Nuclear Assault - Pounder

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/nuclear-assault-to-release-pounder-ep-in-june/

"New York thrash metal veterans NUCLEAR ASSAULT — vocalist/guitarist John Connelly, bassist Danny Lilker, drummer Glenn Evans and guitarist Erik Burke — will release a new EP on June 1. Titled "Pounder", it will feature "four killer old-school thrash" tunes written by Lilker and Connelly.

In an August 2014 online posting, Lilker stated about NUCLEAR ASSAULT's future: "In 2015, it will be 30 years since NUCLEAR ASSAULT solidified our lineup and started making a name for ourselves in the metal/crossover scene. To commemorate this, the band will write and record another album and play some shows for a 'Final Assault.' The live front will be of a limited nature due to the reality of people in the band having careers that they can't just walk away from for the time needed to go tour the world like we did in the '80s. Nevertheless, we will try to do whatever we can, especially in the summer, to get out there and thrash for everyone again. Progress on writing music will not go quickly due to a couple of facts; we are geographically challenged, so we can't just jam once a week like we used to, and we want to make sure that this album is really killer so we can go out with a big bang."

NUCLEAR ASSAULT released its first-ever DVD, "Louder Harder Faster", in October 2006 via Screaming Ferret Wreckords. Recorded during the band's performance at the 2005 Louder Harder Faster Festival (taped on June 5, 2005), the disc also includes such extra bits as vintage live footage, slide shows (put to the original "Survive" demos), music videos, in the studio footage, unreleased songs, and an interview with longtime members Danny Lilker and Glenn Evans.

Originally formed back in 1984, NUCLEAR ASSAULT bassist Lilker witnessed the birth of thrash metal first as an original member of ANTHRAX, as well as a crucial component to S.O.D., NUCLEAR ASSAULT and BRUTAL TRUTH.

While many thrash metal bands tempered their aggression with melody, NUCLEAR ASSAULT stuck to its guns throughout and in the process, released such thrash classics as 1988's "Survive" and 1989's "Handle with Care".

After an extended hiatus, the group returned in the early 21st century with its first new studio album in over a decade, 2005's "Third World Genocide".

Yeah, I saw this on Blabbermouth today. It made me want to go listen to "Something Wicked" on YouTube, since that is generally considered a bad album. I had the band's first two albums on cassette back in the day. Even though it's production is super slick, I thick the songs are pretty good. I could see myself grabbing this one up. Lilker made it sound like he had retired; I guess not!

Man, I just don't get the EP thing for bands that haven't put out anything for years or in this case, a big finale. Just take the time to write a few more songs and put out a full-length. How often are people gonna throw on an album with four songs on it? What'll it be, like twelve minutes long?

If they come within 500 miles of the Twin Towns, I am there.

Good news on the release although it's too bad they'll be calling it a day. I'd love to catch them live.

Very cool, I hope to see them.

Infinite wrote:

Man, I just don't get the EP thing for bands that haven't put out anything for years or in this case, a big finale. Just take the time to write a few more songs and put out a full-length. How often are people gonna throw on an album with four songs on it? What'll it be, like twelve minutes long?

Metallica's "Beyond Magnetic" EP was good.

mlotek wrote:

Infinite wrote:

Man, I just don't get the EP thing for bands that haven't put out anything for years or in this case, a big finale. Just take the time to write a few more songs and put out a full-length. How often are people gonna throw on an album with four songs on it? What'll it be, like twelve minutes long?

Metallica's "Beyond Magnetic" EP was good.

I've no doubt it will be good. Just not enough songs.

Nice. Always enjoyed NA. I'd rather have 4 great songs than an album with 4 great songs and 5 bad ones...

Loved Third World Genocide. Didn't realize that was their last full-length studio album. Will definitely check out the EP since I like "old-school trash."

1. Pounder
2. The Blind Follow (A.K.A. Lies)
3. Analogue Man In A Digital World
4. Died In Your Arms

Cool, I'll get it!

I watched them live years ago while hanging out with Gene Hoglan. Yes, I am name-dropping.

It's on the want list.

007 wrote:

It's on the want list.

It'll be on my want list too.

I have their entire discography. I enjoy all their albums. though their Live at the Hammersmith, and their Assault and Battery compilation album are rather low quality recordings.

Grimmo wrote:

007 wrote:

It's on the want list.

It'll be on my want list too.

I have their entire discography. I enjoy all their albums. though their Live at the Hammersmith, and their Assault and Battery compilation album are rather low quality recordings.

I am reminded by the Overkill logo as your sig. This story might piss ya off, but just to let people know, that Overkill were not loved by everybody.

After Nuclear Assault opened for Overkill in 1989 (or 1990) at The Siboney Club, in Toronto, I was turned off by the their entrance.
They had some symphony music majorly blasting on the PA as they walked from the back to the stage, and maybe them or the roadies were carrying some kind of flags.

This crowd was mostly a crossover/hardcore audience I will guess.

I used to blast Feel The Fire everyday for a year on my Walkman, but by this show, forgot about them, and that entrance was kind of a turnoff. Then the first song or two did nothing for me, so I left and went outside. Was pretty hot inside after all the thrashing that happened during Nuclear Assault.

Within the next 15 minutes, I watched more and more people leave the club too.
Was relieved that I was not alone that something just didn't feel right.
The night I walked out after Slayer played, before WASP was onstage, nobody else did that I seen, so sometimes wondered if I didn't even fit into the underground/thrash metal scene!

007 wrote:

It's on the want list.

Mine too!

I heard a snippet on their Facebook of this EP and it sounded cool.

N.A. has released a lyric video for the track "Analog Man in a Digital World" from the new EP.  



I also just got an e-mail informing me that the "Pounder" EP is now streaming on Spotify... which struck me as rather ironic, given the sentiments of the above song.

This new song is just dumb riffless punk stuff. And the vocals at the beginning are even off-time.

I went ahead and listened on Spotify. It's okay. I'm not really in a thrash mood lately, so I don't feel much in a place to judge fairly, but it's okay. I like 3 of the 4 songs well enough. The last song sounds terrible, to me. Analog Man is probably my fave after one listen (but I like dumb riffless punk stuff anyway).

Really though, if I were the band, I'd just as soon have Third World Genocide be the point where I bowed out, record-wise. I love that record and thought it was a great reunion/comeback/whatever record. Ending on a solid LP seems better than an a sort of after thought of an EP a decade later.

Does anybody know if this is their last release?? Personally, they should just do this last tour and be done with it.

choosemetal wrote:

Does anybody know if this is their last release?? Personally, they should just do this last tour and be done with it.

Who knows anymore? Dan Lilker was supposedly retiring, but here we are in 2015 with a new ep.

http://www.heartofmetal.net/t20735-danny-lilker-to-retire?highlight=dan+lilker

Just listened to the EP on Spotify. Found it amusing that the song "Analog Man" is all about how they hate the digital world, yet it's posted on Spotify. Ironic?

I like the songs. Sounds like Nuclear Asault. Punk inspired thrash metal. Riffing is very punk-inspired, but that wasn't uncommon for NA.