Other than closure Composure, rarely do these songs venture north of a minute and a half. But they don’t need to. Everything is so packed with vitality anything longer to make their point is gilding the lily. Throughout, GEL play as if they’ve been set on fire and the only hose is at the other end of the songs, throwing absolutely everything they have into it until you can hear the sweat in the riffs.
If you want references, there's a scoop of The Bronx's rock'n'roll wild-outs, a little of Turnstile's high-kicking swag, the sort of musical melee Trash Talk used to incite. This, though, is all tied up in a vibe and an energy that's completely this band's own. It makes for a refreshingly fresh burst of noise.
Already, much has been made of how good GEL are. In a quarter-of-an-hour here, they double-down on their early promise, and become one of the most electrifying new(ish) bands on the planet, hardcore, punk or otherwise. Exciting, exhilarating, cathartic, joyous, and impossible to resist, Only Constant makes being in GEL sound like the most fun a musician could possibly have.
Verdict: 5/5
For fans of: Turnstile, The Bronx, Death Pill
Only Constant is out now via Convulse