Music is incredibly fucking powerful. Lyrics move you to tears. Guitar riffs have you windmill-kicking your way through the entire set. In this case, listening to this 5-track EP by Italian darlings nukesoverlastsummer has me waxing nostalgic. I'm going to have to find my white belt for repeated listens. 

The track opens with a bassy yet jangly guitar riff for "Anatomy of a Smear Campaign" and the opening buildup is the classic on the precipice buildup into that ever-so-slight pause / feedback squeal into glass-shattering destruction. This second-longest track on the debut EP spends a third of its time on this buildup, but the redemption of the arc thereafter is worth it. It's mathy and chaotic, delves into blastbeats and massive bass hits. There's screaming until there isn't, and the dichotomy of screaming "as the lawyer sets the scene" to the spoken word "they can barely keep their laughs in" is a fantastic transition into what I can only describe as a nod to nü-metal with the odd, affected guitar ring out and crushing bass riff. Honestly, it made me wonder if I should see how well that Korn CD holds up..

"Whoever shoots first gets shot twice" opens up with a dissonant riff that immediately harkens to Austraila's own Robotosaurus. Again, that white belt reference is so apt. It's the kick-drum-beat-alongside the guitar riff that drives the opening riff into something a bit more mid-tempo with the tell-tale screaming which drifts into pseduo-sung lyrics that gives you saw of that early-august mashup of Myspace Grind and metalcore with the panic and emotion of screamo. You can't ignore that metalcore gallop breakdown that ends the song. 

Track 3 titled “Knife, Nails & Teeth (Kiss the Ghost)” opens with a riff immediately giving Canada Songs vibes, much as it pains me to make the comparison it’s there with a teetering back and forth riff and quick guitar stabs. A bass drop pulls you into panic chords before the drums devolve into dance-punk madness, and yes, folks, those are claps you're hearing before that breakdown. I'm headed straight back to 2006, y'all. My Myspace is active and this band is in my top 8. 

A distorted bass riff and a "cool girl" sample pulled from Gone Girl kicks things off, and in this context, I love how unsettling it all feels. There's more of the familiar galloping breakdown riffs but we're treated to this excellent ascending riff that gives the breakdown this cinematic quality. It's incredibly satisfying. 

The EP ends on an entirely different note; quietly strummed and picked acoustic guitars send us into something uplifting, something that isn't as ugly and horrific as the lyrics suggest. 

This is a really satisfying debut so we took it one step further. The NJAP crew had the opportunity to chat it out with band both members Vicky and Nico. Kicking it off, we had to get a bit of history on the band. Both members are active in the Italian hardcore scene. Vicky sings in Rescue Cat and Nico sings / plays in a plethora of bands: shoutout Jorelia, xInstinctivex, Terrorist, Street Alleys, Display of Violence and Camelia.

As a listener, it reminds me of so many great things about that mashup between screamo, metalcore, and white-belt-grind. Recommended for fans of: The Number 12 Looks Like You, me and him call it us, Destroyer Destroyer, and wristmeetsrazor. We had to get the inside scoop from nukesoverlastsummer and here’s what they had to say:

“We started out wanting to make a more classic, Italian style post hardcore / screamo album in the style of Stormo / Die Abete / La Quiete, but we were on a massive Myspace era binge at the time the songs were being written (we still are). Plus we are physically unable to write a song without a swoopy hair breakdown in it or a Convergesque riff, so that's the two wolves that ended up living inside the EP.”

It’s really impressive listening to those swoopy-haired galloping riffs, and I find myself equally impressed by the sonic qualities of the record. When we asked about the writing and recording process we get insight into the stripped down, smash and grab approach the band took.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING PROCESS?

“The EP was written in the span of 72 hours straight (idealized, written and recorded) and we pretty much did all vocals in one take. It was straightforward really. The summer heat was so excruciating that we just wanted to get it over with, to be honest.
It was scorching hot those days in Milan and we had to stick Nico’s laptop in the freezer every two minutes to avoid losing progress.”

The record was mixed & mastered in Vicky’s roommate's closet. This is a testament to the crew really understanding their craft and writing great riffs. And honestly, the number of people who’ve told me they’ve stuffed a MacBook Pro into a freezer is really ticking up there. The lyrics really sent me for a whirl as I read through them, and uncovering some of the raw emotions behind this record really sheds light on the artist. When prompted on what felt special, what was important, the Vicky writes:

“This felt like the equivalent of Fleetwood Mac writing Rumors but inside the alternative Italian scene. Mental health was at our lowest, we were going through a rough patch both between us two and in the greater scheme of things, and we didn’t know where to put all these feelings we had. There is fundamental quarter life angst rooted in the EP that really helped us deal with trauma and a series of life changing events that were hitting us back-to-back."

The lyrics I wrote, I thought they were incoherent at first, but reading back they were some of the first steps I ever took out of violent bonds and shame I had carried for long enough.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR NUKESOVERLASTSUMMER?

“No plans for [live] performing ‘cause this was meant to be a standalone, studio project, but the reception was quite warm so we can't really exclude the possibility.
We really hope people like it, really. We are hoping this first attempt in our country inspires people to step out of the usual stylistic schemes and prejudices they have towards, say, 2000s metalcore, and push towards new territories.”

SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS FROM THE DUO:

“Honestly? Fuck whoever said you need gear and a full band and tons of money to make a record. [Zero] budget and DIY forever, we just wanna see passion being breathed back into what’s turning into a soulless subculture, often devoid of integrity, love and hustle.

Lastly, we want to use this platform and the attention brought to nukesoverlastsummer and forward our thoughts to Jack, a fellow hardcore lover and compagno who lost his life to criminal violence. May his legacy of kindness, inclusivity and youthful hope inspire generations to come.”

Well said, nukesoverlastsummer, well said.