GLDN
First Blood (Deluxe Edition)
(Independent)
2.5/5
Lukewarm off the presses! The deluxe reissue of Brooklyn-based industrial punk group GLDN’s First Blood EP is the musical definition of a mixed bag.
Industrial punk can get a bad rep for maxing out intensity at all times, often to a song’s detriment. It’s a stereotype of the genre, one that GLDN has a coin-toss chance of proving or disproving.
Some tracks here are dynamic and rhythmically unique, with a strong structure (“Gravedigger,” “Suicide Machine,” “Harmful if Swallowed”), while others feel dime a dozen, repetitive, and frustratingly one note (the title track, “Ripe,” “Parasite”), although it’s worth noting that every track is well mixed.
The press materials accompanying this describe the EP as “critically divisive,” which suggests you’ll love it or hate it, but I found such a lack of cohesion to First Blood that it didn’t make me feel that strongly about it, and it didn’t feel like a solid collection of material.
Ultimately, there are some tracks worth checking out, but I think GLDN’s golden hour is yet to come.