Live review: YHWH Nailgun at the White Hotel

The White Hotel in Salford, an industrial unit turned nightclub and music venue, is the perfect backdrop for a band like YHWH Nailgun. Its worn-down walls and rustic bar match the abrasiveness and raw emotion in their sound.

Support for the night came from Tracey, a genre-defying anonymous collective from London who describe themselves as “ever-evolving” in both line-up and sound. Their music was also perfect for a space like The White Hotel, infamous for refusing comparison, like their half-hour live performance: beginning ambient and atmospheric, the set progressively cascaded towards abrasive techno-style sounds as it reached its end. Throughout the half-hour, Tracey’s female singer, known only as Tracey One or Girl Tracey, took centre stage, allowing her impressive vocals to shine. The collective’s anonymity was preserved, however, by obscuring blue stage lighting which facilitated the sense of mystery and enigma that makes Tracey all the more interesting.

A highlight came through ‘Sex Life’, the collective’s collaboration with Riko Dan which opens their debut EP. Listening to this song on record, it seems as if it would be impossible to recreate live, with its layers of electronic instrumentation and spliced vocals. However, the fact that Tracey managed to do it justice on stage testifies to their dexterity. Their music may be less punk-driven than YHWH Nailgun’s, but the collective provided an apt opening to a night in The White Hotel’s warehouse-like space, and they are certainly a name to watch out for.

YHWH Nailgun frontman Zack Borzone emerged from a curtain at the back of the stage, holding a glass of red wine and staring blankly into the crowd. He hunched over the microphone, scanning the back of the room, before unleashing his distinct, primal, almost animalistic vocal style. Opening song 'Penetrator' immediately showed that their sound can’t be pinned to a single genre; they pull from industrial music and noise rock to create something as jarring as it is moving.

There’s even a myth in the fanbase that they convinced experimental hip-hop band Death Grips to return to the studio. It isn’t true, but the rumour alone shows how New York bands including YHWH Nailgun and art-rock peers Geese push the music industry to be more creative.

A defining feature of the band's sound is the distinct noise of drummer Sam Pickard, particularly his use of rototoms. Rototoms, famously used by progressive rock bands such as Rush and King Crimson, change pitch by rotating the drumhead around a threaded metal ring. Pickard uses them to craft fill-heavy verses that maintain the driving momentum of Borzone’s vocals. Alongside the tight, cutting snare, this brings the drums to the forefront of the song, subverting the expectation that drumming is only the backbone of a band. It kept the band contained: the drums have a groove and a certain funk that commanded half the room to tap their feet and the rest to erupt into a mosh, even if the crowd in the pit did seem a bit unwilling to do so.

'Tear Pusher', a highlight of their set, features brief synth interludes sitting between verses filled by Pickard’s unique drumming. In some ways, the synth acts as a chorus. Its reflective, short-lived tones hit like divine intervention, both religious and abrasive, offering a moment of enlightenment before plunging the listener back into the verses propelled by drumming and Borzone’s subdued vocals. As with all their songs, it doesn’t overstay its welcome; it accomplishes everything it needs within three minutes, with some tracks clocking in at under a minute thirty.

After producing the band’s self-titled EP, Sagiuv Rosenstock joined as a full-time member, adding textures that act as a middle ground between the droning synth lines and Pickard’s relentless drumming. His contribution stems from his producer background: he adds layers of sound that complement the other band members rather than simply playing guitar, filling out the space without dominating it. This is a key point with the band and what they want to achieve. All songs come from them collectively, not from previous ideas they have brought into the studio. They are a true form of a band, by not being selfish but by playing to enhance all other band members.

This fact was consistently proven throughout the band’s set. They were tight, they didn’t attempt to bore or self-indulge, and they definitely did not lose any momentum for their short hour-long set. The band’s debut album, 45 Pounds, was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, and it is one of the most innovative albums of the year. The album comes after they had truly nailed down, pun intended, what they want their sound and live shows to be: chaotic yet carefully contained.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1uch3WTm8HyawghHDBsyXZ?si=uDxIQfP1QCu6iJ_C8Bx6aA