Sludge Metal/Hardcore
UK

Released 3rd of July, 2026.

The Manchester miscreants maintain momentum since mild moniker metamorphosis.

It wasn’t very long since seeing NXMAD live and it was the day after this album came out. I didn’t get a chance to hear it then, except for what was aired live, but have been making up for it since.

THE SECOND FALL is the first full release since the sludgecore/stoner four piece had a minor name change.
Replacing the O in NOMAD to an X, the two letters have been given a stylistic merge that now incorporates their logo, and a pretty snazzy one, too. The change has also given the band a bit of a sonic redirection, although slight, the energy is telling on the new release.

The album marks the first full length release with Liam MacBeath on drums, even though the supporting singles VERTIGO and AMBER were out earlier this year, they are present and correct on SECOND FALL. Anyone who ‘s been to a NXMAD gig since 2022 will already know him.

If we are to talk about changes, sonically is where the most obvious point needs to be made. Previously, NXMAD maintained a sludge/stoner vibe which has been given a hefty redirection. At first, on the opening track, MENS REA came as a surprise, and not a bad one. Much of this was down to the production, which is crisp and crunchy. I love a bit of the old muddy, thubby sound, but this is an elevation for where NXMAD wants to go.
The groove metal is undeniable and it appears that they are well equipped and up for it.

SECOND FALL is more than that one passage of shock, however. As mentioned, the two singles AMBER, with its double kick intro, and VERTIGO’s fade in into its affinity to aggression, sandwich DOMICIDE, that after an almost melodeath start, keeps the groovecore train rolling along. As do the tracks BRIDGE BURNER and TRANSMISSIONS, with its pounding efficiency.

For the uninitiated, NXMAD has an album that can come off as one dimensional, but I feel this is the point. The move from a more stoner/doom aesthetic to a more straight forward sludgecore sound takes a certain fine tuning. It isn’t something to leap into blindly. Stoner, sludge and doom relies on some jam affiliated signatures to capture the listener, and NXMAD certainly captured my interest wholesale.

The final track, ACTUS REUS, finds NXMAD arguing my last comments with all the right finesse fitting the band. An outburst of doom drenched sludge with shoegazing passages that exemplify their roots and intent equally.

I found myself bobbing my head and getting into SECOND FALL with great enthusiasm. nxmad are taking a different tact, and with this new frontier, a new set of rules and guidelines need to be cemented in.
Here, the fundamentals are established and, with the right amount of support, it can flourish into something truly great.
As second comings go, SECOND FALL is one of magnitude and aptitude. Get on it and give it its worth.

SECOND FALL is out now via APF Records and available to stream from major sites.

Also available on digital and physical formats from the APF Bandcamp (HERE).