Hailing from West Yorkshire, UK Death Metal upstart Nailed here presents its second album of Brutal Death Metal. With a sound that’s a cross between the classic British and New York styles, Hatred, Failure… is a fun yet ultimately unoriginal exploration of previously travelled territory. Of course, this is Death Metal we’re talking about, where less than one in ten bands are doing anything new, so it’s more than a little churlish to criticise Nailed for this. Especially after a listen to Hatred, Failure… which plays to all the band’s strengths and does its best to keep you listening with all the usual tricks – breakdowns, tempo changes, samples, and so on.

Fast, technical and precise, Nailed’s star is drummer Garth ‘Vader’ Wray, capable of both blasts and more varied beats. It’s his contribution that is the foundation for the maelstrom of riffs, which vary from nineties wall-of-noise to more melodic licks. Over the top of all this are the growls and (very occasional) shrieks from the two vocalists, guitarist Mass Firth and bassist Jim Cocker. The production, handled by Andy Giblin (Napalm Death, Slipknot amongst others) is hardly perfect, but the pinch of murk provided compliments the music.

As for the songs themselves, the likes of Tranquility’s Abortion are fast, varied shots of brutality that should keep even the most ardent of sickmongers in check. Nailed is not so much taken with Suffocation as Deicide, and is well on the way to really getting its own sound. The band has played live with many big names, Obituary, Entombed, Nile, Dying Fetus and Behemoth amongst them, and has clearly been taking notes along the way.

Ultimately, Hatred, Failure… won’t be raising many critical eyebrows, but it should get more than a few mosh pits going. Nailed almost exactly represents the British Extreme Metal scene; generally ignored yet capable of great things given the chance - and this band deserves the chance.