When I first heard this band’s debut, I immediately thought, “Okay, these guys are onto something here”. That’s exactly how I felt listening to NAIL BY NAIL’s “Embraced By Darkness.” It’s not that frequent that a band this young, only forming in 2023, drops an album that sounds this good and confident right out of the gate. You can think they’ve spent years doing Black Metal, but even when that’s not the case, something with this band feels both familiar and unique at the same time. The album certainly grabs your attention. It has that raw energy we all love from Black Metal, but brings melody into its nucleus. I really enjoyed that this album breathes, and flows in a really strong movement, creating an experience that’s both intense and immersive. This is Black Metal built with purpose. You can hear flashes of Death Metal running through the veins of it, but the spirit stays cold, aggressive and focused the whole way through. To me, nothing about this album feels forced. It moves naturally, with just enough melody to stay memorable, and enough rawness to keep it grounded. One thing that really grabbed my attention is how tight the band feels together. Everyone here seems locked into the same mindset. “Embraced By Darkness” does what it’s supposed to, it says what it needs to say and leaves a lasting impression echoing in your mind. NAIL BY NAIL knows how to keep the tension rolling and doing its job. The more you listen to it, the more it becomes clear that this is not a band (by any means) looking for a first attempt and that’s it. I think that NAIL BY NAIL came in with a clear direction, and they stuck to it. This is Black Metal done with confidence and it feels honest from start to finish. Both the band and the album are not playing games trying to be something they’re not. And this album deserves a listen if you want to uncover fresh blood into the cup. Check them out here! www.facebook.com/nailbynailband, www.facebook.com/waranthemrecords