New Jersey hardcore band Gel first caught my eye with "XOXO" from their first 2021 release Violent Closure, delivering rhythmic, gripping drum lines after a Paulie Walnuts intro.
I have mad respect for hardcore songs that get to the point and don't drag out, putting Gel in line to become one of my top go-tos with their quick pieces. The shouting in 2021 release Violent Closure was a perfect showcase of vocalist Sami Kaiser's cleaner vocal abilities and we heard them amp those shouting vocals up in their full length 2023 record Only Constant.
Now, their new 5-song record Persona delivers grittier, dirtier, and longer shouts, along with more intricate accessories, like some isolated hi-hat action. The creation of this record came with pure intent and discipline, as Gel found little time between touring and busy schedules to write new music. They holed up in a cabin in the woods, and thankfully didn't end up with a cheesy horror movie, but rather a reveal of their emboldened "sinister texture".
Persona demands listeners acknowledge the intentions of themselves and those around them, kicking Gel forward towards a more intense well-honed sound immediately with "Mirage". Second track "Shame" really hits me with zealous lyrics on folks who refuse accountability: "If you're gonna play the victim, then play it all you want".
Halfway through third track "Persona" I start to hear a theme I ponder often, the constant lack of authenticity and genuine personalities (especially within the hardcore scene, whoops I said it) in pursuit of maintaining a certain…façade. The bridge haunts us with this echoed meaningful sentiment: "The gulf between what you are with others and what you are alone. The vertigo and the constant hunger to be exposed. Every inflection and every gesture a lie." That shit's personal and its real.
"Martyr" is lighter in the guitar riffs, with a smidge of brightness peeking through, although lyrically it sounds like a continuation of "Persona" and I wish we got new lyrics here. This band has such a strong ability to write hard-hitting lyrics and I would have liked to see as much of that as possible. Gel always does a great job of cleanly wrapping up each ending and lack track "Vanity" is certainly no different. The ending lyric "This is the way we push through" confirms my suspicion that there's some personal stories racked with anger behind these songs. It's their middle finger. Creating Persona was their therapy.
