Album Review: Nasty - Heartbreak Criminals
Reviewed by Daniel Phipps
This is meant as a huge compliment but I am absolutely baffled at just how big Belgian/German beatdown hardcore bands Nasty have grown into being. If you go back prior to 2012 no part of me would ever think the band would be signed to Century Media records, and about to headline the Never Say Die Tour which starts in November. Prior to undertaking the tour Nasty are set to release Heartbreak Criminals the bands 9th collection of as they call it “fucked up music, for a fucked up world”.
With Heartbreak Criminals we get a look into the future of Nasty along with a bit of the past. Let's start with the future, Nasty have definitely grown musically over the last 8 years or so. The band have taken the core beatdown sound that serviced them extremely well earlier into their career and have tweaked it and added a more metal vibe to the sound. Now Nasty have always had a metal sound to the music they create but this is a lot more pronounced with its execution.
I also hear growth with tracks such as the album's title track along with “Kiss From a Rose '' which Nasty offers a song which has broken away from the bands traditional beatdown sound and could really see the band catch the attention of fans outside of this style and hardcore in general. This track also being the track which in my opinion shows Nasty’s growth as a band is the perfect crossover into the past as Nasty offer re-recorded versions of classic tracks “Declaring War” and “Chaos” which appeared on the 2006 debut. What sets Nasty apart with the majority of Mainland beatdown acts is the anthemic nature of their songs which comes from the venomous vocals of frontman Matthias Tarnath and Heartbreak Criminals is no exception as the songs not only bring that violent fury of the bands music but the anthemic vibe is apparent right from the start.
This is a good record and will do a lot to continue to draw a new generation of fans to Nastys music. The most important thing with Heartbreak Criminals is that Nasty no matter how popular they have grown to be still ensure that they keep the roots of their music firmly in place.
