Gnaw

Old/Khanate noisenik Alan Dubin assembles a terrific troupe of musical degenerates, including Burning Witch drummer Jamie Sykes, for his new outfit Gnaw. This Face covers many extreme subgenres, but the overwhelming results are noisy, demented and twistedly glorious. Japanese powerviolence and Dubin's tortured growls allow "Haven Vault" and "Feelers" to blossom into discordant conflagrations, while "Vacant" and "Talking Mirrors" take on more recognizable rock beats, spotlighting guitar and bass/drums interplay. "Backyard Frontier" begins with popcorn popping under a wash of undulating tones, building up Zeni Geva-style with tribal drums and doom-y riffs. The Godflesh-like "Shard" is nightmarish noise glutinously sheathed in harsh electronic beats and Dubin's otherworldly screams. "Watcher" is smothering doom with breathy, full-bodied vocals, while "Ghosted" is Dubin's attempt to carry a dirge with little instrumental assistance, aside from spare drum beats and buzzing electronics. Though some will dismiss Gnaw as unlistenable, those who give This Face a chance will be rewarded with utter dread and shrivelled eardrums.