When Drunken Sailor Records releases something new, you can safely assume it’s worth your time. And, in the case of Bristol quartet Gimic, probably your money as well.
Despite forming six years ago and already releasing a pair of excellent 7″s through Crew Cuts Records, New Traditions is only now their full-length debut. Based on these twelve songs, the band certainly hasn’t spent that time sitting around. The passion and urgency is palpable throughout.
While this is unmistakably a hardcore punk record, Gimic refuse to mosh by numbers. Instead, they push and pull at the genre from all angles. Every member leaves a distinct mark on the music. The singer attacks every line as if it actually matters, the guitar and bass frequently lock into intricate, almost mathy interplay, and the drumming is exceptional, navigating constant shifts in pace and intensity without ever losing momentum.
Most importantly, New Traditions never becomes predictable. It functions as a pressure valve for frustration and anxiety, but one built with genuine creativity and ambition. By the time the title track arrives midway through the album, Gimic reveal an emotional depth that occasionally brings Touché Amoré to mind.
A fierce and refreshing debut from a band determined to do things their own way.
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