YHWH Nailgun at The White Hotel

There are some great bands coming out of the New York experimental scene at the moment. The fresh energy of acts like Model/Actriz and YHWH Nailgun is not only injecting new life into the local scene, but inspiring a load of DIY artists across the pond. Happily, both of those bands are playing in Manchester this autumn.

YHWH Nailgun fall at the noisier end of the spectrum, laying down dizzying assaults on the senses that ricochet between Black Midi’s math-rock chaos and Death Grips’ primal fury. Having just dropped their debut album, 45 Pounds, now is a great time to catch them live.

Formed in Philadelphia during lockdown by Zack Borzone and drummer Sam Pickard, the band expanded when the pair moved to New York, meeting synth player Jack Tobias and guitarist-turned-producer Saguiv Rosenstock. Together they twist rock instrumentation into something feral and fresh. Their debut record, out via AD 93 and Many Hats, packs 21 minutes of ultra-precise chaos, made of whirring drums, warped electronics and the hellish growls of Zack Borzone.

But Borzone isn’t in the spotlight alone. Listen for a few seconds to any of the band’s music, and you’ll find the drums up front and centre. And not just any kind of drums. Remo Rototoms – loved by prog rockers in the late ’70s – are back in a big way for Pickard, who’s built his sound around their bright, ringing tone. He throws wild polyrhythms at them, into which the rest of the band interlock, like cogs in some ferocious, ungodly machine.

Rosenstock’s guitar work is also crucial. Much of the time it doesn’t even sound like a guitar – more like digital synth shards, splintering and glittering like a thousand diamonds. Tobias’s electronics add another layer, pushing everything towards overload without ever losing focus.

The result has been turning heads fast. Pitchfork named single ‘Sickle Walk’ a Best New Track, while Rolling Stone hailed the band as a SXSW breakout act: “relentless, but their aggression is exhilarating, not alienating.” They’ve since shared stages with Black Midi, Geese, Xiu Xiu and more, building a reputation for live shows that feel less like concerts and more like primal rituals – chaotic yet impossibly precise.

At The White Hotel, with its reputation for hosting the rawest and most uncompromising music around, YHWH Nailgun should feel right at home.