Photo by Nick Duque
“Blistering” would be an appropriate descriptor of Gouge Away’s 2016 debut album, , Dies. It was a lightning-fast burst of hardcore that took no shit and was punctuated by the cracks and squeals in vocalist Christina Stijy’s screaming. The album’s lyrics read like a coat of spiked armor and featured interstitial monologues railing against animal testing. It was all so blunt that it hit like a punch to the side of the head and made it clear right up front what the Florida band was about.
Videos by VICE
Gouge Away is following up , Dies with a two-song cassette via Secret Voice, which they recorded after touring with bands like G.L.O.S.S., Touché Amoré, and Ceremony. On “Swallow,” the band stretches things out a bit from their typically 90-second songs for a nearly three-and-a-half-minute crusher that sees them taking a bit of a breather and experimenting with the leeway their formula allows.
You can listen to “Swallow” below and pre-order the cassette right here. Gouge Away also has a few East Coast dates coming up, which are listed after the song.
4/19 – Belmar, NJ – Paul’s Tavern
4/20 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
4/21 – Brooklyn, NY – Gold Sounds
4/22 – Baltimore, MD – The Sidebar
