Gnaw is a New York City noise band founded in 2006 by

Alan Dubin Alan Dubin is an American vocalist/singer most widely known for his role in the now defunct doom metal band Khanate. He is noted for his tortured and distinctive vocal approach. Other bands he has been featured in include OLD and current band Gn ...

(of

OLD Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

Khanate A khaganate or khanate was a polity ruled by a khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. That political territory was typically found on the Eurasian Steppe and could be equivalent in status to tribal chiefdom, principality, kingdom or empire. Mong ...

), Carter Thornton (of Enos Slaughter and others), Jun Mizumachi (a former live member of

Ike Yard Ike Yard is an experimental band founded in 1980 in New York and consisting of members Stuart Argabright (vocals), Kenny Compton (bass), Fred Szymanski (synthesizers/ programming) and Michael Diekmann (guitar). Formed in the later days of New York ...

) and drummer Jamie Sykes (of

Burning Witch Burning Witch was an American doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998. Aside from EPs and split releases, the band released a compilation album called ''Crippled Lucifer'', which had songs of their early EPs. Hist ...

). Guitarist/sound designer Brian Beatrice and drummer Eric Neuser later joined the group. The current lineup consists of Dubin, Thornton, Brian Beatrice, Dana Schechter (Insect Ark,

Angels of Light Angels of Light were an American folk band that was formed circa 1998 by singer-songwriter and musician Michael Gira after he disbanded Swans, the group he had founded in 1982. The band has marked a distinctly different style for Gira since he ...

, Swans), Robin Fowler (Pants Exploder, Drownyard), and Adam Morosky (Time Ghost). Founding member Mizumachi, while no longer touring, is still a contributing member.

Style

In addition to the traditional 4 piece rock format and string and wind instruments, Gnaw utilizes synthesis modulation, found sound and manipulated recordings. In issue 302, '' The Wire'' magazine called Gnaw "a terrifying rock sextet whose blackened vision has enough dark energy to blot out the sun". The publication described Gnaw's debut album, ''This Face'', as "unsettling but vital listening".

History

Gnaw's debut album, ''This Face'', was name
number 17 of the year
by '' Rock-A-Rolla'' magazine and ''

Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

'' went on to post it as number 23 on its list of best "post-metal" albums ever made. In 2013, Gnaw signed with

Seventh Rule Recordings Seventh Rule Recordings is a record label based in Portland, Oregon that formed in 2003 to release underground metal and noise rock. Founded by Scott and Cara Flaster, who still operate the label today, they have released albums by bands such as ...

who released their second album, ''Horrible Chamber'', on October 15. "Horrible Chamber" was reviewed positively by most publications including Pitchfork, Wire and Dusted, who said, "Gnaw’s combination of murderous riffs, sludgy bass, dark ambience and soulless electronica is mastered expertly on Horrible Chamber, resulting in a seven-song suite that pulls in all directions whilst staying wholly cohesive." WIRE said, "Horrible Chamber raises goosebumps, instils despair, and suggests fruitful future paths for metal in the process". After Mizumachi's return to Japan in 2016, Dana Schechter of Insect Ark began performing live with the band and, after contributing to recordings, joined the band full time in January, 2017. The band's third album, Cutting Pieces, was released to wide acclaim on October 27, 2017. With Schecter's increased commitment to Insect Ark and Swans, Morosky began filling in on live dates in September 2019 before joining as a full time contributing member. Gnaw's Rid the City EP is slated to be released in January 2020 on Sleeping Giant Glossolali and they are currently composing a full length follow up to Cutting Pieces. Initial tracks were recorded in July 2019 at Menegroth The Thousand Caves Recording Studios with

Colin Marston Colin Marston (born September 13, 1982) is an American multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer residing in New York City. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music technology in 2004, and runs Meneg ...

Members

(Vocals, Synthesizing, Processing) * Brian Beatrice (Guitar, Bass, Studio Production, Manipulation and Processing) * Carter Thornton (Guitar, Bass, Multi-Instrumentalist, Sound Recordings and Manipulation) * Adam Morosky (Synthesis, Sound FX, Noise Contraptions) * Jun Mizumachi (Synthesis, Recording and Studio Manipulation) * Robin Fowler (Drums) * Past members: Jamie Sykes (Drums), Eric Neuser (Drums),

Dana Schechter Bee and Flower is a band founded in New York City in 1999 by singer-songwriter, bassist, animator, illustrator, composer and producer Dana Schechter. Schechter formed the band while being a member of Michael Gira's band Angels of Light. Bee and F ...

(Lap Steel)

Discography

* ''This Face'' (Conspiracy Records, 2009) * ''Horrible Chamber'' (

, 2013) * ''Cutting Pieces'' (Translation Loss, 2017) * ''Barking Orders'' (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia, 2020)

References

A review of Horrible Chamber
Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
Gnaw's Discogs Page
Discogs. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
The Wire Issue 358Seventh Rule RecordingsDusted In Exile , Horrible Chamber Review
{{Authority control Noise musical groups Musical groups from New York (state)