Skin Like Iron/Nails -
Split
Fellow hardcore acts Skin Like Iron and hardcore/grind act Nails have come together to release a one-time pressing of a split 7” that the two are self-releasing. Starting things off with the two tracks provided by Skin Like Iron, we are treated to a bruteshot offering of “Disappear”, utilizing a very raw production technique to emphasize extremely melodic guitar tones yet coupled with a near black metal inspired vocalist. His voice is so far buried in the mix that all the instruments of Skin Like Iron get a chance to shine throughout the split, with little singular emphasis on any individual member. While for most bands like might work to their disadvantage, it only increases the intensity that Skin Like Iron possess, as most melodically driven hardcore acts would have a tough time making this sound work. But Skin Like Iron make it seem almost too easy. The b-side of the Split are two brand new tracks from Californian hardcore/grind act Nails. Where their debut Unsilent Death was a pedal-to-the-medal swan dive to the pits of hell and back, their opening track “Annihilation” is a much more methodical affair. Still retaining that same buzzsaw guitar tone, their Entombed influences are much more apparent on this track, with a slowed down tempo and a vocalist trying to harness a 90s death metal yell. But this “experimentation” of sorts is only on this track, as the near thirty second finisher “Cry Wolf” sends the sound back to the Nails that most have come to love; a raging sandstorm of destruction and wanton chaos for the entire listen.
Ultimately this split will be well worth your time for the amount invested into it. While not entirely groundbreaking or original in its approach, it does its job of providing the listener with a couple massively aggressive tracks from two well-known hardcore acts, one with a well carved out career (Skin Like Iron) and another who is only just starting to come to their own (Nails). A healthy dose of all things from the hardcore spectrum, find this split on either of their recent tours this year, or on their webstores quickly as a physical copy of this split will become hard to find in within the next couple months for sure.
