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Violence

Nothingface - Violence Audio CD

A fair review of the Nothingface "Violence" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Nothingface reviews here, or go back to the Nothingface tabs.

Band: Nothingface
Title: Violence
Rating:

Release Date: 2000-10-10
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Make Your Own Bones 2: Bleeder 3: Same Solution 4: For All the Sin 5: Can't Wait for Violence 6: Dead Like Me 7: Blue Skin 8: Filthy 9: Hidden Hands 10: American Love 11: Everlasting Godstopper 12: Piss and Vinegar

Sick in the face!
Enough difference in the songs to keep it different, while still keeping the hard edge that Nothingface is all about. This album is amazing. One of the albums that never leaves my disc changer.

one of my top 10 favorite cds of all time
Alot of the time i will go back and listen to the nu metal cds I have and they all sort of just lost their edge. This cd seems to have it all! I remember picking this cd up when it first came out and to this day, i still listen to it. This cd on the other hand, has the ability to put you in a trance with their melodic slower songs(which are mostly clean vocals. . . mostly) then kick you in the face with their faster,harder songs(not to mention get concerned looks from old ladies who hear you blasting it in your car). Overall if you like nu metal or metalcore, This cd blends them together perfectly. .

immature
i spent an entire summer listening to it. at the age of 14-16, this album was the best. i met nothingface at a tattoo the earth show and they were one of the nicest bands i've ever met. rediscovering this album recently i find that it's so hollow, it's almost unlistenable. if you're an angry 15 year old (nothing wrong with that) or you're discovering. . . . whatever type of music this could be classified as, then by all means RUN to buy this album, but if you're thinking of rediscovering this album like i did at a more mature age and mindset, don't. . . . and move along.

I can't wait for this Violence. It's that good.
In my opinion, Matt Holt has the best voice in heavy music today. Nothingface bows to no one. Right up there with Maynard from Tool. This cd is probably the best example of the diversity of Nothingface's music. There are brutally heavy songs where Matt does an awesome job of screaming and growling, and there are some more melodic, progressive moments. "For All the Sin" is my personal favorite Nothingface song, and I sing this one all the time. It hasn't left my head in seven years since this was released. No other song has had this much of an impact on me. If you love heavy music, buy this and their other cds immediately. It may take a few listens to get into it, as it is not for the faint of heart. This is not nu-metal, rather, they prefer to call themselves extreme rock. And I think that is a good term for them. They belong in their own category because they have aspects of so many styles evident in their music.

Apt and Important
It makes no difference what type of music you're listening to, be it classical or jazz or metal or pop; the key is that the album will be easy to listen to all the way through. When a band are really firing on all cylinders you can tell. "Violence" is an excellent example of an album where everything is working perfectly. From the first driving riff in "Make Your Own Bones" to the voice-shredding, headbanging final strains of "Piss & Vinegar", this is an album that amounts to more than the sum of its 12 tracks.

I was originally drawn to Nothingface by Matt Holt's stunning vocals and they remain the most important thing about this band for me. There are other vocalists who are more technically proficient and there are other vocalists who are more adventurous, but seldom have I heard a vocal performance with the sheer weight and intensity that Matt delivers. You can hear it in every scathing lyric and every screamed obscenity; this guy means what he sings. Not every lyric makes perfect sense to the listener, but they all must make sense to Mr. Holt because you feel the vocals as much as you hear them.

The guitar and bass work on this album are also not to be missed. Tom Maxwell has one of the most ridiculous right hands in the guitar world. His riffing is technically proficient and very fast, but it never sounds thrashy or uncontrolled. There are a few short solos (or solo-like moments) but they're only for accent. It's all about the riff for these guys and there are some big, groovy monsters on this disc. Think southern rock played at 2x speed, that'll give you and idea. Bill Gaal's basswork only adds to the groove-heavy vibe, acting as an excellent compliment and contributing an almost stiflingly heavy bottom end.

And then of course, there's the substantial wall of drumming coming from behind it all and really driving the music on this album. Chris Houck throws more fills on this beast of a record than seems possible. The first few times I listened, I was actually a bit annoyed by it, but it grew on me because it's done differently than most other spastic metal performances. How so? It isn't driven by heavy reliance on staccato double bass. He does use some, but it's more of an accent than the backbone of the rhythm section. Instead, the fury and intensity of his performance is driven by his snare. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, just listen to "Everlasting Godstopper" (especially the first minute).

So there are excellent performances all around. That still doesn't guarantee a standout CD. You also need good production and execution. "Violence" has both. The production is tight, just a tiny bit dirty, and thickly layered. There are little electronic elements thrown in everywhere, voice samples (a Nothingface tradition), even a few momentary acoustic breakdowns. On the execution side of things, the presentation of the lyrics in the liner notes is both entertaining and properly disturbing. Read the lyrics along as you listen to the disc and you will get an excellent feel for the emotional road this album is taking you down.

All of the above are great reasons to buy a cd, but none of them are really why you should buy this particular cd. Here's the real reason: this is an album that dropped right in the middle of the "Nu-Metal" movement and right at the beginning of the post-hardcore/metalcore/emo/mallcore clone-fest that has become modern hard rock. Going back to 1996 and the "Pacifier" days, Nothingface has always been one of the only bands to successfully take little pieces of all those genres and turn them into something unique and refreshing. Yes, you will hear screamed verses that lead into singing choruses but it won't sound anything like Killswitch Engage or any of their clones. And yes, you will hear electronic elements and sound samples, but it won't sound like Fear Factory or Rammstein or Mudvayne.

In the end, I recommend buying this album because it's full of honest-feeling, genuinely angry, uniquely delivered, make-you-want-to-drive-fast hard rock/metal. It's an important release that will (or at least should) be remembered as one of the only good things to come of the Nu-Metal era. Pick it up.

Standout Tracks:
Bleeder
Same Solution
For All The Sin
Can't Wait For Violence
Dead Like Me
Blue Skin
American Love
Everlasting Godstopper
Piss & Vinegar

(So. . . basically all of them!).

You can see a complete list of all Nothingface discography, or go back to the Nothingface tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.