NAIL – Power And Greed

The Canadian band Nail is somewhat of a supergroup. Most of the members have had moderate success with past groups such as Helix and KAOS. The band is led by Mr. and Mrs. Ranier “Rhino” and Cindy “C” Wiechmann; Rhino on guitar, and C on vocals. The Wiechmann’s are indeed Rock veterans as they have been making music together since the mid 80s.

It is clear from the song quality and production, these guys (and gal) have been around the block a few times. It’s also very hard to believe this band is unsigned and their latest album Power And Greed has been released independently. This is actually Nail’s second album, and it is obvious this band is going in the right direction.

Musically, this album flat out rocks. Nail describes themselves as a Progressive Metal/Hard Rock band. Progressive may be a bit of a stretch, but they are definitely 100% Hard Rock. Cindy Wiechmann’s vocals are ironically reminiscent of fellow Canadian and rock legend Geddy Lee. Her vocals come across as very raw and brash, and she is continuously hitting the top of her range. You won’t hear anything that is remotely soft or enchanting. That being said, Weichmann’s vocals are the perfect fit for this type of music, which was primarily written by Rhino Weichmann.

Materially, all the tracks are very well written and fully developed. Of the ten tracks on the album, most are around the 4 ½ minute range. The production of the album has a true “live” feel to it. There are not many overlapping vocal harmonies or many rhythm guitar sections during the solos. The background vocals are mainly handled by Cindy’s band mates, and when Rhino breaks into a shredding guitar solo, you will only hear bass and drums playing along with him.

Some of the highlights include the opening track “King Of Fools.” This driving Rock melody is a perfect introduction to all the talents of Nail, including a superior guitar solo performance from Rhino. The haunting and melodic “Bottom Feeder” gives you a good example of the full range of Cindy’s vocals. The final track on the album, “Less Than Zero” is a very powerful and diverse song and again really shows off the talents of all four members.

Regarding the band’s talents, it is worth noting the true hidden gem on this album is bassist Darcy Maudsley. Every single track on this album contains some amazing bass work which is very noticeable. Maudsley’s outstanding ability is very reminiscent of classic bassists such as Geezer Butler, Flea, Les Claypool, and even Geddy Lee.

Overall, Power And Greed is a first class album. Everything you would expect from veteran rockers. The only things that may cause concern are the lack of vocal range and some repetitive guitar riffs. However, as their name implies, Nail gives you a very hard sounding Rock album. Hopefully their sound and popularity will continue to develop over time.