There are peaks and troughs within every scene and the heavy music scene of South Wales is no different. There have been some ecstatic high periods where lots of bands from different genres have all created a healthy landscape for us to enjoy and crushing lows where a handful of bands have bravely held it together. I’d like to think that the scene in South Wales is currently on an upward trend and part of that upward trend is down to the emergence of bands like Nil. Individually they’ve been in and around the scene for years in the likes of Ten Cent Toy, Dimensions and Johnny Mental, but as a collective they have created an absolute behemoth in Nil.

Their debut E.P is a lesson in sonic violence and everybody needs to pay attention. The three tracks kick off with the chaotic Abort, which owes as much to Neurosis as it does Vision Of Disorder. It’s an absolute blinder of a track, which builds on a low end monotone riff to bring the whole thing to an absolutely crushing finale. The ear abuse continues with Grueler taking things up a notch A lurching Will Haven style riff battles for supremacy with the guttural vocal style of Alex. And as if to prove that they can’t up the ante some more if they so wish, the foursome hit us with two more minutes of aural battery in New Worlds.

If bands like Botch and Converge are your bag, but you also crave healthy doses of crowd killing groove then Nil are your boys. Rarely do you see a new release with a biography that promises so much, that also delivers on all fronts. But Nil have. A debut this good can only stay a local secret for so long, so enjoy them South Wales, as they will soon be thrust upon the world and then who knows what awaits them… Chris Andrews

Check Nil out here