Nailed

They Say...

Review by John Serba, All Music Guide

Not quite existing on the lunatic fringe like most of the Southern Lord catalog, Place of Skulls skulks somewhere between the desert rifferama of Kyuss and vaguely Southern, post-Black Sabbath drudge 'n' sludge. Its debut Nailed recalls the melodic doom of Trouble (especially with the vague, bleak Christian-themed lyrics) or scene buddies Goatsnake, the arrangements heavily armed with pig-iron guitar riffs and powerful, world-weary, clean vocals. Each song is solid and memorable, if not remarkable; opener "The Fall" emerges from a cave smeared with dank, minor-key melody and leaves a positive impression for plodding followers "Never Die," "Dead," and a depressive, impressive cover of The Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." Only "Feeling of Dread" kicks the tempo up to a full-blown headin'-down-the-highway Harley roar, bandanna flapping in the breeze, as ex-Pentagram singer/guitarist Victor Griffin's regular-guy garage moan spears through percussive, punky verse, chorus, and tricky changeup in the bridge. Look beyond Griffin's occasional lapse into Ozzy-style wails, and fans of the stoner genre will find plenty of cool, replenishing mud in which to wallow all the way through closing drill-press rocker "Song of Solomon." Nailed finds Place of Skulls smartly pacing itself through 40 minutes of impressive caveman-club bashing, the band deftly balancing songcraft and weighty muscle throughout. And with the lineup bolstered by ex-Obsessed/Spirit Caravan greaser-legend Wino following this album's release, the band might just be perched on the cusp of greatness.