Nails Hide Metal

Nails Hide Metal Breach review - The Rock and Roll Report

Coming out of the Pacific Northwest, Nails Hide Metal is a two-person band that consists of Russ Quinn on guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals and MeLinda Dalton on drums, percussion, keyboards, harmonica and vocals. Together, the duo creates more than just your usual guitar-and-drums music that you would usually associate with a two-person band. Their music is so much more than that. While the duo is only two people, their use of multi-track recording allows for their music to sound as rich and full as any full band’s music would sound. 

Breach from Nails Hide Metal begins with the track “All Through”. The track features a definite Indie Rock feel to the music. The track finds Russ Quinn delivering the lyrics in a pseudo-sing/song delivery as he speaks some of the lyrics and sings others. That delivery helps to add even more Indie feel to the track while the inclusion of MeLinda Dalton’s background vocals helps to add more of a melodic feel to the lyrical content. The music of the track itself features a quick tempo and energetic feel that comes courtesy of the guitars from Quinn. Altogether, the opening track of “All Through” starts the Breach release off with plenty of energy. 

The Breach release continues with the track “On the Hill Stairs”. The track’s music begins with a light Grunge feel. Before too long, the duo of Russ Quinn and MeLinda Dalton change the direction of the music drastically as the music takes on a direction that feels closer to something from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In fact, the lyrics of the song even have a Hendrix-like feel to them. The duo alternates the music of the track between the Hendrix direction and the Grunge feel. The two-tone feel of the song keeps the music moving and keeps the listener focused on the song. 

With the inclusion of a fuzz guitar, the track “Cause” comes across as part Rock and Roll, part Punk Rock. Along with the fuzz guitar and the bass from Russ Quinn that give the song a very deep, rich sound, the keyboard from MeLinda Dalton fill the background of the track with effects that add a lot texture and make the song feel slightly other-worldly. “Cause” contains a strong, driving feel to the pace of the song and keeps the song moving. 

After several tracks of quick-paced songs, Nails Hide Metal change the direction of their music. The track “Iconic Nobody,” like “On the Hill Stairs” before it, contains a slight Jimi Hendrix feel to the music. Along with that Hendrix influence, the track features a slowed down pace when comparing it to the tracks that came before. As Russ Quinn sings of the current state of affairs of today’s youth, his vocals contain a quality that seems like a cross between Hendrix and Paul McCartney. Quinn’s lyrical delivery on the track is matched up well with MeLinda Dalton’s vocals that help to add a lot of harmony to the track. 

The Breach release from Nails Hide Metal continues with the track “Straight and Narrow”. The track finds the duo of Russ Quinn and MeLinda Dalton venturing into a more experimental direction as the music of the track contains an avante garde feel. The song is one of the most unusual moments on the album. However, the musical direction taken by the duo on the track “Straight and Narrow” simply shows the diversity in their influences. 

Nails Hide Metal brings their newest release to an end with the track “Bend the Day”. After songs that feature many different influences and musical directions, the duo creates a track in “Bend the Day” that has, perhaps, the most straight-out Rock and Roll feel to the music. The track’s music would fit alongside Rock and Roll songs from the seventies. That is, until the final few seconds of the track where the band chooses to bring the song to an end by making the song sound as it was collapsing. The breakdown of the music at the end of the track (and the end of the album, as well) gives the album the unmistakable feel that it is coming to an end. A rather unusual way to bring the eight-song release to a close. However, it works. 

For having been created by only two musicians, the Breach album from Nails Hide Metal contains a surprisingly large amount of variety in the styles of Rock and Roll that make up the eight tracks on the album. This is due to the versatility of both Russ Quinn and MeLinda Dalton who are responsible for bringing the music on the release to life. Of course, this is not their first album. And hopefully, this won’t be their last. - by Matheson Kamin, The Rock and Roll Report

Nails Hide Metal - Breach album review - ArtistRack

The searing guitar tonalities on Nails Hide Metal’s newest album ‘Breach’ provide a distinction within the saturation components with a nice tube-like low end that gives the riffs a vivid sounding melody. 

The grungy dynamics possess a grimy element to the sound that engulfs all portions of the music in a charismatic choral epitome of music. Likewise, this sound contains fascinating guitar pitch bends and screeching slides that work in an agreeable manner without becoming repetitive or overbearing. 

Each song his its own unique characteristics designated to the track itself while respecting the vision of the entire LP in context. The brute force nature encapsulates the spirit of energetic music from the 90’s that relished the parallel counter culture of the 60’s in a meticulous manner. The stimulating chord progressions develop through sharp/flat riffs that alter the music in a psychedelic whirly movement of sound that is congruent to the band’s creativity. 

The ingenious songwriting is a facet that is often overlooked by superficial listeners but Nails Hide Metal’s possesses a sense of mastery that is nothing more than a rarity in the contemporary music industry. The abstract constructions pave an optimistic road of musical impossibilities consolidated into one fascinating piece of artistry for music heads to enjoy. 

There is a sense of controlled demolition within the aggressiveness of the music that is both calculated and systematic to the band’s flora. This force will carry the momentum towards a prosperous time for multifaceted aficionados to relish. - ArtistRack 

Breach Album Review - Starr Brown, Indie Band Guru 

For having such a full sound, you wouldn’t expect Nails Hide Metal to be only two members. Especially in their latest release, Breach, there is such a well developed complex sound that you can’t wrap your head around there only being two musicians. 

The duo Nails Hide Metal are truly rocking out on their sixth studio release Breach. 

Combining elements of original rock, a hint of punk along side a dash of metal, Nails Hide Metal have clearly developed their own unique sound. The creative team of MeLinda Dalton (drums, percussion, keyboards, harmonica and vocals) and Russ Quinn (guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals) find home in their distinctive guitar sound and driving rhythmic melodies. 

Opening with the high energy track “All Through”, you can clearly hear the musical direction Nails Hide Metal are taking with Breach. With a fast paced beat joined with a distorted guitar, you’re transported right into the thick of their sound. Complete with melancholy vocals from both Dalton and Quinn, “All Through” is the perfect opener for what Nails Hide Metal have to offer listeners. 

Bringing out a true gritter sound, “Cause” shows everything Nails Hide Metal are putting out for listeners on Breach. With nothing to lose, the drum heavy track is layered with distorted guitar that even the Rolling Stone would be proud of. Screeching echoes and rough vocals top off “Cause” making it a track to be reckoned with on Breach. 

Nails Hide Metal nails the groove-rock sound.

“Bend The Day” combines all the elements of Nails Hide Metal’s unique sound. Featuring a slower rock tempo, punk flair and a hint of country twang, it’s the perfect amount of gritty yet polished to intrigue listeners away of the pop/rock of today. 

Dalton and Quinn began playing and recording together in 2009 bringing together three self-recored EPs in three years. Constantly finding new inspiration for creative material, the duo has been together ever since. Exploring new music directions at every chance they get, nothing compete with their compelling lyrics, melodies and harmonies that round off their sound. -  by Starr Brown, Indie Band Guru

Breach Album review by Rebecca Cullen - Stereo Stickman

Breach is a collection of fairly raw indie offerings that take the rhythm and mild ambiance of amplified rock music and use it to drive forwards an array of ideas and melodies that have a certain character and freshness about them. Beginning with All Through, the gritty edge of the sound is perhaps the first thing to grab you, the leading vocalist is likely to be next. The tone and performance style of the leading voice notably adds to the character and individuality of the band’s sound. The additional vocals later present a welcome dynamic, and as things progress, the overall build up of their compositions becomes more and more recognisable. 

On The Hill Stairs takes the sense of character sky high. The leading riff is simple yet memorable, the space surrounding it lets you really familiarise yourself with the voice again, the spoken word style of the verses sends the lyrics through in a mildly poetic and classic indie-rock sort of manner. The story line pulls you in, the quirkiness of it, the evolution. The hook sections showcase a striking rise in energy, a trait that reappears throughout the project. The space turns to weight, the quiet to loud, and these various instruments and vocals collide and surround you in a chaotic and quite mesmerising way. 

Cause is a song that brings the distorted heaviness to the forefront, a darkness matched by the simplicity of the two-note verse melody and the relentlessness of the drum line. It’s a track that teeters towards the punk-rock world a bit, the energy is fairly high from the offset, but once again it rises and rises as the song progresses, making you feel as if you’re tumbling further and further down the rabbit hole. Then you get the well placed, mellow energy of Iconic Nobody, a song with a beautiful opening guitar riff and a really enjoyable verse melody and story line. The shortness of each line makes it easy to absorb and involve yourself in, so you hang on the ideas, you follow them along, and you feel connected to the emotional honesty and modern relevance of it all. 

I Can’t Believe brings the intensity back with heaviness and a fast pace. The to-and-fro between the vocal parts and the riff-led parts makes for a structurally interesting and colourful listening experience. The character and creative freedom of it is really not something you hear too much of these days, the band are doing their own thing entirely and this project consistently underlines that. Straight And Narrow is another well placed moment of variation. The atmospheric ambiance of the introduction has a slightly haunting and provocative air about it. The swagger of the guitar parts that follow adds a distant touch of country rock and roll to the mix, the lyricism actually reinforces this a little – the story telling, the tired sound of the voices, the slightly drunken feeling the music puts forth. 

Following this, You Can See offers up an indie-rock anthem that is once again infused with a slightly blues-rock or country-rock vibe. The sound is big, kind of live sounding – something that seems possible throughout the album. You get a strong sense of precisely what a live show from Nails Hide Metal would be like. Then things come to a close with Bend The Day, and ambient one again, the classic sound of a reverb soaked indie band with a need to consider and express their own unique perspectives, in their own unique way. The chords chosen here represent the concept quite well, there’s a hopefulness to it, a brightness even, and this increases the further along you get within the song. It’s a great way to finish. - by Rebecca Cullen, Stereo Stickman

Nails Hide Metal - Breach Album Review by Vince Grant

Nails Hide Metal’s “Breach” goes for a gritty, early 90s indie rock spirit to it. Full of love and passion the way the songs unfold reveals their true beating heart. The fuzzed-out guitar work, the powerful percussion, and those joyous vocals all work in unison to deliver something so positively tender at times. Infinitely catchy the songs linger in the mind courtesy of Nails Hide Metal’s keen ear for melody. Lyrics feel akin to poetry as their abstractions have an emotional quality to them, as they conjure up moods as much as they do mere moments. 

Burning through its length with tremendous energy is the highly articulate storytelling of “All Through”. A bluesy temperament defines the lumbering laid-back vibes of “On the Hill Stairs” which feels reminiscent of Parquet Courts’ similar deadpan direct delivery. Rumbling through with a swagger the colossal “Cause” feels infused with an ominous, almost eerie spirit. Confrontational to its very core “I Can’t Believe” taps into the spirit of late 80s Sonic Youth possessing a truly fantastic sneering attitude. The spaciousness of “Straight and Narrow” gives it a gigantic aura while the many layers of sound work in unison. Easily the highlight of the album comes on “You Can See” with its pummeling rhythm and acid-fried western twang. Affection pours out of the jubilant “Bend The Day”. 

On “Breach” Nails Hide Metal sculpt a gorgeous, colorful, and all-engrossing world, one that feels positively visceral with its desire to rush forward into such glorious colorful realm. - by Vince Grant, Skope Magazine

Thanks to Portland Radio Project for adding Nails Hide Metal's song 'On the Hill Stairs' to their playlist.  

 99.1 FM/Portland Radio Project Playlist - Nails Hide Metal - 'On the Hill Stairs' from the album Breach  

South Sound Sound Recording Studio article- Nails Hide Metal - Breach album release

We just released our new album titled Breach. The songs are available for direct download on our website nailshidemetal.com. The album is currently available on iTunes, Amazon and Google Music. Please continue to check our website for additional stores and streaming.   

Along with our new music, we have added more shows to our schedule starting in Seattle tonight. 

As always, thanks for your support and we hope to see you soon!

Our new album Breach is scheduled to be released on September 22nd, 2017. Check out the nailshidemetal.com website for new music downloads and music store information!     

We are happy to have worked once again with Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering. Breach is the third Nails Hide Metal release that he has mastered. One of the best!