2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for NJ hardcore heavyweights, Gel. The band recently joined Blue Grape Music, shared plans for their EP, ‘Persona’ (due out August 16th), announced a massive North American headlining tour, and are currently on tour in the UK/EU tour performing at festivals like Primavera Sound, Download, Roskilde, and more. Today, heavy music’s most unstoppable band are keeping the momentum going with the release of ‘Persona’s’ massive title track.
‘Persona’ follows ‘Mirage’ and offers another taste of the evolution in Gel‘s sound. The track takes their ultra-visceral hardcore and somehow pushes it even further into the red, adding a dynamism that’s as infectious as it is intense.
Last year GEL released their debut full-length, ‘Only Constant’, drawing acclaim from fans and critics alike and skyrocketing them into the ranks of aggressive music’s most exciting new groups. ‘Persona’ proves the band won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Produced/engineered by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, Jivebomb), the EP captures GEL embracing a bold sound without sacrificing even an ounce of the primal energy that makes their music so special. The band worked more collaboratively than ever before, tapping into the creative confidence gained through relentless touring to push themselves in new directions. “We really wanted to fill out the songs more and make them more nuanced,” explains vocalist Sami Kaiser. “It’s a step forward, it’s different, it’s catchy, but it still really sounds like us.” The result is a widescreen version of Gel’s urgent, stomping hardcore that only amplifies their innate ferocity.
Upcoming tour dates:
June 27th – Jera on Air – Ysselstey, Netherlands
June 28th – Vainstream Rockfest – Munster, Germany
June 30th – Hellfest – Clisson, France
July 2nd – Kesselhaus – Wiesbaden, Germany
July 3rd – headCRASH – Hamburg, Germany
July 4th – Rosklide Festival – Roskilde, Denmark
July 6th – Eurockeennes – Belfort, France
July 7th – Ieperfest – Ypres, Belgium
July 20th – Roadrunner – Boston, MA
July 26th – District Music Hall – Norwalk, CT
July 27th – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
July 29th – Motorco Music Hall – Durham, NC
July 30th – Grey Eagle Music Hall – Asheville, NC
July 31st – The Basement East – Nashville, TN
August 1st – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
August 2nd – Porto – Louisville, KY
September 10th – Atlantis – Washington DC
September 11th – Rec Room – Buffalo, NY
September 12th – Velvet Underground – Toronto, Ontario
September 14th – Blueberry Hill Duck Room – St. Louis, MO
September 15th – Gabe’s – Iowa City, IA
September 16th – Reverb Lounge – Omaha, NE
September 18th – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
September 19th – X Ray Arcade – Cudahy, WI
September 20th-22nd – Riot Fest – Chicago, IL
September 24th – Edgemen Printing – Detroit, MI
September 25th – Ace of Cups – Columbus, OH
September 27th – Louder than Life – Louisville, KY
September 28th – Banging In The Rock – Little Rock, AR
September 29th – White Oak Music Hall Upstairs – Houston, TX
September 30th – Empire Control Room – Austin, TX
October 2nd – The Rebel Lounge – Phoenix, AZ
October 3rd – SOMA Side Stage – San Diego, CA
October 4th – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
October 5th – Brick & Mortar – San Francisco, CA
October 7th – Madame Lou’s – Seattle, WA
October 8th – Mission Theater – Portland, OR
October 10th – Aftershock – Sacramento, CA
October 12th – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
October 13th – Oriental Theater – Denver, CO
October 15th – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
October 19th – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
October 21st – The Sinclair – Boston, MA