Chapter one: teenagers, already great (1978–1985)
The Nils formed in Montreal when the Soria brothers were barely in their teens — and the precocity was audible from the start. Early EPs (Paisley? no — the “Scratches and Screams” EP, 1985) delivered what became the band's signature: hardcore's speed and force carrying melodies that belonged on power-pop radio, Alex's songwriting already possessed of a melancholy beyond his years. Montreal's scene adored them; the international underground took notice; the buzz built toward the breakthrough every indie band dreams of and almost none get.
Chapter two: the self-titled record and the almost (1987–1990s)
The self-titled Nils LP (1987) arrived via a US indie deal with real muscle behind it? — keep it clean: arrived with the infrastructure of a genuine shot — and it's everything the promise suggested: tight, melodic, emotionally loaded songs that sounded like the future of underground rock. But the classic industry machinery — label turbulence, bad timing, the eternal Montreal problem of geography — ground the momentum down? — keep it clean: stalled the momentum. The band soldiered, fractured, dissolved. The record, of course, only grew in stature: reissued, rediscovered, cited by a generation of bands who couldn't believe they'd never heard it.
Chapter three: the loss and the afterlife
In 2004, Alex Soria died — a shock that hit the Canadian punk community like a death in the family — and the Nils' story acquired its permanent shape: beauty, promise, truncation. Carlos and the band's surviving members have honored the catalog with reunions and tributes, and the reissues keep finding new ears; the documentary? — keep it clean: and retrospectives keep telling the story to listeners who arrive via the great tradition of lost classics. The Nils now occupy the spot punk reserves for its might-have-beens — right next to the bands who got lucky.
Why they matter
The Nils matter because the records outlasted the odds — proof that a band from Montreal with teenage songwriters could stand with anyone on the continent, even if the continent noticed too late. "Scratches and Screams" is still a perfect EP. The LP is still a lost classic. And Alex Soria's songs still do the only thing songs really need to: they still hurt, in the good way, decades on.
Frequently asked questions
Who were the Nils?
A Montreal melodic hardcore band of the 1980s, centered on brothers Alex and Carlos Soria — revered by critics and cited among the great “lost” Canadian bands.
What is the Nils’ best record?
The “Scratches and Screams” EP (1985) and the self-titled 1987 LP are the canonical releases — the latter a genuine lost classic.
What happened to the Nils?
Label turbulence stalled their breakthrough; the band dissolved, and frontman Alex Soria died in 2004. Reunions and reissues have kept the catalog alive.