Most concert recordings generally tend to suck – but that's just my opinion on the subject. You either get songs that sound exactly like the studio cuts or tracks that are so distorted and poorly recorded that you end up using the CD as a coaster. Imagine my surprise when I cam across the Nailbomb Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide in the super clearance bin at the local music store. I kid you not – this set me back .84 cents [plus tax] and after listening to it at ear bleeding levels I can say that it was well worth the sticker price and I’m kicking myself for not picking this up earlier. This type of music isn’t for everyone – and I’m going to assume that only about 3% of the members at this site [if that] will find this genre of music attractive. It’s loud, grinding and so close to death metal it isn’t funny …

I came across Nailbomb several years ago when I was looking to broaden my musical collection and asked several people for recommendations. I wanted something heavier than King Diamond and Type O Negative but not as far off the beaten path as Deicide or Mockery. This was one of the groups that someone suggested and after listening to a few samples I was hooked. The overall flavor of the music is a little hard to pinpoint – mostly due to the fact that the lyrics are dirty, gritty and pretty much impossible to understand. With an industrial edge to it the music of Nailbomb is elevated beyond the common bargain basement ‘death metal’ label – just suffice it to say – to hear Nailbomb is to love Nailbomb.

The Music

Considering that the first eleven tracks of the CD are taken from the three-day Dynamo Open Air Festival concert – the audio quality is exceptional. The songs are all crisp, clear and smooth and at some points you almost completely forget that these songs are live. My personal pick for best song is Exploitation [the Doom cover version] since – in my personal opinion – it really shows the different levels of the group. One of the loudest and fastest tracks off this CD it’s a track that must be heard to be completely appreciated. Oddly enough it’s one of the shortest tracks off this release [2:09] but the fast beat, accelerated guitar work and growling vocals culminate into a fevered frenzy of metal – a combination that is few and far between these days.

One of the most thought provoking tracks has to be World of $hit. If it weren’t for the lovely Epinions content filter I’d quote some of the more interesting passages of the song – but since that isn’t possible – you’ll just have to find the lyrics online. The moral of the story is that hate breeds hate. No child is born knowing what hate is – that is a learned trait. This is one of the things that separates Nailbomb from other groups – they have a brain and aren’t afraid to use it. Any group can run around writing songs about “white power” or “hail satan” – that doesn’t take much thought process to create. Nailbomb aren’t amongst the great poets or writers of our generation but they certainly rise above the rest of the “hate breeding” pond scum.

Violence is what you breed
Racism is what you breed
Hate is what you breed
What do you expect me to be ?

Another track that really caught me off guard was Vai Toma No Co - an awesome track on every level. This song doesn’t attack those that hate – but hate in general. To most people hate is something that is bad – something that is undesirable. For the most part this is true but this song attacks “hate” as a living thing. When you read the lyrics the first time you might not get the meaning of the song but when you listen to it a few times you’ll get the drift of it. After I heard this song I had a completely different view of the group and the message they were trying to get out to people. This was the song that put Nailbomb on my all time Top Twenty favorite group list. If you’ve never heard anything from the group make sure this is the first track you check out.

Trapped on the inside, you stare in
Who the f*@k are you to tell us anything
Rotting right through poison inside
31 flavors of napalm to try

Religious Cancer reminds me a lot of the old school Metallica [Master of Puppets] stuff – not so much musically but lyrically. Revolting against the established religions that always have their hands out looking for a donation, this music isn’t that impressive but the lyrics are what really help to get this song over. It doesn’t attack one religion but rather the scammers that seem to feel on other people’s misfortune – simply looking to make a profit from misery. While this topic might offend some people it does make you think about the monetary compensations that certain organized religions ‘ask’ for. Nailbomb did a great job with this song but Metallica said it best on Leper Messiah… Send me money, send me green - heaven you will meet - make a contribution and you’ll get a better seat.

The opening track Wasting Away is probably the strongest tracks on this release. Mixing the hard-core metal sound with elements of the dark industrial wave you end up with a fast, gripping and loud slice of what Nailbomb is all about. The vocals are a bit over the top and dramatic but not so much so that it trashes the song. Bits of it remind me of old Biohazard and Suicidal Tendencies – but with a lot more guitar and a faster pace to the music. Again, you have it really sink yourself into the lyrics to get the full appreciation of it.

Carve your rights into your arm
So they won't get taken away
Trying in vain to figure it out
Always thinking this is a waste

One track that you can’t miss when checking out the discography of Nailbomb is the extremely powerful Guerrillas. Every person has their own interpretation of the song and what it means – but outside of the lyrical meaning you have to give them credit for creating a musical masterpiece. Granted, this type of music isn’t for everyone so if hard-core metal isn’t you bag – chances are you’ll come away from this track with a headache. Again, hate is an ongoing theme with the group – this time [my own personal take on the lyrics here] its about war and the creation of killing machines. This goes hand in hand with Police Truck which is a bit more wide open musically. It has a fast pace to it without the over bearing vocals. The guitar work is exceptional and really allows you to see that the group isn’t just about the “hard driving” sound.

Studio Perks

The two studio tracks that are on this CD are a nice perk. While You Sleep, I Destroy Your World is a bit on the bizarre side of the groups discography but again, it does help to show another side of their abilities. It’s such a shame that they decided to split up and go their separate ways. It would have been interesting to see what their subsequent albums would have been like. If I had to pick a song that stood out as the best lyrically I would have to say that Zero Tolerance would have to be it. Often times misunderstood as a song that agrees with genocide or racial cleansing – it’s the complete opposite. Abrasive and possibly offensive to some people, the song rests on a different level than other Nailbomb tracks. The music is loud and somewhat distorted in certain areas – adding to the overall intended effect.

Your leader is dead and gone
He, the one who never won
Go back and trace your history
You're no different than your enemy

The Tracks

Wasting Away
Guerrillas
Cockroaches
Vai Toma No Co
Sum Of Your Achievements
Religious Cancer
Police Truck
Exploitation
World Of $hit
Blind And Lost
Sick Life
While You Sleep, I Destroy Your World [studio]
Zero Tolerance [studio]

The first eleven tracks of this CD were recorded at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in Eindhoven, Holland. The concert dates were June 3, 4 and 5 and included a variety of music genres and groups. Other participants included Biohazard, Machinehead and Voivod. This was the first concert in the Dynamo Open Air Festival series and has since been streamlined to a one-day event. This CD also marked the end of Nailbomb as a group so what you are hearing on this is the last live show they performed in front of a crowd.

The Sound

A majority of the music on this CD could easily be compared to Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails – mostly due to the injection of vocal overlays, media snippets and creepy introductions. Nailbomb has a reputation of being a hard-core death metal band – I’m not saying that statement isn’t true – but there is a lot more to them than what you might think. Most of the time you can pick three or four songs from a group and say, “Here, this is a good sample of what the group has to offer”. You could try that with this group but you’d be overlooking a lot of what they have in their arsenal. If you like Type O Negative, My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult or Clutch but are looking for something heavier, darker and louder – check out Nailbomb.

The Bottom Line

Considering that I spent .84 cents [plus tax] on a used copy of this CD – I’m really impressed with the overall sound of the release. This is a great follow up to their first release Point Blank [1994]. The lyrics are what really make this an exceptional CD but the music isn’t all that shabby. Dirty, gritty and rough are just three of the many words that sum up this collection. If you haven’t checked out anything from the group but find this genre of music appealing – either one of the releases would serve as a fitting introduction.


Stats

Run Time: 52:39
Number of Tracks:13
Release Date: 1995
UPC: 16861-8910-2
Released Under: Roadrunner

This is sold without a Parental Advisory [PA] warning sticker on the label however it does contain rather colorful language so listener discretion is advised.


As always, thanks for the visit!

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2002 Freak369



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing