With a sound somewhere between later-day
Corrosion of Conformity and
Kyuss, England's Hangnail is, first and foremost, a hard rock band, all stoner rock considerations bracketed, at least temporarily, because it's quite easy to get lost in such media-driven subcategories. Again, first and foremost, this is a hard rock album propelled by a driving, locked-down rhythm section, chunky, but articulate guitar work, and soaring vocals. Certainly, there is enough wah, fuzz, and phase on the guitars, and enough Iommi-influenced riffing to warrant the stoner rock tag, but Hangnail is nonetheless more akin to late-'80s rock revival outfits like Trouble,
Circus of Power, the Four Horsemen, or early
Danzig. Indeed, sonically, that's where this album lies, as the emphasis is on the heavy bottom end. Overall, a solid effort from this British quartet. ~ Patrick Kennedy