Honestly, Tragedy has to be considered one of the best punk bands going right now. Their music is super tight and just awesome. Their lyrics are poignant. The vocals are down right devastating to hear (coming from both of the vocalists). A few weeks ago, I was commenting how it had been too long of a gap between their last album, Vengeance and anything new. I know they had their Euro tour 7" and the split with Totalitar, but I wanted a new full-length goddamnit. When my brother sent me a package that upon opening contained Nerve Damage, I was psyched. It completely took me by surprise that this album was out/ coming out. I simply could not wait to pop this on.
As the sirens wail to signal the beginning of "Eyes of Madness," you quickly begin to realize that something about Tragedy is slightly different on Nerve Damage. The heavy riffing and melodic interplay are still there and still bulwarked by the rasping vocals, but there is a new type of urgency. This new album is darker than its predecessor. The volatile anger that was ever present on
Vengeance seems to be replaced by an overwhelming sense of disgust. "Force of Law" continues with this darker mood. The vocals sound as though they are being delivered with hardened resolve of embattled soldiers, and the lyrics give that impression as well with lines like these:
Kept in line for years and years/ Patience, obedience, clenching fists/ the force of law, the defeating of all life/ the defeating of all life, defeat, defeat/ the Pressure's mounting, shown in our vacant eyes/ hardened by never ending stares and obstacles.
I have to admit that at this point, the record seemed to be collapsing in upon itself under the heavy weight of the mood that it emanates. The music here is so heavy and the chord progression sounds wash over like an oppressive wave of negative emotion.
"Rabid Panic" offers a new mood on Nerve Damage. It is awash in a sense of anxiety. By the time that "Deaf and Disbelieving" comes into hearing, I feel like launching myself onto the battlements of a castle in a desperate attempt to further some dying cause. However, the lyrics of this song are just the opposite of that pervasive feeling. "Marching in tandem, they come in drones/ strictly waiting with their strongest intent/ polishing their guns and boots." The visual created by the words espoused in the song is powerful, and they are only enhanced by the precise execution of the musical arrangements.
The fist that Tragedy uses to really pound home this album comes by way of the frantic "The Hunger." This track is pounding, fast, and has a great melodic guitar part. But, it's all over before realization sets in and gives way to an interlude of sorts. They open this with a peaceful but ominous piano piece that is eventually joined by a grand, sweeping guitar. If ever there was a chance to breathe on Nerve Damage, this is it. It is almost hypnotic sounding. Then, the band is back to pummeling the listener as they had on the first half of the album. The melodic guitar parts on this song are awesome. The guitar tone on "Incendiary" kind of reminds me of something that Integrity would put out during their peak. The drum and vocal part that is accentuated by the guitar is excellent and over quickly. "Crucifier" sounds so much like an '82-era punk band it isn't even funny. This is the closest that the band comes to sounding traditional on the whole album.
"Under the Radar" begins with an acoustic guitar part. However, I love the lyrics to this song. It comes off as an ode to the outsider. The vocals are delivered like a badge of honor. The music is similar played with a sense of thieves' honor. "Plan of Execution" closes the album like those that bury the dead after a battle with a grim determination and nervous exhaustion. It ends with a few machinegun-esque snare hits to signal the end.
Tragedy is truly at the top of their game with Nerve Damage. At first, I was not so sure. Hell, I loved (and still do) Vengeance. Nerve Damage does not seethe with the same type of anger that Vengeance did. Again, Nerve Damage is definitely a much darker album than its predecessor. One thing is similar between the two. Both of them go full on from the beginning to the end with very little chance to catch one's breath. Repeated listens are necessary to catch all the energy that Tragedy puts out in the albums. To say that I was happy with Nerve Damage would be a gross understatement. It is what I was looking for from them even though I did not know it when I first put the album on the stereo.
