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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Nail

Scraping Foetus off the Wheel

1985

Nail
Album Summary

This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.

Nail is the fourth studio album by Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel. It was released in October 1985, through record labels Self Immolation and Some Bizzare. The album incorporates a variety of musical genres, including classical and industrial rock, and the lyrics are often esoteric. For example, the tempo and instrumentation in "Descent into the Inferno" is infrequent: the song's first half is sparse and percussive; in the latter stages the song gathers momentum and features synthesizers. "The Overture from Pigdom Come", a composition resembling a classical piece of music, is juxtaposed with perhaps the most brutal track on the album, "Private War", a track that features one minute of various grinding noises. There are various obscure references within the songs, some more lucid than others. "The Throne of Agony" has the lyrics "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew me well", a paraphrase of a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet (Hamlet: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio..."). The line "Turn on, tune in, drop out" in "DI-1-9026" refers to the Timothy Leary phrase. Jack and the Beanstalk is also referenced, with a variation of the chant "Fee, fie, foe, fum!" appearing in the final track.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.43

Votes

91

Genres

  • Rock

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Reviews

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May 07 2024
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4

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.

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May 07 2024
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3

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.

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May 08 2024
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3

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.

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Jul 26 2024
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5

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?

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Oct 10 2024
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5

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

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Oct 10 2024
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4

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?

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Oct 10 2024
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4

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.

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May 08 2024
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3

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.

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May 09 2024
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2

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

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May 25 2024
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2

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.

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May 09 2024
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3

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.

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May 22 2024
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3

Never heard of them prior. Interesting album.

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May 30 2024
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3

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Enter the exterminator

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Jul 03 2024
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3

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

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Oct 10 2024
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3

Kinda left a tinny taste on the tongue.

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May 09 2024
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2

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.

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May 09 2024
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2

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

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May 09 2024
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2

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

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May 24 2024
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2

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

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Jun 08 2024
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2

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

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Jun 27 2024
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2

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

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Nov 13 2024
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2

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

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Nov 14 2024
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2

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

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Nov 17 2024
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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 ..

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May 08 2024
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1

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

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May 17 2024
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1

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.

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Aug 23 2024
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1

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

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Sep 02 2024
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1

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

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Sep 24 2024
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1

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.

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