Nothing More – Carnal
Nothing More – Carnal
Better Noise Music
Release Date (Physical): 16/05/2025
Review by Beth Morait
10/10
Now, I’m going to start this review with a disclaimer – this album was actually released digitally back at the end of March (And originally released as a standard album last year). But March/ April was an absolutely crazy time for me, as I was becoming a grandma! So, I missed reviewing it then. But, as if by some twist of fate, the physical release date of this Deluxe edition of “Carnal” fell in May, which has given me a chance to revisit it and review it for you now! Yippee!
And trust me when I say it was absolutely worth it. On the face of it, American band Nothing More are billed as Rock. But there’s so much more than that going on here. And I’m very glad I’ve discovered them now, even though it seems I’m a little late to the party (no change there) as they’ve been around since 2003, and have topped various charts, racked up millions of streams, and been nominated for Grammy awards… I really should pay more attention.
It’s predominantly Rock. But there are nods and meanders into Modern Metal, Pop, and Metalcore to boot, which make this an album that’s both exciting and different. ‘House of Sand’, for example, heads in a mainstream Modern Metal direction, whereas ‘If It Doesn’t Hurt’ starts like something that would be in the Pop charts, but then turns into a blistering Hard Rock/ Metal song, with vocals that remind me of some of the modern greats. They cite some of their influences as SOAD, Incubus, and Killswitch Engage, and that really does come through in their sound.
Now, you all know I’m big on Vocals, and the vocals on this album are sublime. Jonny Hawkins has a wonderfully versatile voice, with an amazing range. He can go from raspy Rock to the most beautiful and tender cleans in the blink of an eye, and he lifts the anthemic nature of each song with high notes that soar off into the distance. ‘Freefall’ is a perfect example of this. But here the music shifts almost into Emo territory (another genre that I actually really do like – say what you will, but some of the most beautiful melodies can be found within this area of music, in my humble opinion). It feels big, breathless, and endless, really living up to its name. It also reminds me a lot of 30 Seconds To Mars’ ‘This Is War’, with its anthemic chants towards the end of the song.
However, it’s not just the vocals that are the showstopper here. Every single player in this band is amazing, executing their parts perfectly to create this sound. I would absolutely love to see this band live! They’re making me fan girl just listening to the album!! ‘Existential Dread’ is a fucking mega track! Excuse my language, but that’s the only way my excited brain can describe it. It’s EDM and Techno meets Post-Rock, meets Prog, meets Modern Metal, meets Rammstein doing a cameo, and makes a roof-lifting anthem. Although this entire album is just brilliant, this is one of my favourite tracks.
As this is a deluxe edition, we get treated to an extra 5 tracks which see Nothing More working with some big names! This includes a new version of ‘Freefall’ featuring 6x Platinum-certified artist Chris Daughtry; a live version of their number 1 single ‘Angel Song’ recorded from the band’s set at Aftershock Festival 2024, joined onstage by guest vocalist David Draiman of Disturbed; two remixed tracks from Matt Good (Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria) and Justin “JD” Deblieck (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White); and their new track ‘We’re All Gonna Die’, which was released in February.
It does mean that this is a mammoth album of 20 tracks, with over an hour of play time. But, it really doesn’t feel like it when you’re listening. You become absorbed in the beauty and storytelling of the performance, and time becomes meaningless. That, my dear friends and readers, is how I mark brilliance in music. When it consumes you to the point of losing all sense of everything apart from the sound. It’s complete relaxation, and the closest you will ever get to innocent happiness. And that’s how I feel listening to this album. Another challenger for my album of the year this year, fact.
‘We’re All Gonna Die’ Official Lyric Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. | CARNAL |
02. HOUSE ON SAND (feat. Eric V. of I Prevail)
03. IF IT DOESN’T HURT
04. ANGEL SONG (feat. David Draiman)
05. FREEFALL
06. BLAME IT ON THE DRUGS
07. | HEAD |
08. EXISTENTIAL DREAD
09. | HEART |
10. DOWN THE RIVER
11. GIVE IT TIME
12. | SIGHT |
13. STUCK (feat. Sinizter)
14. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
15. | SOUND |
16. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE
17. FREEFALL (feat. Chris Daughtry)
18. ANGEL SONG (feat. David Draiman) Live @ Aftershock
19. HOUSE ON SAND (feat. Eric V. of I Prevail) – MG Remix
20. ANGEL SONG (feat. David Draiman) – JD Remix
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
