Album Review: Nails ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’

Nails particular blend of death metal riffs intertwined with hardcore aggression has earned them fans across several genres. Their penchant for crafting such overwhelmingly heavy albums that always leave listeners wanting more, especially with their oddly short album runtimes. The band’s third album ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’ is a masterclass in extreme metal, improving on the sound of their sophomore ‘Abandon All Life’ while also keeping their core fanbase pleased in the process.

The title track kicks off the album with the force of an atomic bomb, opening with several creepy voices repeatedly stating “You will never be one of us” before the combination of drums and guitars kicks in, sounding akin to a shot of adrenaline being injected directly into the listener’s veins. In just 90 seconds, Nails manage to distill their sound down into its purest essence.

Violence Is Forever is probably the closest thing ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’ has to having an actual full-length song. Frontman Todd Jones lays down a chugging rhythm while band behind him provides the kind of thrashy groove that Slayer could only dream of imitating.

There’s not a single quiet moment to be found on the album, as every second is packed with grinding guitars and explosive drums. Todd Jones’ scratchy vocals anchor the entire record, while somehow managing to sound like a cross between a bandsaw and a broken radio.

In spite of all this, ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’ is surprisingly the catchiest album Nails have ever released. In-between the blastbeats, shredding guitars, and breakdowns, one can hear the band developing a genuine groove throughout the album. Made To Make You Fall could almost pass as a Pantera B-side if you beefed up the production a little bit and stretched the song out for another three-and-a-half minutes.

Almost every song on ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’ clocks in at just under the one minute mark, save for the final track They Come Crawling Back, which see’s Nails engage in some blisteringly fast guitar work and absolutely punishing breakdowns.

All in all, ‘You Will Never Be One Of Us’ is 22 minutes of pure unadulterated fury and Nails don’t waste a single minute of it. Every song on this album is packed to the brim with enough riffs, breakdowns, and “blegh!” noises to have you two-stepping for days. Any self-respecting fan of extreme metal would do well to pick it up and experience it for themselves!