REVIEW: Nailed to Obscurity - Generation of the Void

German melodic death/doom act NAILED TO OBSCURITY are about to mark their 20th year as a band in style with the release of Generation of the Void, their most expansive and mature album to date. This new chapter is a visceral exploration of turmoil and hopelessness in the post-pandemic era, with themes of emotional expedition and existential confusion. With music videos for Spirit Corrosion and the title track already out, and their upcoming debut headlining tour, the band's evolution from an underground band to a global force is more apparent than ever.

Glass Bleeding kicks off the album with an unsettling atmosphere, showcasing impactful drums and an excellent guitar tone that create rapid dynamic shifts of enraged to depreciated. The harsh vocals add depth whilst expressing fantastic pitch range, with well-used double bass and snare rolls during the chorus providing a potent lift. Flowing from there into a compelling tone of subtle guitar reverb, Liquid Mourning undergoes a fluid yet jarring emotional metamorphosis. The clean vocals have a transcendent quality, creating a distant ethereal atmosphere that dissipates with the return of the gut-punching growls, before ending with a dramatically sustained piano.

Overcast immediately captivates with its urgent, anxious guitar work and vocals that shift from delicate whispers to foreboding growls. While the emotional depth is evident, the interplay between the two guitars is the true highlight. Contrastingly, Spirit Corrosion features great clean vocal harmonies with an awesome syncopated drum line. The song builds beautifully to its memorable chorus: “and all at once from inside out, it starts to rust, spirit corrodes".

The album's title track and feature divider, Generation of the Void, brings an eerie, oscillating riff that creates an unsettling, dystopic vibe. The bass is a standout on this track with the lyrics taking centre stage alongside. Most poignantly, “these idle hands in idle times, just words without life or soul” emanate the post-pandemic feeling perfectly. A special component is the single, sludgy guitar note on the outro, effectively solidifying the dissonant atmosphere. 

At over eight minutes runtime, Echo Attempt is an epic journey. The combination of the haunting clean vocals and the stripped-back instrumentation allows the lyrics to deliver the story. The song has a significant shift halfway through to a first-person perspective that, despite the anger and dread, conjures a sense of hope in places.

Allure is the most vulnerable and stripped-back song on the album, starting softly with clean vocals and guitar with no drums for the first two and a half minutes, allowing the self-reflective lyrics to beam through. While effective, the song’s reliance on electronic sound effects and (potentially) autotuned harmonies are components we’re not the biggest fans of. On the contrary, Clouded Frame emerges with a cool riff and drumbeat that allows the bass to shine. The powerful, expressive harsh vocals return, creating an effective relationship with the guitar melodies. The track also features cool syncopation between the guitar and drums, leading to an epic breakdown with a sustained growl upon the outro.

Misery's Messenger arrives with a slightly grungier, funkier vibe - that we love - and features ghostly harmonies that dance around the core melody. In essence, the song is excellent, although perhaps longer than necessary. This drifts into the final track, ‘The Ideas of Life,’ serving as a powerful conclusion and creating an expansive and motivational experience against aggressive highlights. The outro is prominent, with an impeccable guitar part and accompanying background synths, providing a brilliant grand finale to an impressive album.

Generation of the Void is a powerful display of NAILED TO OBSCURITY's range, creating an expansive journey through a dystopian landscape full of hopelessness and melancholia. The album's dynamic, cinematic sound combines their signature growls with a new emphasis on haunting clean vocals. The only notable detractor is the possible use of pitch correction on some clean vocals, particularly in Allure. Despite this, the overall production is excellent, with subtle details like dry crash cymbals and vocal echoes being the underrated stars. Principally, the album is a strong creation and a testament to the band's impressive evolution which we are excited to see grow.

Score: 8/10

Generation of the Void will be released on September 5th 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. 

Words by: Katherine Russell

Photos: Nailed to Obscurity