Hell and High Water, Throttlerod�s last release, was a Great American Rock Album, chock full of those foot tappin�, head bobbin� riffs that made you wistfully check the classifieds for muscle cars. Nail, the band�s latest, is anything but. Nail is an angrier album, for starters. The riffs match the attitude. Stripped down to a three-piece following the departure of guitarist Bo Leslie, singer/guitarist Matt Whitehead�s playing is now more angular and less reliant on classic southern rock chord progressions. Rather than fill the songs with excess guitar, Whitehead darts around the formidable and beefed up rhythm section of bassist Chris Sundstrom and drummer Kevin White. The open spaces not only give Nail more depth, but also create a more live feel to the album. Vocally it�s still unmistakably Throttlerod, although they�ve incorporated some Melvins-like shout along vocals.

Given the band�s prior willingness to experiment with its sound, the direction taken on Nail isn�t really surprising. Most importantly, Throttlerod has written a great collection of songs.

The boys of Throttlerod have re-invented themselves once again with their fifth official release Nail. This album not only follows in the natual progression that Andrew Schneider (producer) has cultivated, but takes the boys into musically uncharted territory. Nail is aggressively abrasive with less deference paid to their rock roots and more emphasis placed on the punk and metal that originally inspired them to start the band in the first place.

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