New Jersey hardcore band Gel first stuck my eye with “XOXO” from their first 2021 unlock Violent Closure, handing over rhythmic, gripping drum traces after a Paulie Walnuts intro.
I’ve mad appreciate for hardcore songs that get to the purpose and do not drag out, striking Gel in line to develop into one in every of my most sensible go-tos with their fast items. The shouting in 2021 unlock Violent Closure used to be a really perfect show off of vocalist Sami Kaiser‘s cleaner vocal skills and we heard them amp the ones shouting vocals up of their complete duration 2023 file Simplest Consistent.
Now, their new 5-song file Character delivers grittier, dirtier, and longer shouts, along side extra intricate equipment, like some remoted hi-hat motion. The advent of this file got here with natural intent and self-discipline, as Gel discovered little time between traveling and busy schedules to put in writing new track. They holed up in a cabin within the woods, and fortunately did not finally end up with a tacky horror film, however relatively a expose in their emboldened “sinister texture”.
Character calls for listeners recognize the intentions of themselves and the ones round them, kicking Gel ahead in opposition to a extra intense well-honed sound in an instant with “Mirage”. 2d observe “Disgrace” actually hits me with zealous lyrics on people who refuse responsibility: “If you are gonna play the sufferer, then play all of it you need”.
Midway via 3rd observe “Character” I begin to listen a theme I wonder frequently, the consistent loss of authenticity and authentic personalities (particularly inside the hardcore scene, whoops I mentioned it) in pursuit of keeping up a undeniable…façade. The bridge haunts us with this echoed significant sentiment: “The gulf between what you might be with others and what you might be by myself. The vertigo and the consistent starvation to be uncovered. Each and every inflection and each gesture a lie.” That shit’s private and its actual.
“Martyr” is lighter within the guitar riffs, with a smidge of brightness peeking via, even though lyrically it seems like a continuation of “Character” and I want we were given new lyrics right here. This band has this sort of robust talent to put in writing hard-hitting lyrics and I’d have favored to peer as a lot of that as conceivable. Gel at all times does a really perfect task of cleanly wrapping up each and every finishing and absence observe “Vainness” is indubitably no other. The finishing lyric “That is the way in which we push via” confirms my suspicion that there is some private tales racked with anger at the back of those songs. It is their center finger. Developing Character used to be their treatment.
