Spineshank: All Albums Ranked
When Spineshank reformed in 2025 to play ‘The Height of Callousness’ in full on tour, a small but devoted group of nu-metal fans was ecstatic, including us at All Things Rock. Spineshank may never have reached the heights of Korn, Linkin Park or System of a Down, but they produced some of the best metal music of 2000-2003, and they deserve far more recognition than they got at the time. We have ranked their 4 studio albums below, and made this playlist of fan favourites. What do you think? Have your say in the comments!
1998 was an exciting time for metal. Korn were on top of the world, and alongside them was a huge surge of bands that were building on their unique, groove-oriented sound. Coal Chamber, Static-X, Soulfly, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down and numerous others were starting to make a name for themselves, and it was only going to get wilder with the imminent arrival of Slipknot, Disturbed and Linkin Park.
Spineshank caused a moderate stir with their debut record ‘Strictly Diesel’, partly because nu-metal was still relatively new at this point, and partly because there was an electronic element to their sound which set them apart from some of their peers, with some echoes of Fear Factory.
Unfortunately, nearly 30 years on, ‘Strictly Diesel’ sounds dated, partly because the production is somewhat lacklustre by today’s standards, and partly because the songwriting is underdeveloped. It is quite telling that none of the songs from this era make it into Spineshank’s live sets since they reformed. ‘Stovebolt’ and ‘Intake’ have some intense aggression and moments of genuine danger and youthful energy, but most of ‘Strictly Diesel’ sounds like generic nu-metal from before nu-metal became generic.
A promising debut, but definitely not where you should start with Spineshank.
Standout Tracks: ‘Stovebolt’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, ‘40 Below’
Following the ‘Self-Destructive Pattern’ tours in 2004, Spineshank frontman Johnny Santos formed a new band called Silent Civilian, which was more Trivium-esque and more in line with the emerging melodic metalcore scene at the time (think Shadows Fall, Children of Bodom, In Flames and Killswitch Engage). Spineshank didn’t ‘split up’ immediately, but it soon became apparent that the band was on hiatus for the foreseeable future.
Somewhat out of the blue in 2012, Spineshank reformed, retaining the same 4-piece line-up of Johnny Santos (vocals), Tommy Decker (drums & programming), Rob Garcia (bass) and Mike Sarkisyan (guitar, piano). With echoes of their landmark album ‘The Height of Callousness’, their comeback album ‘Anger Denial Acceptance’ went straight for the jugular, fueled by rage and something to prove.
‘Anger Denial Acceptance’ is far from a bad album. It is certainly consistent, and the overall sound is packed with layers of the energy that we love about Spineshank. However, in terms of songwriting, there is little to get hold of here, and very few moments that get stuck in your head, even after mutliple listens. Some ideas, such as ‘Murder-Suicide’, opener ‘After the End’ and single ‘Nothing Left For Me’ have promising elements, but the record feels unfocused, lacking the special something that albums 2 and 3 had.
Standout Tracks: ‘Nothing Left For Me’, ‘After the End’
There are moments on ‘Self-Destructive Pattern’ where Spineshank sound like they could have been as huge as Linkin Park. The soaring ‘The Beginning of the End’ is utterly brilliant, with sublime choruses, crystal-clear production and the perfect blend of heaviness and melody. ‘Forgotten’ is just as good, and could have been a hit single. The lead single ‘Smothered’ has a fantastic energy, and the record is bookended by two of Spineshank’s heaviest and most exhilarating songs, ‘Violent Mood Swings’ and ‘Dead to Me’.
Even the relatively lower points (‘Stillborn’, ‘Consumed (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder’ and ‘Slavery’) still have strong moments, with a masterful combination of eerie keyboards and electronic beats under the razor-sharp guitars. ‘Self-Destructive Pattern’ is an absolute treasure trove of hard-edged metal with brilliantly melodic elements.
By 2003, nu-metal was becoming a dirty word for many, and Spineshank were arguably lumped into this category. Johnny Santos was often quoted at the time as suggesting he wanted to explore a more traditional metal sound, which led to him forming Silent Civilian and moving away from Spineshank’s electronic racket. As such, ‘Self-Destructive Pattern’ feels simultaneously like an underrated gem, and also a ‘What if’ record - because if more people had embraced them at this point, and they had continued their ascendency, they might have been enormous.
Standout tracks: ‘Violent Mood Swings’, ‘Beginning of the End’, ‘Dead to Me’, ‘Forgotten’
No-one saw this coming. Spineshank’s debut record ‘Strictly Diesel’ placed them firmly in the ok-but-not-great camp of the fast-growing nu-metal scene. We had no idea that they had the ambition and musical dexterity to produce something with the calibre of ‘The Height of Callousness’, which is an absolute JUGGERNAUT.
From start to finish, this album is relentless, non-stop aggression, with punk energy, catchy melodies and a pioneering combination of live instruments and electronica. Where the programmed sounds in ‘Strictly Diesel’ felt more bolted-on, on Spineshank’s second record they were an integral part of the sound. Kudos in particular to drummer Tommy Decker, who not only programmed the electronics but also wrote the majority of the lyrics, which are utterly compelling, full of rage and nihilism.
Singles ‘Synthetic’ and ‘New Disease’ are the obvious stand-outs, with their radio-friendly choruses and endlessly catchy melodies. The other particular melodic track is closer ‘Transparent’, which easily matches anything on Fear Factory’s ‘Obsolete’ record. On the other end of the scale, ‘The Height of Callousness’, ‘Malnutrition’ and ‘Cynanide 2600’ bring the heaviness, with all the ferocity and malice of an unchained rottweiler.
Across 11 tracks and 37 minutes, not a single second is wasted. ‘The Height of Callousness’ was one of the very best records of 2000, clearly inspired by Slipknot and other bands on the Roadrunner Records roster at the time, distilling everything into a compact assault on the senses.
Standout Tracks: ‘Transparent’, ‘New Disease’, ‘The Height of Callousness’, ‘Seamless’
