NAILS – ‘Every Bridge Burning’ [Album Review]

NAILS is a band synonymous with sonic devastation, a relentless force in the realm of extreme music that has been laying waste to eardrums since their inception. After an eight-year hiatus, the band has returned with Every Bridge Burning. Their fourth full-length album is a testament to their unyielding commitment to their craft. With Todd Jones at the helm, wielding both guitar and vocals, NAILS has solidified its lineup with Carlos Cruz on drums, Andrew Solis on bass, and Shelby Lermo on guitar.

Recorded at God City Studio with the legendary Kurt Ballou of Converge, Every Bridge Burning captures the raw, primal energy that has always defined NAILS while also showcasing a refined brutality that speaks to their evolution.

On Every Bridge Burning, the Oxnard, California group storms the gate with an unrelenting barrage of aggression that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a manifesto of pure, unfiltered rage.

From the very first track, “Imposing Will,” the band wastes no time on pleasantries or gradual build-ups. Instead, they dive straight into the carnage with frontman Todd Jones delivering a venomous salvo: “I don’t know another way/I know I don’t have a place/I don’t know what to say/So, give me strength to cause them pain.” The track closes with genre-typical feedback, setting the tone for what’s to come: an escalation of intensity that refuses to let up.

“Punishment Map” follows, pushing the tempo to new heights with a brutal exploration of the decades of misery wrought by Golden State serial killer Joe D’Angelo. It’s a hideous descent into the darkest corners of human suffering, a theme that persists throughout the album.

By the time the title track rolls around, the air is thick with tension, and the chugging riffs inspire a visceral, almost primal response—think rolled eyes, clenched fists, and perhaps a few broken walls. It’s clear that NAILS knows exactly what their audience expects, and they deliver it with a vengeance.

“Give Me The Painkiller,” one of the album’s pre-released singles, stands out as a moment of virtuosic shredding and frantic rhythms. On its own, the track whets appetites, but in the context of the album, it shines even brighter, its chaotic energy perfectly contrasted by the murky, brooding depths of “Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy.”

The album closes with “No More Rivers To Cross,” a track that distills the band’s anger into a single, devastating blow. It’s a reflection on the last eight years of political, financial, and social upheaval, rejecting the notion of “both sides”-ing things and instead embracing a manifesto of hatred, violence, and ill intent. But Jones doesn’t just point the finger outward—he’s fully aware of his own place in this chaotic, broken world. The album’s title, Every Bridge Burning, alongside the finality of the closer, suggests a refusal to retreat or reconcile, a commitment to burn it all down and rebuild from the ashes.

The album is a carefully constructed barrage of riffs, each track meticulously built around the kind of visceral intensity that fans have come to expect. It’s a return to form that doesn’t just meet expectations—it obliterates them. This is NAILS at their most potent, a band that has channelled years of pent-up aggression into an album that reaffirms their place as titans of the underground music scene.

Every Bridge Burning proves that they are still masters of their craft, delivering an album that is as uncompromising as it is cathartic. It’s a brutal, unflinching look at a world on fire — and NAILS are more than ready to stoke the flames.

Every Bridge Burning Track Listing:

1. Imposing Will
2. Punishment Map
3. Every Bridge Burning
4. Give Me The Painkiller
5. Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy
6. Trapped
7. Made Up In Your Mind
8. Dehumanized
9. I Can’t Turn It Off
10. No More Rivers To Cross

Run Time: 17:47
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records