YHWH Nailgun Announce Debut Album, Share “Sickle Walk”

This morning, Brooklyn experimental rock outfit YHWH Nailgun announced their debut album, 45 Pounds, set for release March 21 via AD93 and distributed through Many Hats. Coinciding with the announcement, they’ve shared the claustrophobic second single, “Sickle Walk.” In support of the album, the band will also set off on a month-long headlining US tour, with dates from mid-April through May.

For those not hip to the jagged, near-mechanical sounds of YHWH Nailgun, you’re not alone. While the band draws inspiration from a deep well of influences, their chief role models come from 1970’s no-wave— a genre that emerged in New York City as an offshoot of post-punk. It’s atonal and purposefully abrasive, repetitive in its rhythms and dissonant in its chord choices. It doesn’t sound immediately appealing, and that’s exactly the point. Yet, YHWH Nailgun’s music retains a level of avant-garde intrigue— like the sonic equivalent of an abstract impressionist painting. They redefine no-wave through musical virtuosity, creating entrancing and hypnotic songs built upon complex polyrhythms and squealing, inhuman guitar riffs.

Their latest single, “Sickle Walk,” showcases a pulsing, almost danceable beat blasting over layers of feedback and distorted samples that sound like they were sourced from the metallic creaks of an old battleship left to decay in the harbor. Bandleader Zack Borzone shouts his uneven verses seemingly at random, as if relayed through a half broken megaphone in the midst of the musical riot behind him. There’s a strong emphasis on texture— every note feels shredded, stretched and manipulated in a way that blurs the line between live performance and electronic experimentation.

Listen to “Sickle Walk” and check out the 45 Pounds artwork below, along with YHWH Nailgun’s upcoming tour dates.

45 Pounds Artwork:

YHWH Nailgun’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
4/11 – Ukie Club – Philadelphia, PA
4/12 – Middle East (Upstairs) – Boston, MA
4/13 – Songbyrd – Washington D.C.
4/15 – The Pinhook – Durham, NC
4/16 – Vinyl – Atlanta, GA
4/18 – Three Links – Dallas, TX
4/19 – The Ballroom – Austin, TX
4/22 – Palabra – Phoenix, AZ
4/23 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
4/24 – New Parish – Oakland, CA
4/26 – Fox Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
4/27 – Barboza – Seattle, WA
4/28 – Holocene – Portland, OR
4/30 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
5/1 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
5/3 – Early Entry – Minneapolis, MN
5/4 – Sleeping Village – Chicago, IL
5/6 – Bovine Sex Club – Toronto, ON
5/7 – L’Escogriffe – Montreal, QC
5/16 – Elsewhere – Brooklyn, NY