As the short “description” of the band on their facebook page (www.) facebook.com/Gnawtheband wil tell you (and I take over the word verbatim) “Gnaw is the sawblade-wrapped-in-razorwire brainchild of Alan Dubin (Khanate, OLD), Carter Thornton (Enos Slaughter), Jun Mizumachi (Ike Yard) and John Sykes (Thor's Hammer, Burning Witch). Their 2009 debut for Conspiracy Records This Face was further infected and finally delivered by engineer Brian Beatrice before being wrought for stage deployment with additional drummer Eric Neuser. This Face has been described as a “genre destroying journey” and utilizes pounding percussion, factory noise, chordal slabs of guitar and bass, as well as homemede electro-acoustic contraptions. Dubin's unique and legendary shriek delivers vivid portrayals of all things bad”.
Following the release of that debut album (review by yours truly was posted 31/01/2009...about a month ahead of release, for once!...and should be available for your fact-finding scrutiny in this very website's “Archive” section, though lately work is being done on that – at any rate, you have the jest of the info above), the band, with the addition of drummer Eric Neuser, as you now know, threw itself upon the US live circuit, and eve managed to tour Europe, expanding their fanbase in the doing, and along the way apparently loosing Sykes! Now, where the material for the debut album was fashioned in rehearsals through experimentation, the band took the occasion to bring newly written material on stage, and thus develop it some more. Eventually, the band (including Beatrice) went back into the studio, and recorded the 7 tracks which we now find on the new album, fittingly titled Horrible Chamber.
As on the debut, the music is generally describable as Industrial Drone Metal, and not only has influences from the individual members' previous bands but, according to the info I've found, also of Swans, Autopsy, Diamanda Galas, and Black Sabbath. Personally, I don't even càre what influences the guys draw from...as long as they continue to play this type of music which I have only heard from óne other band, namely Author & Punishment...also to be counted among my favourites! For some listening sessions, go to the “Music” section of above mentioned facebook page to find stuff off the debut. The band also has a page on ReverbNation (which usually displays the same info/ music as on facebook) and on MySpace (which I could not check due to the network pc I do my research on not having been upgraded yet – so, who knows, there may be something off the new album on there?). Alternately, you might try and find the album on one of the trusted online sales sites...they usually provide 30-second samples of all album tracks!
Meanwhile, as you might've guessed, Horror Chamber skips the nomination, and is immediately propelled to the “Best Albums Of 2013”-lists! I wonder, what with these 7 tracks having a length of almost 51 minutes, whether all 7 of 'em will be on the vinyl format...no matter, as each copy is delivered with a free download of the complete album anyway!