Nomads – 7” EP – h1n1 Records

SNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFF!

“I said goddamn!”

That’s what this new Nomads 7” out on h1n1 feels like.  What it sounds like is cop-hating, outlaw crust and who can’t get behind that, right?  Like a crystal meth roundhouse kick to the sinus, these Los Angeles punks bring an absolute spun out killing spree on this 6 song EP.  The first track, “Holocaust Wall”, kicks off with a slight vocal vomit into a mid-tempo intro, speeds up as the vocals come in along with this melodic guitar part along the lines of what they put down on their split with Treacherouskin (Melotov).   The song marches on a fast pace and then goes out to some excellent guitar solo work that had me reaching for the fold out expecting to see a Rocky George guest asterisk next to the credits.  Song 2, “Bite Back”, is a 20 second blast of d-beat but scores major points for not one, but two cop hating sound bites.  Song 3 is where this thing really starts to shine with a cover of Swede d-beaters Driller Killer “From Out Of Nowhere” featuring guest vocals from Skinhead Rob (Transplants, Death March).  This is a fucking master cover that every band out there that’s thinking about how cool it would be to do a cover should listen to.  “When The Dust Clears” is pretty textbook Nomads; fast d-beat that changes pace around the 30 second mark with a vocal vomit that leads into more solid guitar work on its way out.

So, you know what’s more annoying than “Perennial Album of the Year In March” guy?  It’s “Perennial Song of the Year In March” guy, and that’s where I’m going.  Song 6, “White Night”, holy shit, so fucking good.  What blows me away is that I typically hate anthem-y bullshit, but this song is so raw and filthy you can’t help but try to sing along.  It starts off with a strong drum intro (the drumming on this whole record is tits, btw) with a slight melody in the back before the guitar slides into mid-tempo riffing.  The vocals come in with the rawest flow, the guitar drops down around the 45 second mark and it is full on pick up your Louisville Slugger that’s been hollowed out and filled with Quikrete and start swinging your way to glory.  I can’t typically muster a fuck for vocal performances but the vocals on "White Night" are beyond masterful.  Jesus, I’ve listened to it 3 times while writing this paragraph.  The last song, “Altercate”, starts with more killer drum work into a catchy riff into a vocal explosion with a fast tempo that goes out with more of that fantastic guitar work that is prevalent throughout this entire thing.

Listen, whether you like blowing lines off dead cops or just sitting back and appreciating some West Coast crusty punk, you will definitely enjoy this.  For the eses on probation though, just listening to this EP will probably make you piss dirty, so keep that in mind.  This entire thing is streaming at CVLT Nation, but you should buy it as the packaging is nails.