Gel have returned with an aggressive new single, ‘Mirage’ and announced a new EP, ‘Persona’.
The New Jersey hardcore band will release their new five-track EP on August 16, which is the follow-up to 2023 album ‘Only Constant’. It also marks their first release on new label Blue Grape, which is also the home of bands such as Code Orange and Spiritual Cramp.
Notably, ‘Mirage’ is the band’s longest single to date, clocking in at just shy of three minutes.
“We really wanted to fill out the songs more and make them more nuanced,” explained vocalist Sami Kaiser in a press release. “It’s a step forward, it’s different, it’s catchy, but it still really sounds like us.”
Check out ‘Mirage’ and the tracklist below:
The tracklist for ‘Persona’ is:
‘Mirage’
‘Shame’
‘Persona’
‘Martyr’
‘Vanity’
Gel will also be touring the UK in June, during which they will also be performing at this year’s Download Festival. Find the full list of dates below and buy tickets here.
JUNE
2 – Southampton, Joiners
3 – Oxford, Bullingdon
4 – Exeter, Cavern
5 – Guildford, Boiler Room
12 – Manchester, Star and Garter
13 – Glasgow, Nice & Sleazy
14 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
15 – Donington Park, Download Festival
17 – London, The Garage
18 – Brighton, Green Door Store
19 – Bristol, Exchange
Last month, Gel were one of numerous acts to pull out of SXSW over the event’s ties to the US Army amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a statement posted to their social media accounts, they said: “We will be pulling out of all official SXSW shows next week.
“There’s no reason for @sxsw to involve the music of our peers and music at large with the US Army and defense companies that are actively committing and/or complicit in genocide.
“Free Palestine.”