Nailbomb — 1000% Hate
Nailbomb was a collaboration between Max Cavalera( formally Sepultura, Soulfly, and Cavalera Conspiracy) and Alex Newport of noise rock/ metal project Fudge Tunnel. The project's sound blended together elements of industrial metal, Thrash, hardcore punk and groove metal. The project existed between 1994 and 1995- but they managed to release one studio album Point Blank, and one live album Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide. 1000% Hate is a two-CD set bringing together both of these albums.
The release appears on Dissonance Productions- which is one of the Cherry Red family of labels focusing on reissuing metal and rock albums from the past. The two CDs come presented in a glossy four-panel digipak. This takes in reproductions of each of the album covers under each CD, and features a sixteen-page booklet- taking in a new interview with Max Cavalera about the project, and a few other things.
So first up on disc one, we have Point Blank. This appeared in early 1994 on Roadrunner records- with its cover talking in a disturbing photo of (what looks like) a Vietnamese woman with a gun pressed to her head, which I’m guessing dates from the 60s. The album took in thirteen tracks- with a playtime of sixty-three minutes, though the last track has ten minutes of silence- so, in reality, fifty-three minutes of music. The album is a fairly even blend of industrial metal, Thrash, hardcore punk and groove metal tropes- and as you’d imagine it’s a fairly battering & unrelenting affair- with the tracks often locked on repetitive & aggressive vibes- as well of course as the odd groove.
The album opens with gunning Thrash meets hardcore punk of “Wasting Away”. Moving onto the meaning ‘n’ chugging industrialized subtle sample lined metallic’s of “Guerrillas” Through to the bounding ‘n’ brooding marching trudge of “Sum Of Your Achievements” with its crudely snapping beats, bass slug, bleak guitar tones, muffled shouts & unease sample soup.
The second half of the album moves from “For Fuck's Sake” which starts with feedback buzzing ambience & in prison unease, before launching into a mix of galloping punk Thrash guitars, ranted punk vocals and stripped-back beat breakdowns. Onto groove metal chugg, hissing industrial beats, and shouty vocals of “Religious Cancer”. I recall hearing the Point Blank album back when it was first released, and at that point, I found it a decidedly intense ride. Now all these years late, and with everything I’ve heard- it isn’t that intense, and really is just a fair passable mix of both member's sounds- with maybe slightly more Cavalera, than Newport.
The second CD takes in Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide. This thirteen-track live album( save for the final two studio tracks) was recorded at that year's Dynamo Fest. And once again it was first released by Roadrunner. Cover artwork wise we get another unsettling monochrome picture- this time of the aftermath of the Jonestown Massacre. Unlike the studio album, I’d never heard this before, and I must say it’s a pretty damn great & brutal live album- really pumping/roughing up the album tracks. And it’s a real pity that there is no live footage with this release- as I’m sure this was one hell of set, with folks going truly brutal in the mosh pit. The two studio tracks at the end of the album are “While You Sleep, I Destroy Your World” This opens with a slightly unsettling recording of a man being rung up by someone- before moving into a rough ‘n’ ready mix blunt tiny beats, on/off guitar riff grind, shouty vocals, and distributing radio news recordings. And “Zero Tolerance” which finds clicking beat hits, seared noise-up guitar, and muffled/ hissed shouty vocals. Surprisingly I’d say this is the better of the two albums featured here, and after hearing the two bonus tracks it’s a real pity the band never made another full-length.
In finishing it’s certainly great to have Nailbomb's total output all in one place with 1000% Hate- and I’d say if you like a none-too-clean or safe collusion between industrial metal, Thrash, hardcore punk and groove metal- this is certainly something you’ll be want to pick-up.