Review by Sam on October 30, 2026.

You are quite correct, Nails; I will never be one of you. Although this opening sample seems to reinforce my theory that powerviolence is impenetrable to those on the outside of it, I can see why this is the album that earned Nails a place here. At thirty-five seconds in, that little double bass riff is total death metal, and then the bass drum destruction of the ensuing chorus seals the deal. These guys belong on this website despite their hardcore affiliation. I really don’t care what subgenre you want to put these savages in; their hatred for all is transcendent.

Drummer Taylor Young’s double bass performance has improved from what were already promising chops on Abandon All Life, and the kicks themselves seem to be turned up more in the mix. But what the fuck happened to that snare drum dude? Sounds like a cardboard box filled with pillows, and it’s not doing the blast beats any favors. The first two records featured snares that had a bright, metallic pop to them, so I’m not sure what went wrong here. Obviously he switched to a wooden drum, but why?

The first four songs of You Will Never Be One Of Us are short, ultra-compressed rage eruptions, with 'Life Is A Death Sentence' being of particular note because of its torrential misanthropy, and what a perfect song title for Nails. When we arrive at 'Violence Is Forever' is when that death metal itch really gets scratched. This is the first track of the album that features a signature Nails skull crusher caveman riff a la 'Scum Will Rise' from Unsilent Death, and this is the reason why this band fucking rules.

These dudes do everything that a fan of extreme metal is seeking: they thrash, they blast, they can play a dirge with the best Cathedral worshipers out there, and don’t ever forget that they fucking hate you. The tech death 6/8 riff found on 'Savage Intolerance' sounds like it could belong on "Pierced From Within". This record finds the musicians exploring more triplet rhythms and the various permutations, which only reinforces their manifest penchant for death metal. With 'Into Quietus', after the raging powerviolence of the first portion of the song, they close it out by delivering one of the most punishing slow burns in their entire catalog, and the word “quietus” is such a cool synonym for death.

Nails most definitely has a progressive hair up their ass, and I would not be surprised if they are closeted fans of Rush or Watchtower. These prog tendencies are evident in the extended length of the closing piece on each of their albums, and YWNBOOU is no exception. Here we have the death/doom devastation of 'They Come Crawling Back', with its monstrous double bass drums and massive power chords. The song begins with an almost black metal atmosphere of desolation, and then they bring the pain with those hammering drums. This is a vertigo-inducing album closer that should appeal to any fan of heavy metal, the final riff of which drives home the omnipotence of their hate.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Rosh on September 15, 2021.

When I initially approached Conviction as an entity in modern doom, I knew only two things about what to expect (being as I hadn't heard of them prior to this album dropping) - the guitarist has a background in funeral doom, and they get really fired up about all the specific corners and crevices of doom metal (based on how they would participate in my doom discussions on Instagram), which actually turned out to appropriately prepare me for the music on this album.

It's very cold, bleak sounding stuff and although the rhythms themselves aren't a far cry from your usual trad and epic doom culprits, it also seems to take queues from the guitar player's funeral doom experience. I'm not the biggest fan of funeral doom, but because the rhythms wouldn't be out of place on an album from a doom band like Church of Void (despite the tone being more atmosphere driven than hard-rocking), it really works wonders for me. The riffing is involved but knows precisely when to take a backseat, like during the plaintive vocal delivery heard on 'Through The Window'. Usually, though, the rhythm section's playing techniques are driving, albeit often on the slower side of traditional doom.

For a point of reference, I feel the heavier verses of 'Castles Made Of Shame' are a bit inspired by Witchfinder General, while 'Wrong Life' reminds me of the recent works of Acolytes of Moros, just more visceral and flat-out depressing. It's damn cool how Conviction can capture this bewitching novelty with their sound but keep the music's sense of direction apparent. Melody-wise, it's a bit similar to what Candlemass did on "King Of The Grey Islands", but somehow infinitely more damning and crushing. Another point of appropriate comparison might be the subtler shades of gloom heard on Lord Vicar's "The Black Powder," which also received high marks from me.

So, I've talked about both rhythm and melody above. The brilliant marriage of these two factors combined with the buried sound of the vocals is what creates such a bleak and dreadful atmosphere with this album. The rhythm guitar and bass feel like a tundra coming down in which you can't see six feet in front of you, but the lead guitar is like the extra wind chill that snuffs out any and all candles of hope. I saw the newest Spiritus Mortis album, "The Year Is One", as being loaded with doom metal slugs that hit you like an emotional sledgehammer, but Conviction take it to a new level, especially with the measured funeral doom tendencies - however, mood-wise, there's still a touch of that stoic, empathetic, or even introspective feel of classic doom bands such as Saint Vitus or Iron Man. Percussion wise, I find the playing to be slightly similar to Mike Smail's drumming on Forest of Equilibrium, which no doubt was a colossal influence on Conviction. However, the actual sound and resonance of the drum kit is utterly unique.

Traditional doom, epic doom, melodic doom, and funeral doom fans alike cannot miss this album. It sits in such a sweet (actually bitter) spot for modern doom. I find it really astonishing that they actually managed to integrate the melancholic influence of funeral doom into the traditional style of doom. For a self-titled debut effort, this album is simply excellent and, in time, the entire doom community will recognize it as exactly that.

Rating: 9.9 out of 10