polish influences take hold here with Vader and Behemoth savagery and magnetism preceding Hate Eternal harmonisation.

No big surprises then, but as a one-off this is an enjoyable no-nonsense brutal debut of merit and intensity. Nevertheless, Nailed must follow the ethos "evolve or die", otherwise feedback will not be as positive next time.

May 20th, 2007