Nail

I kind of expected to hate this but found it to be very good and interesting. Misses a top rating for me because I just really couldn't get into the vocals.

My ears met Thirlwell in more literally cinematic environs. Scraping the 90s, this record demonstrates craft and remains a particularly accessible instance of dark cabaret aesthetics. Implied are the traditional industrial obsessions and a wide embrace of the musical non-traditional. Stylish and an odd companion, lacks the raw impact of certain contemporaries.

Not bad. Sort of a silly Nine Inch Nails. Better than their awful band name would indicate! I kind of truly dug it by the end.

This album was all over the place and I loved it. It is a disconcerted industrial post-punk record that incorporates elements of noise and experimental music. The instrumentation was great and the vocal delivery was menacing and theatrical. What’s not to like?

I have loved several tracks from this album for a very long time. Descent Into the Inferno is one of my faves.

I understand why a lot of people dislike this album: the noises, bombastic sound and horrific lyrics. These things together make it a very special experience and an acquired taste. I adore it!

If you had told me I heard a song off this album sometime in the late 80s, I would have denied it before a friend proved it to me today. Not sure how I forgot this artist’s name… I thought this would be awful, but instead I found it surprising and kind of fun in a twisted way. Who knew I would meet the Manhattan Transfer on my Descent Into the Inferno?

I first encountered this album in my college roommate's music collection circa 1987. I was not impressed with the band name or the music. Strange how I found it kind of catchy this time.

Abrasive, but that's the point. I'd say it sounds "dated", but I think for industrial, that's fine and within the genre specs. It's performed well, crazed, even. I'd say there are probably one too many instrumentals here, but the runtime is short enough to where the record passes over pretty well. There is some pop songwriting throughout that makes the medicine go down easier. Won me over in the end. Favorite tracks: "Descent Into The Inferno", "Enter The Exterminator"

I look into my crystal ball and this is gonna be weird. Hardcore? Butthole Surfers type stuff? Ok, no idea how to describe this. Like if Nick Cave was jokey rather than flat out depressing? It's like the gothy end of new wave mixed with beat poetry and industrial noises? Closest I've heard to it is the second Ministry album, but that is also a much more serious affair. Ridiculous, but preferable to more folk. 3/5.

When you want something in between Tom Waits and Nine Inch Nails.

Not nearly as noisy and bad as the band name suggests! Was expecting USA hardcore punk/metal and actually heard slightly rockabilly/blues-tinged songs with relatively acceptable singing. Brings to mind The Cramps and Birthday Party with a hint of “Rain Dogs” era Waits.

Wacky, disturbed, chaotic: An industrial classic

Not as terrible as the edgelordy name would suggest.

Mostly sounds like three or more songs being played at the same time - but it works more often than you'd think. An artist I knew by name, but hadn't listened to a full album until today - so thanks!

J.G. Thirlwell, a pivotal figure in the industrial music scene, is renowned for his involvement in a diverse array of projects, including Foetus, Nine Inch Nails (NIN), and F242. While Foetus, his primary musical outlet, might be considered more niche within the industrial genre, this particular album gained significant traction. Beyond his contributions to industrial music, Thirlwell has also composed music for popular animated series like The Venture Bros. and Archer, showcasing his versatility across different media. His extensive discography demonstrates a creative range that extends far beyond the confines of a single genre.

I love hearing the early things in industrial. Enjoyed the listen. Definitely needs to be heard on a good sound system.

Very cool. Aussie mad genius JG Thirlwell mixes various elements generally found in The Birthday Party / early Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Einsturzende Neubaten, The Killing Joke, Sisters Of Mercy, Swans and Nine Inch Nails (anticipating the latter), and adds his own extravagant parodic touches owing to big band and classical shenanigans (played on synths, with a layered result that's pretty impressive for the eighties!). The result comes off as some sort of hectic industrial off-Broadway musical whose tempos never stay in one place long -- often manically accelerating mid-song -- filled with crazy percussions that have lost none of their groundbreaking power decades later. To return to some of the references I mentioned up there, it's as if The Birthday Party had decided to organize their swamp blues chaos a little, or as if Neubaten had realized being fun (and even funny) was actually not a crime punished by the thought police. Who said freaks left to their own devices couldn't have a good time in a dystopian world? With only six proper songs and four interludes, the only thing missing in this album is one pivotal highlight that could have specified the overall concept underlying Foetus' music (although opener "The Throne Of Agony" comes close to it) -- I don't know, something up to the level of Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat", maybe... But it's probably absurd to expect Thirlwell would even bother trying to please the masses when his thing was all about having fun in the studio and come up with the most bizarre ideas he was able to muster up. In a way, it's because extravagant figures like him exist, working far from the spotlights, that other ones such as Nick Cave, Trent Reznor or even Michael Gira eventually end up reaching said masses later on. Guess a tribute of sorts is in order here, hence my rounded up 4/5 grade. Squares won't get it, of course. But what do they know? 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 30 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 40 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 74 --- Émile, il y a déjà une partie de mes réponses au-dessus. Il y en aura d'autres en dessous...

Listened to the whole album, still don't know what it is, but it's pretty cool overall. I'd call it an industrial album, but it strays pretty far from that at times. Definitely far less abrasive than I was expecting from the album title 4/5

I’m not quite sure what this was but it was a little silly and I like that

Yeah, I mean not awful industrial, so I think it could make an argument to get there, but I still don't have to like it.

Never heard of them prior. Interesting album.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Enter the exterminator

Melodramatic and outrageous in a fun way, but a little goes a long way. The band's name was kind of extreme back in the day and suggests a different kind of listening experience, but the album itself is mostly a haphazard industrial sound with psychobilly leanings. The instrumental bits are very good, but they don't really fit in with the rest of it. Fave Songs: The Overture from Pigdom Come, Anything (Viva!), The Throne of Agony, Descent into the Inferno

Interesting

Wasn't boring

Kinda left a tinny taste on the tongue.

Soooo edgy

Pretty good

April 19, 2025 The fact that this guy has collaborated with Nick Cave, The The & Einsturzende Neubaten shouldn’t surprise me, because so far, Nail evokes all 3. Particularly the last two. An abrasive and ugly album, but also somehow arranged like an operetta, with instrumental flourishes and an explosive finale. I didn’t love it today, but I respect its convention-shattering ways.

Nine Inch Nails meets Butthole Surfers meets that one Futurama episode where Bender goes to Robot Hell. Really dumb. On purpose of course. Also fun and way more musically diverse than you'd expect from an album like this. Enjoyed it. Not as good as "Hole" though, the only other Foetus album I've heard. Strong 3/5.

Back before "eclectic mix" albums were irredeemably nerd-coded. Kinda coming across like a clunkier NiN

This is pretty good. Not my favorite by him.

With an album title like this, my expectations already drop significantly. Whomever thought they were being funny and clever when they came up with this deserves a spanking. Musically, there's also not much to like here. Annoying.

I think NIN would have listened to this a lot. I however did not make it to the end. Too much undefined stremming.

An alternative take on the industrial genre. Does it make it more listenable? Yes. Does it make me enjoy it more though? Not really

Not great, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting based on the cover and the description. 2 stars.

It was a weird 80s metal album. I don't need to listen to it again. Thankfully it was short.

Thought I would hate this, going off the band name, really liked the classically styled opener, then the vocals were a bit of a let down and I struggled to finish it, even with a few interesting highlights. 2.1

The level of noise that one would expect by the band name.

Industrial, industrial rock, avant-garde. No me gusta. Un 2.

It's not without merit, as 'edgy' hard rock goes, but it feels a bit like Laibach bought from Temu? The none more 80s production doesn't help ..

I probably would've enjoyed this more 20 years ago. Some of it was pretty good but it got on my nerves on some songs.

The vocals on this one just put me off too much to enjoy or recommend

Not necessary. Buster Poindexter and Tom Waits combined with early Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. Though the Throne of Agony had me interested for a moment, the style quickly became a bit tiresome and didn't do too much for me.

Fourth studio album! Yeah! It's a weird album to listen to. A bit difficult at times, also. I guess ultimately, it's not an album I would go back to often.

Yikes. Whole album came and went and not a single song caught my ear. Nothing saved for me, very rare honestly. Not really fair to call it bad, but it’s a no from me.

Not so sure about this one, almost like if Tom Waits grew a spine and decided to try out heavier rock.

Not for me this one

A quite interesting combination of punky industrial noise with some quite ambitious orchestral movements that fit together slightly better than expected. Didn’t love it but not as violently abrasive as the band name suggests

Hmm. Right. Uh.

Nope! This accompanied a stressy trip to Sainsbury's and it didn't help. Not my bag. Irritating. But did like references to pigs, as always

Hard rock very close to something like trash, the interpretation dances more between noise than music

Awful!!

Not a fan of this LP, which somehow thinks Tom Waits vocals meets dated industrial instrumentation is a good combo. I'm all for musical abrasion, but this is more noise for noise's sake than anything artistic or meaningful.

This was a rough album to get through. Not sure if I enjoyed any of the songs on this one. It was something that felt like garage punk and alternative metal mixed but without any of the positives. The lyricism was definitely weird and the instrumentals weren’t catchy or impressive at all. 2.6/10

Dark and unsettling. It probably has artistic merit, but I hated listening to it. The couple of orchestral instrumental pieces are the only tolerable tracks. Rating: 1 Playlist track: The Overture from Pigdom Come Date listened: 04/09/24

This is either a shitpost or a submission by the most pretentious man who ever lived. Like I get that it’s super eclectic and goofy or whatever but that doesn’t make the shitty final sound and god awful vocals worth it. Oh wow you put in the hall of the mountain king in your weird song congrats. There’s literally an interlude that’s just metal chairs dragging on the floor and pots clanging.

I hate this. I hate the name of the band because it is too gruesomely visual for me. And everything else is just a big shake 'n' bake of shit and slime. No.

The extra list we are following feels a bit like revenge of the metal heads

I had some hopes reading the notes that Nail might be up my street, some heavy rock with weird influences, but no, it's just crap. Horrible 80s sound particularly on the drums underpinning it, poorly produced, tries to make each song a mini-story which is somewhat effective but it just makes for really bad music. 1.

I never liked this band at the time and now I'm thnking they were mid-80s and this is areaction to the stuff going on at the time. But even so this is random stuff- no cohesion and a mixture of all sorts of genres.

When I was 14 I wrote a story that I was hoping would shock the teacher reading it. Looking back it’s embarrassing now. I wonder if this band feel the same about their band name. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m afraid I always judge a band by its name, and this one is going straight to jail. As for the music, just couldn’t get behind it.

I hate this album. 1 or 2 stars. All noise, no payoff.