ROCKET REVIEW: NINETAIL – “Half Truths And Hand Grenades” (CD/LP)

NINETAIL

As if a two thousand pound bull has been let loose in a china shop, York, Pennsylvania’s NINETAIL puts on a literal blood sport in music with the savagely hypnotic new studio album entitled “Half Truths & Hand Grenades” via Project Independent/Level Nine Entertainment. This fourteen song collection follows without a misstep from 2006’s highly regarded debut “The Process Of Conversion”, and lead vocalist J William Heitmann sounds more than ever like a pissed off serial killer, jacked up on enough testosterone for ten men, that just walked into a knife fight for the ages.

From the incindieary self-titled opening track to “Seasoned Scheme”, a gripping and solely destructive duelling guitar attack from Chris Evan/Don Belch(formerly of Spinebelt), it’s plain to see that this six-piece undergroud metal incarnation of a real-life killing machine gone haywire hasn’t fallen prey to the dreaded sophomore jinx. The grinding, death-chime keyboard play of Greg Weber incites frenzy throughout the next spellbinding-crushers “The Decider”, “My Belief” and the unrelenting pummelling of track six “Parabellum”, handing down the album’s crowning achievement at this point, a word which derives from the Latin phrase: “If you want peace, prepare for war”, all mixed together in masterful chaos by the super low bass guitar rumble of Griff and the unbridled percussion mayhem of Chris Appenzeller on drums.

Seeming to even pick up their momentum on the next impassioned, stalwart tracks: “God Willing”, “Bull Ring” and “Trials Of A Madman”, the band does more than enough to keep you purely enthralled by never faltering on their massive, “my gut-just-got-kicked in” sound and, truly warped-out sonic presentation, doing it all while managing to, yes, still show even the most jaded fan of the whole ‘deathcore’ genre a new trick or two. But the best is ultimately saved for last with the flying roundhouse right between your eyes of “Forgive Me”, “Superpyscho”, Cradled Lunacy” and the ominous-clusterfuck of a tune in track thirteen’s “Westboro”. But just when you think it’s safe to let your guard down, the party concludes with the near resembling Down meets Eyehategod closer “So Be It” and the insane laughter of Heitmann cascading in waves of heartache and doom, eerily letting us all finally in on the craziness stirring within.

ROCKET REVIEW:

[starreview tpl=16]

“Half Truths And Hand Grenades” (LP)

(Level Nine Entertainment)

1. Karma

2. Half Truths & Hand Grenades

3. Seasoned Scheme

4. The Decider

5. My Belief

6. Parabellum

7. God Willing

8. Bullring