Nail Within
Encyclopedia
Nail Within was a melodic death
/thrash metal
supergroup
originating from Tel Aviv
, Israel
. The band was formed up in 2001 by Betrayer vocalist Yishai Swearts and Azazel members Alex Schuster, Evil Haim and Barak Zait. Later, Betzefer
guitarist Matan Cohen
was added as the second guitarist.
Although the band was short-lived in its first run between 2001 and 2003, it proved to be very influential and in November 2007, the band was reunited, playing a one-off reunion show with Tomas Lindberg
as a special guest.
) and drummer Barak Zait (of Azazel) under the name Emblaze (which later became a name of a song on the band's debut album). The four were later joined by Betzefer
guitarist Matan Cohen
who completed the line-up.
Because the band members were known in the Israel
i underground
metal
scene, the band gained some attention right away as a supergroup
, and started playing everywhere in Israel. In 2002, a day after supporting Salem on one of their biggest shows in Israel
, the band left to Germany
to start working on their first studio album with record producer
Harris Johns
who previously worked with such bands as Kreator
, Sodom
and Voivod
.
While working on the album in Germany
, the band got to meet some of the big names in the Europe
an heavy metal
scene - Mille Petrozza
of Kreator
, Tomas Lindberg
of At the Gates
and Robert Gonella of Assassin
. By July 2002, the band's record was completed and all of the musicians they met during recording guested as guest vocalists on the album. Tomas Lindberg
, Mille Petrozza
and Ze'ev Tananboim, of Israel
i band Salem, all guested on the track "Dirty Colored Knife", Robert Gonella guested on "Bleed Forever", Lindberg alone on "Under the Spell" and producer Harris Johns
himself on "King Obscenity". The drummer on the album was Nir Nakav of Salem, and Salem vocalist Ze'ev Tananboim co-produced the album with Johns. The album was released on the European record label
Listenable Records.
In March 2003, the band had a release show for their self-titled album
at the Koltura club in Tel Aviv
, with guest vocalists Tomas Lindberg
and Ze'ev Tananboim. After the release show, vocalist Yishai Swearts announced that he'll be leaving the band. The self-titled album was later released worldwide on June 30, 2003, after the band's break-up.
On November 23, 2007, the band played their first and only reunion show at the Barby club in Tel Aviv
, Israel
, featuring special guest Tomas Lindberg
of At the Gates
, who also guested on the band's album. At their reunion show, the band performed songs from their self-titled studio album, as well as some At the Gates
songs.
Although the band haven't been seen together after their only reunion show, in an interview with band members Yishay Swearts, Alex Schuster and Matan Cohen, they all expressed their interest in performing live again and recording another studio album, even stating that during their hiatus Schuster wrote enough material for a new full-length album.
and old school thrash metal
.
The band members stated such influences as melodic death metal
bands At the Gates
, In Flames
, Dark Tranquility and The Haunted
and thrash metal
bands such as Slayer
, Kreator
, Sepultura
and Testament
.
Although all influences, the band has worked on its unique style over their active years and their combination of death
and thrash metal
is considered unique.
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
/thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
originating from Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The band was formed up in 2001 by Betrayer vocalist Yishai Swearts and Azazel members Alex Schuster, Evil Haim and Barak Zait. Later, Betzefer
Betzefer
Betzefer is an Israeli groove metal band, originating from the communal settlement Maccabim-Re'ut. The band was formed up in 1998 and was signed to Roadrunner Records from 2005 to 2007...
guitarist Matan Cohen
Matan Cohen
Matan Cohen is an Israeli musician best known for his work as the guitarist for successful groove/metalcore band Betzefer and the recently reunited melodic death metal band Nail Within...
was added as the second guitarist.
Although the band was short-lived in its first run between 2001 and 2003, it proved to be very influential and in November 2007, the band was reunited, playing a one-off reunion show with Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg
Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg is a Swedish musician who has fronted many heavy metal bands. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He teaches at a high school.-Career:...
as a special guest.
Formation and self-titled debut album (2001–2002)
The band was formed in 2001 by vocalist Yishai Swearts of Betrayer fame, who was joined by guitarist Alex Schuster (of Azazel), bassist Evil Haim (of Azazel and BetzeferBetzefer
Betzefer is an Israeli groove metal band, originating from the communal settlement Maccabim-Re'ut. The band was formed up in 1998 and was signed to Roadrunner Records from 2005 to 2007...
) and drummer Barak Zait (of Azazel) under the name Emblaze (which later became a name of a song on the band's debut album). The four were later joined by Betzefer
Betzefer
Betzefer is an Israeli groove metal band, originating from the communal settlement Maccabim-Re'ut. The band was formed up in 1998 and was signed to Roadrunner Records from 2005 to 2007...
guitarist Matan Cohen
Matan Cohen
Matan Cohen is an Israeli musician best known for his work as the guitarist for successful groove/metalcore band Betzefer and the recently reunited melodic death metal band Nail Within...
who completed the line-up.
Because the band members were known in the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
scene, the band gained some attention right away as a supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
, and started playing everywhere in Israel. In 2002, a day after supporting Salem on one of their biggest shows in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the band left to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to start working on their first studio album with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Harris Johns
Harris Johns
Harris Johns is a European music producer, who used to be more active in the 80's in the heavy metal and punk scene, working for a lot of named bands, such as Helloween, Coroner, Tankard, Sodom, Voivod, Kreator, Ratos de Porão, Slime, Daily Terror and many others. Most of his productions were...
who previously worked with such bands as Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
, Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
and Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
.
While working on the album in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the band got to meet some of the big names in the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
scene - Mille Petrozza
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza is a German guitarist and singer. He is best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Kreator...
of Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
, Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg
Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg is a Swedish musician who has fronted many heavy metal bands. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He teaches at a high school.-Career:...
of At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
and Robert Gonella of Assassin
Assassin (band)
Assassin is a band that was formed in San Diego during the summer of 1983 by guitarists Thom Beebe and Vinnie Cavarra. They are not to be confused with the German thrash metal band of the same name. They sought out noted drummer Leroy Vega and, in recruiting him, also lucked into a vocalist, his...
. By July 2002, the band's record was completed and all of the musicians they met during recording guested as guest vocalists on the album. Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg
Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg is a Swedish musician who has fronted many heavy metal bands. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He teaches at a high school.-Career:...
, Mille Petrozza
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza is a German guitarist and singer. He is best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Kreator...
and Ze'ev Tananboim, of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i band Salem, all guested on the track "Dirty Colored Knife", Robert Gonella guested on "Bleed Forever", Lindberg alone on "Under the Spell" and producer Harris Johns
Harris Johns
Harris Johns is a European music producer, who used to be more active in the 80's in the heavy metal and punk scene, working for a lot of named bands, such as Helloween, Coroner, Tankard, Sodom, Voivod, Kreator, Ratos de Porão, Slime, Daily Terror and many others. Most of his productions were...
himself on "King Obscenity". The drummer on the album was Nir Nakav of Salem, and Salem vocalist Ze'ev Tananboim co-produced the album with Johns. The album was released on the European record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Listenable Records.
Album release party and disbandment (2003)
In January 2003, Barak Zait left the band and Ido Levi, formerly of Betrayer replaced him as a drummer.In March 2003, the band had a release show for their self-titled album
Nail Within (album)
Nail Within is the debut album by Israeli melodic death metal band Nail Within, formed by former Betrayer, Azazel and Betzefer members.The album is heavily influenced by the Swedish melodic death metal, with influences from such bands as At the Gates, Dark Tranquility, In Flames and The Haunted,...
at the Koltura club in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, with guest vocalists Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg
Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg is a Swedish musician who has fronted many heavy metal bands. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He teaches at a high school.-Career:...
and Ze'ev Tananboim. After the release show, vocalist Yishai Swearts announced that he'll be leaving the band. The self-titled album was later released worldwide on June 30, 2003, after the band's break-up.
Reunion (2007)
In October 2007, the band was reunited with Salem drummer Nir Nakav (who played drums on the band's debut album) as drummer. Vocalist Yishay Swearts, guitarists Alex Schuster and Matan Cohen and bassist Evil Haim stayed in the reunited line-up.On November 23, 2007, the band played their first and only reunion show at the Barby club in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, featuring special guest Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg
Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg is a Swedish musician who has fronted many heavy metal bands. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He teaches at a high school.-Career:...
of At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
, who also guested on the band's album. At their reunion show, the band performed songs from their self-titled studio album, as well as some At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
songs.
Although the band haven't been seen together after their only reunion show, in an interview with band members Yishay Swearts, Alex Schuster and Matan Cohen, they all expressed their interest in performing live again and recording another studio album, even stating that during their hiatus Schuster wrote enough material for a new full-length album.
Musical style and influences
The band's musical style is described by the band as a combination of Swedish death metal/melodic death metalMelodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
and old school thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
.
The band members stated such influences as melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
bands At the Gates
At the Gates
At the Gates is an extreme metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg death-metal sound. Their early albums lean towards a death metal sound, but later albums sound more like melodic death metal.Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a...
, In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
, Dark Tranquility and The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
bands such as Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
, Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
and Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
.
Although all influences, the band has worked on its unique style over their active years and their combination of death
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
is considered unique.
Final line-up
- Yishai Swearts - lead vocals (2001–2003, 2007)
- Alex Schuster - guitar (2001–2003, 2007)
- Matan CohenMatan CohenMatan Cohen is an Israeli musician best known for his work as the guitarist for successful groove/metalcore band Betzefer and the recently reunited melodic death metal band Nail Within...
- guitar (2001–2003, 2007) - Evil Haim - bass (2001–2003, 2007)
- Nir Nakav - drums, percussion (2002–2003, 2007)
Former members
- Barak Zait - drums, percussion (2001–2002)
- Ido Levi - drums, percussion (2003)
Discography
| Release date | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| March 2003 (Israel/Europe) June 30, 2003 (Worldwide) |
Nail Within Nail Within (album) Nail Within is the debut album by Israeli melodic death metal band Nail Within, formed by former Betrayer, Azazel and Betzefer members.The album is heavily influenced by the Swedish melodic death metal, with influences from such bands as At the Gates, Dark Tranquility, In Flames and The Haunted,... |
Listenable Records |