ALBUM REVIEW: Peril – Nerve Saw

Following the 2017 release of their debut EP, Call of the Casket, Finland’s death/grind trio NERVE SAW are back. The Finns have teamed up with German cult favourites Testimony Records with the release of their debut record, Peril. But in a genre that is over-saturated to the point of bursting, can NERVE SAW make a name for themselves in Europe’s ever-strong death metal scene, or are they destined to fall by the wayside?

NERVE SAW have dropped an impressive piece of death metal in the form of Peril. The Finnish three-piece manage to make a big sound from the beginning to the end of the record, with opener A Fool making the most of a gritty guitar tone and some cleverly deployed multi-tracking to provide a sense of depth. NERVE SAW prove themselves more in line with the likes of KVELERTAK than CANNIBAL CORPSE, favouring a high pitched vocal delivery over a guttural growl and letting thundering toms provide the rhythmical accompaniment more often than persistent blast beats. Similarly, power chords and almost bluesy riffage takes the place of tri-tones and dissonance, with guitar solos choosing melody over non-directional shredding.

Front man Markus Makkonen explains that during the conception of the band, “traditional death metal sound was coming more and more saturated and I was hoping maybe to refresh the situation a bit. To come up with something that was not so typical to the times. Then one day, a few years back, I was listening to my old Finnish punk and hardcore records and realised that the answer had been there, right in front of me all the time. I would just need to combine my two early loves in music – punk and death metal!”. No Lead might be the track that sums the band up the most clearly, with its introduction acting almost as the perfect half-punk, half-death metal exploration.

Considering the drummer of NERVE SAW is better known as the guitarist and lead vocalist of ANATOMY OF I, the backbone of these tracks is remarkably solid. The introduction of Empty Heart might sound like GREEN DAY have accidentally layered some blast beats into their material, but the Nails really shows off a delicate ability to trill on those bass drums and switch between atmospheric toms into ferocious blast beats like it’s nothing.

As the album comes to a close, we are treated to P.I.A.T, another explosive banger that toes a line closer to BAD RELIGION than MORBID ANGEL. Despite this, there are hints towards the likes of AT THE GATES in there, while Makkonen’s desire to distance his output slightly from the over-technicality of his other band, SADISTIK FOREST, is also very clear in the very forward, overt simplicity of this release. Wolves Of The 80s closes proceedings with a sludgy guitar tone at the forefront. Makkonen’s voice might be the primary draw of the album, but you can’t deny the thickness emerging from Heikki Matero’s ringing riffs. Closing an album with it’s strongest tune is a risky move, but for those who get the whole way through Peril this closer is a real treat.

NERVE SAW aren’t doing anything overwhelming or lifechanging, but what they are doing is releasing a collection of bloody good heavy metal that you should certainly give a spin.

Rating: 7/10

Peril is out now via Testimony Records. 

Like NERVE SAW on Facebook.