45 Pounds by YHWH Nailgun

While experimental rock continues down its trend of increasingly dark, dissonant sounds inspired by no wave, New York noise rock outfit YHWH Nailgun counter with their own brand of chaos, a sound no less experimental yet decidedly unafraid of the light. Industrial foundations underpin the record, with dazzlingly complex percussion, cavernously deep bass, and mercilessly heavy riffs dominating each track. From here, YHWH Nailgun introduces their calling card, an array of noisy, bizarre, untraceable guitar and synth sounds that add power to the industrial steamroller while also radiating a powerful, brilliant light across the entire track. Where we otherwise would be able to uniformly accept this music as something negative, angsty, and vengeful, these flourishes of flamboyant color require us to reconsider, unlocking all the complex feelings that await us as we interface with divinity, spirituality, or anything else in the great beyond. Just as these sounds threaten to spiral into pure abstraction, however, we latch back on to that powerful rhythmic pulse, feeling the music breathe along with us and grounding ourselves in this stunning display of humanist creativity.