Review: Nxmad ‘The Second Fall’

Once upon a time in the North of England, there was a band called Nomad. They were full of raw angst, vomiting out an EP and a split with Wort that established their sound as a down-tuned cacophony, birthed in the sludge scene and built on rabid live shows with the likes of Raging Speedhorn, Bongripper, and Dopethrone.

This furious assault laid the groundwork for their 2019 APF Records debut, Feral: a seven-track salvo of frothing, distorted sludge/doom that paid homage to the NOLA scene while retaining a wickedly British quirkiness and sense of humour buried under full-force distortion.

Despite this, Nomad, like so much of the world, went into hiatus until 2021. It was then that they rebranded as Nxmad, changing their drummer in the process. Oh, and they got much, much angrier. Whilst Feral mixed sludge and doom, the reborn Nxmad leaned in a more hardcore direction, not unlike label-mates Battalions. Their new sound was described as ‘a record that will attack you like a belt sander to the face.’

Back with their second album for APF, The Second Fall, this brutal four-piece took to No Studio with Joe Clayton before handing off mastering duties to Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Together, they shaped a record with an even greater sense of urgency, balancing sharp dynamics and progressive songwriting that draws comparisons to Remission-era Mastodon and classic High On Fire.

Mens Rea delivers an opening groove like a kick in the privates. A big, bruising and grooving riff from Lewis Atkinson is bolstered by Liam MacBeath’s drumming that is as tight as a pair of skinny jeans and a gruff, fuzz-heavy bassline courtesy of John Carberry. Choppy and crisp, this is the stuff of gleeful hardcore mosh pits. When vocalist Drian Nash joins the party, he attacks each line like he’s fighting for his life. Hoarse and impassioned in his rasping delivery, he rises above the discord like a man shouting over a maelstrom.

Thunderous barrages of drums, deft time changes, and a subtle hint of melody don’t blunt the full-force trauma. Instead, they provide textured variety and once again share common ground with the catchy yet eardrum-melting attack of Battalions’ King Of A Dead World release.

Possibly the best drum opening since Slayer’s Killing Fields kicks off Amber. MacBeath goes into absolute beast mode before scything, machine-gun guitars join in with a staccato battering. Slower and more deliberate despite the absolute deafening bombardment, Nash spits the lyrics like he is delivering a sermon on your damnation.

a pit bull on steroids stomping back and forth over its territory, bristling with power and ill intent…

False stops, chord progressions, and elongated notes keep the music unpredictable and exciting. There is an old-school Victory Records feel to the track, complete with commanding shouts that walk the line between telling you how fucked up the world is and attempting to deliver something resilient and hopeful.

The evil-sounding chords of Domicide recall more of their southern sludge roots. Heavy string bends and a granite-coated melody that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Crowbar record set the scene, ready for when the double bass ignites, bringing with it a hail of lurching noise. As one of the longest tracks on the album, it becomes a savage workout that keeps lobbing curveballs. If there is one stand-out thing about The Second Fall, the dynamics sound fresher than a Taylor Farms lettuce, and the only side effect is feeling like you can run through walls with the energy it produces.

Vertigo rises through the mix, turning the screw with each growing cycle until it is right up in your face, dripping with attitude, venom, and probably all kinds of unsavoury things you might want to get checked for afterwards. Caked in grime and filth yet maintaining that precision pummelling, this is peak Nxmad: a pit bull on steroids stomping back and forth over its territory, bristling with power and ill intent. The band may operate in a narrow field of influence, but they do it about as well as anyone who has attempted it.

Bridge Burner offers respite by attempting to introduce a more melodic edge to their sound. Still as heavy as a falling ACME piano, the open anger has been swapped for a moodier, brooding feel. No less intense, it brings the focus to the rhythm section as they do enough heavy lifting to make you feel like you stepped outside with an umbrella, only to be caught in a downpour of breezeblocks.

With a galloping opening, Transmission gets back to the business of making you cry uncle as Nxmad turn up the dial with each passing moment. As the intensity increases, so does the tension and the oppressive feeling it generates. Reaching the halfway point, they have you screaming for (or with) catharsis, and when the drawn-out notes break up the ferocious pounding, there’s time to catch a breath before they go again.

Actus Reus allows the band to bring their own take on an apocalyptic epic. The dancing solo that soars over the frenetic drums is merely the first surprise, as the track veers into a mellow, psychedelic harmony that sways with a delirious cadence, only to be smashed apart by the roars of Nash.

Nxmad have crafted a sound like the audio description of the word ultraviolence, a wall of noise as chilled-out as an evening smoking meth and chugging cheap energy drinks, but here they take the time to let all the nuances shine some light into the dingy, grime-filled corners of their sound.

Once the final feedback fades on this thirty-five-minute mugging, there remains only one thing to say: if you like your music angry, full of razor-sharp riffing, drums that hit like PowerSlap, and vocals that caress you like a cheese grater, then stop what you are doing and go listen to The Second Fall right now.

Label: APF Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden