Nxmad - The Second Fall

“The Second Fall is relentless. Savage from the first moment, there's very little time to rest or reflect on what you're listening too, just the expectation of another beating laying around the corner.” – Musipedia of Metal

“The Second Fall is a superb record with Nxmad delivering some of their most interesting music yet.” – Outlaws Of The Sun

“The Second Fall is a genuinely thrilling listen.  Definitely an album to pick up on vinyl, and don’t be surprised to see Nxmad on the 2026 Best Of list.” – Ever Metal

“There’s a lot going on in what is essentially an unavoidable battering ram of a sound. For me, a blackened version of Prong. That is one hell of a fine thing. Highly recommended.” – Tasting Notes Reviews

“Across seven brutal testaments, the album didn’t flirt much or beat around the bush, it just came straight at you, and the attack was relentless. By the end, you will want to breathe a sigh of relief that the beating has finally ended.” – Metal Temple

The Second Fall is the sophomore full-length from Manchester’s NXMAD, and their first new album in eight years.

It follows 2019’s Feral, the album that cemented their place in the UK sludge underground. Since then, the band have stepped away, regrouped, added drummer Liam MacBeath, and returned sounding sharper, faster and nastier than before.

This is NXMAD moving with more pace. The sludge foundations are still there, but The Second Fall pulls harder from hardcore and metal, pushing the songs forward with choppy riffs, abrasive vocals and frantic, hard-driving drumming. It sits in the same rough territory as High On Fire, early Mastodon and Black Tusk, with a rhythm section that gives the whole record a constant forward charge.

The album was recorded and mixed by Joe Clayton at No Studio, whose previous work includes Bossk, Pijn, Wode, Leeched and Conjurer. It was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, known for work with Sleep, Obituary, Yob, Nails and Corrosion of Conformity.

Across seven tracks, The Second Fall captures NXMAD as they are now: heavier through pace, attack and momentum as much as tone. It is direct, physical and built to hit hard.

1. Men's Rea

2. Amber

3. Domicide

4. Vertigo

5. Bridge Burner

6. Transmissions

7. Actus Reus