45 Pounds by YHWH Nailgun

YHWH Nailgun 45 Pounds

78
ChoruScore
9 reviews
Mar 21, 2025
Release Date
Many Hats Distribution
Label

YHWH Nailgun's 45 Pounds detonates with percussion-first fury and machine-mystic textures, staking a claim for visceral, danceable noise rock that critics call both punishing and irresistible. Across nine professional reviews the record earned a 77.89/100 consensus score, with reviewers repeatedly pointing to the album's short, urgent pacing, percussive focus and raw vocal aggression as defining strengths.

Reviewers consistently praise standout tracks as the clearest entry points: “Castrato Raw (Fullback)”, “Tear Pusher”, “Blackout” and “Animal Death Already Breathing” recur across reviews as the best songs on 45 Pounds. Critics highlight Sam Pickard's rototom-driven drumming and the record's relentless groove - moments where drums operate as both muscle and architecture - while Zack Borzone's visceral vocals function as another percussive instrument. Several reviews emphasize the band's knack for deconstruction, marrying industrial imagery, synth-guitar textures and punk-funk propulsion into brief, feverish statements rather than sprawling experiments.

Not every critic is unreserved in praise; some note the album's abrasive textures and claustrophobic intensity can alienate, yet most agree those qualities are deliberate, framing the record's experimental ambition and performance-as-spectacle energy. The critical consensus suggests 45 Pounds is worth attention for listeners seeking frenetic energy, rhythmic invention and standout cuts like “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” and “Blackout” that exemplify the band’s post-punk/industrial evolution. Below, the full reviews unpack how these short, urgent compositions balance chaos and structure and why critics say the best tracks linger long after their brief runtime.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Castrato Raw (Fullback)

8 mentions

"particular prominence on vibrant groove monsters like ‘Castrato Raw (Fullback)’"
Clash Music
2

Tear Pusher

8 mentions

"choice cut: “vultures lift me by my hair/I watch their wings like a baby would/I’m on a white cloud/I’m a Russian plane” from ‘Tear Pusher’"
Clash Music
3

Blackout

8 mentions

"Album highlight ‘Blackout’ encapsulates the tonal and even emotional range"
Clash Music
particular prominence on vibrant groove monsters like ‘Castrato Raw (Fullback)’
C
Clash Music
about "Castrato Raw (Fullback)"
Read full review
8 mentions
83% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Penetrator

6 mentions
87
02:09
2

Castrato Raw (Fullback)

8 mentions
100
02:06
3

Pain Fountain

7 mentions
86
01:31
4

Animal Death Already Breathing

8 mentions
86
02:39
5

Ultra Shade (Beat My Blood Dog Down)

7 mentions
35
01:44
6

Iron Feet

7 mentions
75
01:45
7

Tear Pusher

8 mentions
100
03:07
8

Sickle Walk

7 mentions
53
01:26
9

Blackout

8 mentions
100
02:58
10

Changer

8 mentions
37
01:34

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 10 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun’s 45 Pounds makes its case through percussion and abrasion, and the review really crowns “Animal Death Already Breathing” and “Blackout” as the record’s best tracks. The writer lingers on the isolated drumkit strikes of “Animal Death Already Breathing”, calling them gripping and authentically removed from the synth dungeon, and points to “Blackout” as the moment the band dips into gasping Show Me the Body territory with primaeval drums devouring the song. There is also praise for the garage thrust of “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” and the sample-ready explosions of “Tear Pusher”, all framed within a debut that is defiantly anti-rock and gloriously out-there.

Key Points

  • The best song is “Animal Death Already Breathing” because its isolated drumkit strikes are described as gripping and authentically detached from the surrounding synths.
  • The album’s core strengths are inventive, percussion-forward arrangements and a willingness to deconstruct rock into experimental, often overwhelming textures.

Themes

experimental rock drums/percussion prominence deconstruction chaos vs. structure

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun make a startling impression on 45 Pounds, and the best songs on 45 Pounds showcase that rototom-driven propulsion. The review repeatedly singles out “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” for the way the band approaches Sam Pickard’s drum part, and “Blackout” as an outstanding centerpiece where Borzone’s lyrics and swelling synths make the band sound like a spaceship rotating into the sun. Larson’s voice is clinical but exhilarated, praising the record’s architectural brevity and describing these tracks as instant wonders that arrive and vanish in under three minutes. This is a debut that recommends listening for the heat of those standout cuts as much as for the record’s promise of what comes next.

Key Points

  • The best song, "Blackout", stands out for its vivid lyric, swelling synths, and being called "outstanding" by the reviewer.
  • The album’s core strengths are tight, rototom-driven percussion, concise songcraft, and an urgent subterranean vocal and lyrical sensibility.

Themes

rototoms and percussion experimental/noise rock urgency and brevity industrial imagery and pain

Critic's Take

Led by YHWH Nailgun on 45 Pounds, John Amen zeroes in on the album’s most gripping moments - namely “Penetrator” and “Blackout” - where Borzone’s vocals splice despair with aggression and Pickard’s drumming punctuates every viscera. Amen writes with compact, incisive gusto, praising how tracks like “Castrato Raw” and “Tear Pusher” balance fury and restraint, the band’s chaos corralled into precise assemblages. The review recommends these best tracks on 45 Pounds as proof that Nailgun raise the hardcore bar through well-informed experimentation and singular counter-conventionalism.

Key Points

  • The best song(s), like "Blackout" and "Penetrator", expose Borzone’s visceral vocals and Pickard’s propulsive drumming, making them standouts.
  • The album’s core strength is its ability to corral anarchic, deconstructive impulses into precise, experimental hardcore compositions.

Themes

frenetic energy deconstruction hardcore roots experimentation bleakness vs ambition

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun's 45 Pounds announces itself as a thrilling, chaotic debut where the best tracks - notably “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” and “Tear Pusher” - pivot around Sam Pickard's insistent, toppling drumming. The reviewer's voice lights on how the rhythm section, often synth-led rather than bass-driven, makes songs like “Iron Feet” and “Sickle Walk” sound like machinery turned musical. Zack Borzone's hoarse, unreadable vocal delivery is treated as percussion itself, which elevates the poppiest moments such as “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” into genuinely danceable pieces. Overall, the record reads as an evolutionary leap for punk-funk, a record that knits funk, post-punk and indie-disco into something singular and urgent.

Key Points

  • The best song, “Castrato Raw (Fullback)”, is the album's poppiest, most buoyant moment driven by insistent drumming.
  • The album's core strengths are its rhythm-first approach, inventive synth textures, and a hoarse vocal used as another percussive element.

Themes

post-punk revival rhythm and percussion focus synth-guitar textures punk-funk evolution danceable grooves
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Sputnikmusic

Unknown
Mar 21, 2025
80

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun’s 45 Pounds makes a compelling case for the best songs on 45 Pounds being the ones that ride its ugly, intoxicating groove - especially “Pain Fountain” and “Penetrator”, where the drums and woozy synthwork lock in and refuse to let go. The reviewer revels in the record’s fever dream atmosphere, describing how a squall of feedback and wild synthwork push tracks like “Pain Fountain” into machine-gun glitch-out territory while “Penetrator” opens with that squall and sets the tone. There is constant praise for the drums as the elevating element, which makes the groove-driven tracks stand out as the album’s best. Though the record can be alienating, the reviewer insists its originality and relentless focus ensure these tracks leave a mark.

Key Points

  • The best song is 'Pain Fountain' because its machine-gun glitch-out and drum-forward attack embody the album's feverish groove.
  • The album’s core strengths are its relentless, groove-first rhythms, feverish atmosphere, and charismatic, guttural vocals.

Themes

noise rock relentless groove feverish atmosphere percussive focus raw vocal aggression

Critic's Take

The review for Austra's Chin Up Buttercup in Northern Transmissions is terse and informational rather than song-by-song praise, so there is no clear list of best songs like “Amnesia” or “Chin Up Buttercup” singled out. The outlet frames the release within a fan-focused context, which suggests modest approval but stops short of detailed acclaim. For readers searching for the best tracks on Chin Up Buttercup, the review does not provide the customary highlights or rankings, offering background about the site and its mission instead.

Key Points

  • No specific song is identified as the best because the review contains no track-level commentary.
  • The review offers general context about the site and modest approval, but lacks detailed critique or highlights.

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun’s debut 45 Pounds bristles with kinetic invention, and the best tracks on 45 Pounds - notably “Castrato Raw (Fullback)”, “Iron Feet” and “Blackout” - showcase Sam Pickard’s head-spinning rhythms and a bewildering palette of synths and guitars. Tom Morgan writes with relish about how these songs subvert familiar rock structures, turning groove monsters and menacing heaviness into something thrilling rather than nostalgic. The result is a short, exhausting blast that feels like soaring over a metropolis, each standout song doubling as proof that rock can still surprise.

Key Points

  • “Blackout” is the best song because the reviewer calls it an album highlight that encapsulates the record’s tonal and emotional range.
  • The album’s core strengths are its inventive rhythmic drive, textural experimentation, and an urban, post-industrial sense of place.

Themes

experimental rock rhythmic intensity urban/post-industrial atmosphere textural contrast

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun's 45 Pounds is a taut blast of industrial mysticism where the best songs - “Animal Death Already Breathing”, “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” and “Pain Fountain” - crystallize the record's feverish energy. The reviewer's voice revels in the album's corrosive textures and machine funk, praising Borzone's animalistic vocals and the band’s ability to turn post-punk into an anxious, club-ready pummel. In that tone the standout tracks are singled out for their warrior drums, Afrobeat-tinged hooks and metallic fury, proving why fans asking "best songs on 45 Pounds" should start with those cuts. The record's short, choking sprint never overstays its welcome, making the best tracks feel like concentrated, punishing statements rather than indulgent experiments.

Key Points

  • The best song, "Animal Death Already Breathing", is the album's centerpiece for its warrior drums and implosive alien growl.
  • The album's core strengths are its concentrated, visceral industrial textures, Borzone's animalistic vocals, and relentless, focused brevity.

Themes

experimental punk industrial mysticism machine brutality visceral vocals short, urgent pacing

Critic's Take

YHWH Nailgun’s 45 Pounds thrives on jolting, brief jolts of menace and weirdness; the best tracks - “Sickle Walk”, “Tear Pusher” and “Castrato Raw (Fullback)” - crystallize the album’s ugly-glorious ethos. Matt Mitchell writes with relish about how “Sickle Walk” becomes a “sonic assault,” and why “Tear Pusher” erupts in fireworks of electronica, making these the clearest answers to queries about the best songs on 45 Pounds. The record’s short runtimes and bruising textures mean the strongest moments land fast and linger, which is precisely what makes those tracks feel essential.

Key Points

  • “Sickle Walk” is the best song because it’s repeatedly framed as a ferocious, crowd-moving "sonic assault."
  • The album’s core strength is brief, intense, abrasive tracks that combine noisy textures with performative spectacle.

Themes

religious imagery abrasive/noise punk performance as spectacle short intense compositions