Album Review: GEL “Only Constant”
Release: Only Constant
Band: GEL
Label: Convulse Records
Score: 8/10
Every once in a while the hardcore scene gets shaken up by one release that gets everyone talking. A very obvious example of this is when Ceremony released their 2010 album Rohnert Park. Today that record is considered a modern hardcore classic. This year It looks like it’s New Jersey’s GEL that really has the scene talking. After being a band for five or so years and having a handful of EP’s under their belt, the group have released their first full-length, Only Constant — easily one of the most anticipated records of 2023.
Clocking in at just under twenty minutes, GEL amazingly packs in so much in such a short amount of time. Only Constant is filled with blaring drums and guitars that just ooze distortion. Lead vocalist Sami Kaiser’s style can only described as super confrontational and throaty. Her vocals are one of the many aspects of GEL’s sound that makes the band so unique. One of the stand-out tracks is “Attainable.” The song has a very clear metal influence and is is fairly mid-tempo. But it is when the chorus hits that you hear one of the guitars let out this ominous, high-pitched riff that sort of does this dance with the very complex drum beat. The song “Dicey” is a more straightforward hardcore (almost thrash) tune. It starts off with an uber-aggressive drum beat and guitar chords that just ring out to the point where it feels like your ears are being filled up. And of this all continues as the song speeds up and the chord progressions get more complicated, especially when the guitars follow Kaiser’s (once again) stellar vocals.
About half way through the album is the track “Calling Card,” which is an interesting and unexpected interlude. Reminiscent of the end of Morning Glory’s classic tune, “Gimme Heroin,” “Calling Card” is an audio collage of different voicemails of different people airing out their grievances and frustrations being playing over a haunting beat and slow guitar riff.
There was a lot of hype when GEL announced Only Constant and even more after it was released, and I have to say that the record and the band really deserve it. For a first full-length this will really blow a lot of people away who have not heart it yet. And quite frankly, it is a really great introduction to GEL if you haven’t heard any of their material before. Will it be a modern hardcore classic? We’ll have to see in the next few years or so, but of all the hardcore albums to come out in 2023 Only Constant has the best shot at being one.
***
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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