ALBUM REVIEW: Realigion – Nasty

NASTY are a much deeper band that their image gives them credit for. Their music is the perfect combination of riffy hardcore, death metal drums with clear influences in the guitars too as well as unnervingly violent breakdowns that frequently come out of nowhere and only serve as an excuse to incite the pit once again. With their previous releases the German four piece have built a reputation for themselves, and Realigion looks to simply further the violent name NASTY have built.

Opening with the combination of FYW and Rock Bottom, both of these tracks actual fail to show why NASTY can be such a genuine force to be reckoned with. Both songs are simply vessels for their respective breakdowns, and whilst they hit as hard as you’d expect, they simply remain just what you’d expect. It isn’t until At War With Love and the duelling harmonics that open the song before the thrashing riff allows the song to truly take off. With the blast beats behind the verse it serves as a sound reminder just how good NASTY can be with balancing their influences whilst also allowing their attitude to seep through, and by the time the break hits, the attitude is already on full display. This is the same for one of the later songs, Prediction, showing that the band know how to pen almost catchy choruses, something that the band have always had a knack for doing.

Drty FNGRZ II is a monstrous, chugging animal of a song that swings its weight around with little care, and it’s followed by Forgiveness, a song that falls into the same trap as the opening two songs. Whilst boasting an interesting guitar lead opener, the song simply meanders until the haymaker breakdown goes for the knockout. When the songs are based around the breakdown, it can make the rest of the songs seem hollow and pointless, and when the band have already proven to be able to write songs otherwise it does hinder the album as a whole.

NASTY seem to be victims of their own success on Realigion. With the clear display of an ability to pen songs that are both catchy and crushing, all whilst oozing the trademark NASTY attitude it makes the songs that clearly don’t hit the mark stand out all the more. Where songs like Realigion boast huge riffs and actual structure that allows the songs to hit with maximum impact there are tracks like Welle that are run of the mill and don’t do much to add anything new to the album.

The combination of sounds and influences that make up NASTY‘s visceral assault are all on clear display on Realigion. From the pummelling breakdowns to the tremolo picked guitar leads and rocking blast beats, but for every quality song on this album the band still have moments when it feels like violence for the sake of violence. NASTY are so much more than simply a hardcore band, and whilst Realigion shows that, it also highlights their tendency to not live up to their own potential.

Rating: 7/10

Realigion is out now via BDHW Records.

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