Album Review: Nag - Boys Of Europe
Reviewed by Robert Barker
Norwegian angry-lads Nag are back with a brand-new audio assault Boys of Europe. A welcome return from their hiatus, Boys of Europe hits hard, fast, angry and dirty, and is just what I needed after a particularly tough day of getting pissed off at work. Tracks rarely (if ever) venture past the three-minute mark, not to the detriment of the album, keeping it hard-hitting and nasty.
If, like me, you’re one of the many people of a particular age who got into alternative music thanks to The Offspring’s first album many years ago, but have subsequently found it doesn’t come anywhere close to scratching an itch of what it once may have done in terms of rawness, heaviness and energy, this may be one for you to add to your must-listen list*. A lot of the songs start with screeching feedback or some other harsh noise, which provides a pretty decent live feel to the record, further enhanced by the slight muddiness of the mixing – making me long for a sadly-never-experienced opportunity to live in mid-80's New York and head to a CBGB show.
Boys of Europe kicks in with the title track, and it’s a strong start. Vibes of Converge’s Dark Horse abound, which is no bad thing. Next tracks Unlimited Power Ballad and Iron Lawn bring a slightly different sound, but keeps the energy high and mighty, and stays for the rest of the album. Cosmic Death showcases a more drawn-out feel with more epic-sounding chords and, dare I say, simpler guitar riffs. A sign of a damn good album in my opinion is the ability to mutually change tone and keep things consistent, which Nag show off their ability to pull off effortlessly here.
We progress to Old and In the Way, Scandinavian Sleeping and Living, and Sheep Like Us, which deliver a short sharp shock and keep things swift. My favourite track of the album, Of Lice and Men, comes in next and keeps momentum flowing, inducing accidental/subconscious face-pulling and head-nodding. Ancestral Spirit shows off some super-nasty sounding chords, before finishing off with the same quality noise we’ve been hearing so far, Runaway Brain.
This album keeps consistency in sound and tone pretty well, not throwing curveballs to the listener, but also keeping fresh enough to remain interesting and enjoyable from start to finish. I really enjoyed this, and urge anyone in need of a dose of aggression at the end of their day to check this one out.
*Boys of Europe by Nag isn’t really anything like an Offspring album.
