The NX - Night Heaver EP

Tracklist:

1. Lonnie Johnson's Greatest Hit

2. The Great Unwashed

3. The Day It Rained Forever

4. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

March has been pretty rad so far. Things seem to be settling down and I seem to be busier than ever! Tonight I've treated myself to a catch up on a couple of newer releases, starting with the EP from North-East punk band The NX. Night Heaver was released on limited vinyl-effect CD by Footloose Records on 27th of February. It's the first release by the band since they reformed at the end of 2013. They've been getting plenty of love in Metal Hammer and Rock Sound, so it's about time I heard what all the fuss is about!

The NX are the UK’s answer to Cancer Bats and The Chariot. Much like sadly gone Leeds band The Plight, The NX play groovy hardcore with swagger. Lonnie Johnson’s Greatest Hit is a sure-fire crusher with plenty of Southern fried riffs and belligerent screams. Things are bid more spaced-out on The Great Unwashed, at least until they explode once more. There’s all kind of garage punk and even low-fi influences going on with deeply-crooned clean vocals and 80s rock harmonies added for good measure. By third track The Day It Rained Forever, things have loosened up. The NX (dare I say it) take the best bits from nu-metal and add it to the melting pot. I’m not talking about shitty radio-friendly ballads here, but the fast-paced textures from late-90s/early-00’s dance hall fillers like “Bodies” era Drowning Pool etc. I realise that the comparison to nu-metal is seen as sacrilege nowadays, but with the sub-genre making a sudden comeback thanks to the likes of Alien Ant Farm and Coal Chamber, it doesn’t seem like such a bad move by the band. Their closing number Let Sleeping Dogs Lie retreats back to more familiar territory. The riffs are there and so is the snotty attitude. At times it sounds like Scott Weiland has taken over the mic, but the breakdown at the end of the song shatters any similarities to Stone Temple Pilots. There’s a lot going on in these four songs but it’s more than enough to get your blood-pumping. If you’ve read some of my recent reviews, you’ll probably be thinking that metal and punk are scenes filled with serious bands with furrowed brows and no sense of humour. Thankfully there are bands like The NX around to shatter that misnomer.

You can stream Night Heaver via The NX's Soundcloud page here - https://soundcloud.com/thenxofficial

CD's can be purchased from both the band and Footloose Records via the links below:-
http://thenxofficial.bigcartel.com and http://www.footlooserecords.com.

The NX Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thenxofficial
Footloose Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Footlooserecords