NAIL WITHIN were formed in 2001 in Tel Aviv, Israel. They play a mixture of melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal. The band were active from 2001 to 2004, then again in 2007, and finally from 2022 onwards. “Sound Of Demise” was mixed by Arle Aranovich (HAMMERCULT) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (ANNIHILATOR; HALFORD; SABATON). The album has a length of approximately 41 minutes. It has been released via German label Massacre Records, which has many Black, Death, Power, and Gothic Metal bands among their current roster.

The album starts fast with “Bleeding Society”. It has the classical Thrash Metal riffing, pace, and aggression. The vocals are growls, and they range between the medium to higher end of the guttural range. While the verse and chorus parts of the track have plenty of Thrash vibes, the extended break is dark, more melodic, and at a measured tempo. “Bleeding Society” includes the guest appearance of SODOM vocalist Tom Angelripper, and it is the official video release with the YouTube link provided below. “Eyes Of Evil” continues with the fast Thrash Metal assault, it is in fact played at crazy pace. The riffing is direct and simple, and the track is a short affair. The title track is another fast one at least during the verse parts. The riffing is Thrash Metal inspired, but also has a strong melodic component and a certain catchiness. The tempo and rhythm change between the fast verse parts and the mid-tempo chorus parts. The melodic framework is dark, in particular during the break leading to the lead guitar solo. “Sound Of Demise” is an early album highlight. “Regression… And The Price We Pay” is a mid-tempo track with a bit more complexity in the riffing at least for the verse parts, while riffing and melodies are more straightforward during the chorus parts. The seamless break for the lead guitar solo introduces very different melodies, however, the track finds it way back easily to the melodic theme of the verse and chorus parts. Altogether, the track cannot quite keep up with most songs on the album.

“Duplicate Our Lives” starts fast with a short guitar-driven instrumental part, transitioning into the more mid-tempo verse part. There are frequent changes in tempo and rhythm throughout the track as well as there are a few breaks for lead guitar solos. Due to the many changes in tempo, the track is difficult to follow, however, the lead guitar contributions are the highlight of the track. “Years Of Madness” is a classical mid-tempo song with catchiness in the riffing and with darkness in the melodies. While the verse parts are direct and aggressive, the melodies of the chorus parts have some epic patterns. The lead guitars are again the highlight of the track and TESTATMENT’s Eric Peterson had a guest appearance here. The end of the track sounds epic, but unfortunately unfinished. “Everything We Know” is another fast track after a short mid-tempo introductory part. The verse and chorus parts are both fast with simple riffing and without any bridge. The break slows down things eventually to mid-tempo and the lead guitars have a short but significant contribution to the track. “Words As Weapons” continues with the pace at least for the verse part, while the chorus parts are at mid-tempo. The track focusses on melodies and it is inspired by a few genres, most notably melodic Death Metal, but there are also some progressive elements notable.

“Manipulated And Doomed” starts with powerful riffing and it is a mixture of an up-tempo and mid-tempo track. The riffing is again more on the melodic side and the track has a certain complexity in the song structure due to the numerous twists and turns in tempo and rhythm. “Severe Suffering” has a slow and doom-laden start with spine-chilling melodies. It transitions into a verse part at measured tempo and a mid-tempo chorus part. Highlight is the guest appearance of vocalist Bobby Ferry (16), who gives the track a different dimension. “Severe Suffering” is probably the darkest track of the album. “Isolate” is the final track, and it goes back to the earlier Thrash inspired tracks. It is fast for most of the time with classical Thrash riffing and melodies for most parts. Those type of tracks are also best suited for vocalist Yishal Sweartz, who stamps his authority on the song. One feature of the album is the at times unorthodox ending of the tracks and “Isolate” is no exception to the rule.

NAIL WITHIN deliver an interesting album that is somewhere located between Thrash Metal and melodic Death Metal with some further influences. “Sound Of Demise” leaves me, however, with mixed feelings. While the guitars and in particular the lead guitar parts are the positives of the album, the album lacks overall a bit the cutting edge, the highlights, and in general a track to remember. The album is well produced. “Sound Of Demise” will surely have its share of fans, but will it be an album to be remembered for a long time? I am not sure about this.