Nail

This is like if Nick Cave, Einsturzende Neubaten, and Tom Waits had a mutant child. Super weird, noise/experimental rock mixed with industrial and found sound. The foundations of this music is solid, then everything laid overtop is insane. It grew on me more and more as the album went on. As of the end of the album it is sitting at a mid-3. This weird stuff is the kinda unhinged stuff I like to be exposed to on this list. It may sound chaotic and insane, and it is.... But it is founded in solid musical themes. Favourite songs: Di-1-9026, The Throne of Agony, Descent Into the Inferno, Enter the Exterminator, The Overture from Pigdom Come Least favourite songs: Private War 3/5

In a much simpler time I used to listen to cradle of filth while playing FF9 and these sounds like it as retrospectively created in some kind of The Fly style teleporter time machine. Interesting as a one off.

I don’t like this. Someone does, but it’s not me.

Decent metal for Monday. Not inspiring

Watching the stats as I've been doing this I've been dreading coming to this album, how consistently it was showing up in the bottom albums on the list - also the name -wtf Anyway, that's my lesson 'cause it was actually kinda interesting

10/10, so interesting! I love industrial rock

Lyrically absurd, I see the Waits and NiN comps, but would love to throw a “combined Mustaine/Iggy Pop as a theatre kid who aspires to sing like Waits/Wolf/Beefheart” in contention as well. Instrumentally, it’s so eclectic. Where Trout Mask Replica is so shocking it stun-locks you into a pattern of right when you feel you understand it, Nail is very easy to follow, but invokes a feeling “of what the hell am I hearing, and why is it kind of meshing” as if Foetus were asked, without zero context, to re-create Spector’s “Wall of Sound” and he interpreted it as “I should make a constant wall of pure sound at all times whether it works or not.” Fun album overall!

Interestingly sits at a unique intersection between a few artists. It definitely has an 80s sound to it but I don’t mean that as a bad thing. It gives it a slightly lighter, goofier tone than if it was made in the 90s or beyond. Who knows when I’ll return to it but it offers something different than I’ve heard and am glad to have listened. I quite like pragVEC so had no idea he was apart of that although it sounds like he wasn’t too involved. Rating: 2.7

Top 3 worst band names I've ever heard. I made it to Pigswill, but I really cannot do this. It feels like NiN without any of the redeeming elements. The songs are hardly qualifiable as such, and while some of the experimentation is pretty cool (Descent into the Inferno being one such), the vocals and mixing have such a campy element to them that it distracts completely. I'm like a 1.5 here. Not for me.

Horrible horrible name. ... Horrible, horrible music.

That was incredibly strange. It was like if Tom Waits was the front man for Kollaps. I can't necessarily say that I enjoyed it but it had some pretty cool points. Mostly unsettling though.

Pretty much already knew this was going to be in 1-2 area based on the band name. The dude sounds like Tom Waits but singing over industrial music that reminds me of NIN. Idk some moments were redeeming but overall that was a pretty tough listen. Low 2.

Pop-rock un tanto experimental y diferente de escuchar. Suena a un tanto ochentero. Ninguna canción sin pegada especial. Desapercibido y sin aportar nada, más allá de ser algo original.

Some fun dark motifs, but tenors trying to evoke power is a mistake

if Rob Zombie, Trent Reznor, and Iggy Pop made a record together... unfortunately, the idea sounds better than the execution.

Not as terrible as I expected, but nothing I would come back to. I kinda like "Enter the Exterminator."

When I look back through these rating and relisten to albums that I marked, this one will either get a “wtf was I thinking” or “woah this is a weird niche of music that I enjoy”. Definitely sounds a lot like a NiN/tom waits and rob zombie mix. Vocals can be hit or miss but the music is cool!

Désolé, j’ai vraiment haïs mon écoute, j’ai rien de bon à dire à celui qui a soumis cet album à part mange d’la marde, bisou chiao

I'm all for the "industrial Tom Waits" thing but frankly this is just not for me. I have a hard time with most dark cabaret albums and this is one of them

Sounds like if Tom Waits was in an industrial/post-punk band (like an extension to Bone Machine, I guess). What a nightmare!

I've often heard of the various "Foetus" projects from JG Thirwell. They were always something of a mystery to me as they were impossible to find in the days before the Internet. Even my music geek friends and the best indie record stores I had around knew nothing about this music. Surely, neither the music nor the titles were very marketable. The only way to experience Thirwell's music was through the very experimental remixes he did for Nine Inch Nails. I can easily see why Trent Reznor was a fan. The core style feels like a pretty well developed kind of industrial rock for its era and was surely very influential on albums like "The Downward Spiral". As an album, "Nail" is fairly eclectic. The variety of styles is more kitsch than talent though and the industrial songs are the ones that stand out the most. This will be a difficult listen for some but as a fan of the genre, I really enjoyed finally getting to hear this beautiful, grating mess. I hope to hear more sometime.

I respect this pick because it very well could have been one of those 80s industrial albums featured on the main list only to end up in the bottom 20 on the website (and I don't mean that as shade because I actually like Kollaps, Opus Dei, Duck Stab, Throbbing Gristle, etc.) 3.5/5

I think I’ve heard of Scraping Foetus off the Wheel before, but for the life of me, I can’t remember where I’ve heard of them from. I certainly couldn’t tell you what type of music this is, and I have no idea what this album is going to sound like. Oh wow, this is an industrial album, cool! For the most part, I thought this album was pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed the way the arrangements were constructed, and I enjoyed the overall industrial sound. My knowledge of industrial music is pretty much limited to what I encountered on the main list, but while this album was enjoyable to listen to, I don’t think it did anything new or trailblazing for the genre. It did get a bit too goofy for my tastes at times, but after the goofy songs, it was able to rebound nicely. As an added bonus, after I finished this album, Spotify started up an Einstürzende album where the cover has a picture of a red horse ejaculating on the ground. Neato! The ejaculating horse will not impact my rating.

Foetus is always a surprise, and if you allow the name of the band to pre-color your interpretation of the album, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Not as bad as I was expecting from the name.

Too weird for me

Didn't enjoy this one much. Sorry.

Sort of interesting sort of annoying sort of ridiculous

Not for me, but thanks for sharing.

That was certainly a mixed bag, but it had it's moments.

This entire album sounded like the villain song in a sitcom's special musical episode.

Why notson!

Nail is the correct word! Sounds like a couple on a chalkboard. No. thank. you.

Expected worse, wanted better. Industrial music is almost never anything I'm interested in. This one dragged down by lousy university-level over-effort Tom Waits like vocals and dated drum and keyboard sounds. Really just a hard pass for me, Milton. 4/10 2 stars. IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

Oh what a lovely album. I’m thinking of playing this at my wedding someday, as long as my wife to be approves, but, with beauty like this, who could say no. The vocals are angelic, so soulful. The songwriting is next to none. “Eatin' up the wallpaper, crawlin' the walls Sick on the ceiling, dead in the head”. Such poetry. I fear man may never create anything this good ever again. What a blessing to live in a world where Scraping Foetus of the Wall has created ‘Nail’! An instant classic!!! I didn’t fuckin enjoy it. 2/5

Feel no love with this....

Certainly interesting and unique. The vocals remind me a bit of Tom Waits. I appreciate it intellectually more than I actually enjoy it though I'd say.

It as terrible as the score would indicate, but dated and scatter shot 80s nonsense.

Dark Zappa. Three and a half stars.

Intriguingly obnoxious, but primarily the latter. Multi-dimensionally awful, completely on par with the name. Zero stars.

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

Industrial, industrial rock, avant-garde. Canciones inconexas.

The name makes this sound a lot worse. I am not big into industrial music but this wasn't completely into that genre since it has a bit of silliness throughout. Still didn't make me enjoy industrial music, but it was definitely better than others. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Slight yes.

Holy Chaotic Hell and thank you to whomever submitted this. A new discovery for me. At first, Nail feels like pure chaos, but by the second track you realise it’s brilliant chaos. “Throne of Agony” could pass for Bauhaus or early Nick Cave funneled through an industrial grinder, while “Pigswill” bangs together junk percussion, strings, and synths into something completely deranged but strangely addictive. “Descent Into the Inferno” might be the peak, a grotesque cabaret that’s equal parts hilarious and horrifying. It’s wild to think this came from one guy in his early 20s, fresh out of Melbourne, hammering all of this together in London. You can hear Neubauten’s metal-bashing, Swans’ weight, and The Birthday Party’s chaos, but Thirlwell makes it his own with manic variety and a black sense of humor. This isn’t background music. It’s abrasive, theatrical, and constantly on edge. But if you’re willing to go along for the ride, Nail is an underground gem that shows just how much fun industrial and noise rock could be. I'm a convert

They sound like if Trent Reznor joined Spinal Tap. It is unintentionally comical and very, very bad.

Great title and cover, but, like Tom Waits, I can't understand why this grating, wonky racket is so popular.

Unpleasant, for sure but I was expecting talentless punk and I got industrial goth. Still really didn’t like it though.

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

I didn't love this but I did enjoy it in places. Can't say I'd want to listen again but it was interesting.

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

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...

This is pretty good. Not my favorite by him.

Hmm. Right. Uh.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Pretty good

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.

Not for me this one

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

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!

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

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 as terrible as the edgelordy name would suggest.

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.

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.

Wacky, disturbed, chaotic: An industrial classic

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

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.

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"

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 ..

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

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

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.

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!

Soooo edgy

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.

Kinda left a tinny taste on the tongue.

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

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?

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.

Wasn't boring

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 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

Interesting

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?

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

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

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

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Enter the exterminator

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.

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

Never heard of them prior. Interesting album.

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.