Band: A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metal / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Math Metal / Mathcore
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metal / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Math Metal / Mathcore
Related artists: Bloodbather.
Country: Pembroke Pines, Florida U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-2019 / 2022
For fans of: Thank You Driver, Under The Pier, .gif from god, Stasis, Black Matter Device, A Mourning Star, Letters To Catalonia, (early) WristMeetRazor, The Kidnap Soundtrack, Thumbscrew, Unearth, Ed Gein, Loftus, (older) Vatican, Jukai, Hanging Moon, and Long.Way.Down.
Country: Pembroke Pines, Florida U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-2019 / 2022
For fans of: Thank You Driver, Under The Pier, .gif from god, Stasis, Black Matter Device, A Mourning Star, Letters To Catalonia, (early) WristMeetRazor, The Kidnap Soundtrack, Thumbscrew, Unearth, Ed Gein, Loftus, (older) Vatican, Jukai, Hanging Moon, and Long.Way.Down.
Label(s): Wax Vessel / The Coming Strife Records / Arduous Path Records
So I'm pretty attached to the Wax Vessel movement and have followed every release they've put out. So why...why did I miss A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL? I dunno. My only guess is it came out during a lengthy deathcore run of releases and I just mixed them up with another band I'd checked out. Regardless, I'm here now after swapping songs with label founder Nik and he pointed me in their direction after hearing Long.Way.Down., and I was flabbergasted to find out I'd missed my chance at this incredible double-EP discography release. Luckily I run Zegema Beach Records and just traded away a test press of something for one muhahahaha (pictured above).
First off regarding this 'Demo 2017' release, I fucking love it. Despite finding the vocals a tad one-dimensional (except when they utilize dual screaming) the balancing agent is that the instrumentals are absolutely massive. Speaking of instrumentals, I like this even more than the subsequent EP as the chugs are so heavy that the walls shake, the onslaught of panic chords are as frantic as they are piercing, and the drums/bass are also super loud in the mix so the entire thing reverberates like a bomb explosion. My personal favourite off this is the second track "Red Shift" as those guitars in particular are so goddamned catchy whilst simultaneously destructive. I'm having a hard time with comparisons, regardless I think this release has some similarities with early SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Letters To Catalonia, and Long.Way.Down. but with much lower/heavier vocals, although I'm sure the metalcore fans have much more accurate ones. Oh and look at this fucking cassette art, be still my heart. 💓
The band's final foray into ridiculously awesome metalcore/mathcore was 'The Third Impact' EP. This thing is insane. First of all, although the instrumentals are more versatile, recorded more clearly, and the production is cleaner, they lose some of the oomph that the previous EP had. Despite that one complaint (not really a complaint lol) the vocals on this release are waaaaay better and fall in line with the stuff that Thank You Driver are doing currently (that goes for the instrumentals as well). Opener, title track, and my pick for strongest track is "The Third Impact" which just goes so fucking hard yet injects more melody and stable transitions, making it perhaps the best song they ever recorded. The rest of the EP follows suit with really groovy, mathy (but not of the ridiculous variety), just enough to perk your ears up whilst simultaneously kicking your ass and making you dance.
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DISCOGRAPHY
2017 - Demo 2017 cassetteEP
2019 - The Third Impact cassetteEP
2022 - Imprisoned Outside the Universe 12"LP (listen/buy here)
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(2017) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "The Red Shift" (from 'Demo 2017')
(2017) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "Satellite" (from 'Demo 2017')
(2017) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "Quasar" (from 'Demo 2017')
(2017) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - live
(2019) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "The Third Impact" (from 'The Third Impact')
(2019) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "Celestial Victim Mentality" (from 'The Third Impact')
(2019) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - "Cloned Apparition" (from 'The Third Impact')
(2022) A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL - live
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A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL additional links
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This is one of my favorite bands. Their sound is so raw and hits so hard. There is a band from Italy whose first album the guitarist mentioned in an interview as an influence and that's the closest thing I've heard. Was trying to remember the name of them and that's how I found this write up. Well done and thanks for posting
ReplyDeleteThe name of the band from Italy is The Secret and the album is Luce. The singer of A Needle Under the Nail, who was also the one who wrote all the music, went on to write and sing for Bloodbather after they got signed to Rise. They newer stuff sounds like A Needle Under...
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