Gnaw

Those lamenting the demise of Burning Witch and Khanate and desperate for something equally abrasive to fill the void should buy this now. It bears very little resemblance to the aforementioned groups but does feature members from both and more than matches the standards they set for demented avant-doom. That said, this is a surprisingly varied release, containing a dynamic collection of experimental tracks that range from minimal noisescapes to percussive, unclassifiable assaults. Two of the five members are credited with sound design and it shows — the music is unapologetically dense, utilizing a wide variety of field recordings and scraping metallic cacophonies to create an atmosphere unparalleled in its vision of negativity and psychosis. To top it off, we have the vocals of Alan Dublin (the ex-Khanate front-man), whose perverse stream-of-consciousness lyricism and unearthly howling adds another grisly layer to the proceedings. Simultaneously more accessible yet more uncompromising than the artists' prior projects, Gnaw's debut leaves the listener nauseous, in the best way possible. This is essential for mental patients, masochists and discerning music lovers alike.