Album review by Lucas Bell
Off the back of their divisive 2022 record, Spirits, Texan based alternative metal band Nothing More have hit back, in a very big way with their latest record, CARNAL. Bolstered by some strong singles in ‘If It Doesn’t Hurt’, ‘House of Sand’, and ‘Angels Song’, this album had definitely piqued my interest. But I was totally not prepared for my face to be blown off with just how incredible this record is.
For a bit of history, Nothing More peeped into my peripherals around 2014. Off the back of a pretty successful US Tour run supporting Coheed and Cambria, I heard a lot of chatter about these guys. Not long after that tour, they came to Australia, with a spot on the final Soundwave Festival in 2015, where they were probably one of my favorites of the festival. But they’ve really dropped off my radar. Until this weekend.
There are some incredible songs on this record. The aforementioned ‘HOUSE OF SAND’ is a solid tune, and even features Eric Vanlerberghe from I Prevail on a guest vocal spot that helps elevate the song into the pantheon of some of the band’s best work. ‘ANGEL SONG’ is another incredible song with a different tone, elevated with the incredible vocals of Disturbed’s David Draiman.
The biggest song of the record though, definitely has to be the first single, ‘IF IT DOESN’T HURT’. This song was so massive, it was even featured in the hype package for Mami herself, Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch at WrestleMania XL. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, go check that video out. It gives Austin vs Rock “Limp Bizkit – My Way” levels of hype, which I feel was the point. If you know, you know.
The fourth single, ‘STUCK’ dropped on release day. The song has a feature with Atlanta based Trap Metal rapper, Sinizter, and features probably the hardest edge we’ve heard from Nothing More in a long time. I wish Sinizter did a little more of the track, but this is a song when you listen to it, the lyrics just stick (haha get it?) in your brain.
Some of the non single standouts of the record include the nu-metal inspired ‘EXISTENTIAL DREAD’, which also has probably one of the sickest choruses on the record. ‘DOWN BY THE RIVER’ is like a much more straightforward rock song in comparison to the rest of the record, invokes reminders to me of early Breaking Benjamin and a little bit of Seether.
The best song from the record though, is ‘BLAME IT ON THE DRUGS’. I immediately remembered most of the chorus of this song but the end of the second play through of the album. Chorus is huge. Verses are amazing. Instrumental drives nails into the brain in the best way possible. This needs to be a live show staple.
Overall, the record is a big middle finger to those that didn’t like the last record, and proves without a shadow of a doubt, Nothing More is going to be here for a long time.
Rating – 9/10
Favorite tracks
‘DON’T BLAME IT ON THE DRUGS’
‘STUCK’ feat Sinizter
‘IF IT DOESN’T HURT’
