Appearances, and indeed names, can be deceptive. Take nailgun, for example. Appearing, for all the world, to be a full on death metal prospect, placing the disc in the player unveils a sound that sits somewhere between the velveteen gothic metal of Paradise Lost, the atmospheric aggression of ‘Transgression’-era Fear Factory and Iron Maiden. Undoubtedly heavy, it is the dual vocal approach of Manuel Bhuler and Manuel Blesch (one in the vein of traditional heavy metal, the other opting for a rich, warm approach) coupled with the exquisite guitar interplay of Daniel Morsch and Florian Hahn that marks Nailgun out as something rather special.
Clearly possessed of a range of influences, ‘New world chaos’ rarely stays static, meaning that any preconceptions you might get from listening to one track in isolation are possibly best left at the door. The scene –setting opening, ‘a fragment of chaos’, for example, points towards a faintly progressive metal direction in the vein of Nevermore, before the groovy ‘darkest hour’ pulls the whole thing in a more straightforward metal direction right up until the band start throwing in rhythmic curveballs that suggest a good deal of time was spent honing these songs in the studio. Offering up a mix of vintage Metallica (‘Ride the lightening’ era) and Paradise Lost works much better on record than it does on paper, and the melodies that form the core of the tracks here are well developed and largely memorable. ‘Traitor’ starts off quietly enough, a moody intro giving way to some neat harmonised soloing and, finally, an Iron Maiden-inspired gallop offset with Metallica-styled vocals. It’s clear that Nailgun have done much to absorb the many bands that have dominated the European metal scene over the last three decades to come up with an engaging Chimaera that flits energetically around the board, cherry picking the bits that clearly inspired the members of Nailgun in their formative years. ‘I have enough’ is a full on rampage through ‘Draconian Times’-era paradise Lost as covered by Megadeth, the pummelling riff enough to get most heads banging comfortably and then ‘Abyss of Shadows’ slithers into view on a doomy trip that becomes even more bizarre as the verse sounds suspiciously like a folk song clad in metallic armour. A most unusual track it highlights the multitude of influences present in the band and the resulting sound is interesting, even unique, if a little incongruous.
Heading further into dark and moody territory, ‘deep shades of sorrow’ is a subtle piece that highlights a hitherto unexplored side of the band, Alice In Chains-esque guitars writhing around a grinding riff that slowly gains momentum until it becomes a chugging beast of a thing, all pounding, war-like toms and minor-key vocals. It’s an interesting song and it keeps the listener guessing as to what nailgun are going to do next. Typically the band change direction once again for the frantic chug of ‘The result’, a sure-fire favourite with the mosh pit that even finds time to throw in some voice box guitar, just in case you thought the songs weren’t already varied enough. ‘Change of seasons’ has a vital riff and furious feel from the off before the neo-classic rock of ‘when god turned away’, complete with awkward time signature and multi-layered vocal part. ‘Time is running out’ is every bit as furious as the name might suggest although the band deftly move between high-octane chugging riffs and voice-box led groove with aplomb. Final track ‘you are everything’ closes the album on a reflective note, the band opting for a huge, Def Leppard bothering drum sound and wailing guitar lines. It is an effective album closer and one that leaves you with the lasting impression that you’ve listened to something that has the all-important ebb and flow of a carefully sequenced album.
Overall ‘new world chaos’ is a very good album. It’s not quite a perfect record – some elements are a little too disparate to comfortably gel with the overall album, but the overriding impression is that Nailgun have a huge array of interests and ambition and no little talent with which to enact their vision. Of the myriad influences that drift through the mix, the most obvious are Paradise Lost, Metallica and Nevermore, but there’s so much more going on here that those three reference points alone don’t fully allow the reader to appreciate the rich diversity Nailgun have invested in their music. ‘New world chaos’ is a fine, varied, intelligently written and well-played release. Fans of heavy metal with a healthy dose of melody will find a huge amount to admire here and this disc comes highly recommended.
