Following up their previous release, Dull the Needle, “Babylon” the newest EP from Baltimore quartet GASKET features a perfectly executed and lethal mix of crusty punk, gnarly, old school hardcore, and grimy metal. Most of the tracks span under two-and-a-half minutes, but the band uses the time wisely. Every song is like a grenade blast that you won’t soon forget.
Vocalist Flynn Zimmer shares, “‘ACOLYTE’ is about coping with the monotony of life and accepting that the only thing that can change for the better is yourself.”
Regarding the EP as a whole, the band states, “This EP is the hardest we’ve ever worked on anything together. As simple as it may sound, it’s a culmination of all of our favorite bands. Lyrically, it’s a melting pot of experiences and feelings we’ve had for the past two years that we hope people can relate to. BABYLON represents GASKET as a whole; it’s our escape from reality and we couldn’t be more grateful for it.”
The band, featuring Flynn Joseph Zimmer on vocals, Maxwell Bagster-Collins on bass, Calvin Mumma on guitar, and Austin Jenkins on drums, has provided their track-by-track commentary on the EP and share recommendations for some standout bands from Baltimore that you definitely need to check out.
Let’s start with the bands, in the words of GASKET:
Civilian, a new hardcore punk leaning oi band with a demo out now on Convulse Records. (Best song is “No Choice”)
Doubt, our homies who just released an EP on Get Better Records. We’re stoked to be playing some shows with them in the northeast this fall. (Best song is “DOUBT”)
Violet Evergreen, a heavy emo band for fans of stuff like Gleemer, Narrow Head, and Modern Color (Best song is “Mirror”)
Narcan, a new powerviolence band featuring members of Grand Scheme and Polarview. They have a demo out now on Designated Moshers Unit, a new label based out of Atlanta. (Best song is “Another Victim”)
And last but not least, Mondrary. A screamo band comprised of some of the most talented kids I know, who have fostered an incredible scene in their neck of the woods about 30 minutes north of Baltimore. (Best song is “And the Trees Fell Quiet”)
GASKET Track by track commentary.
Words by Flynn Zimmer:
“GUILLOTINE” – When Calvin came up with the intro riff to “GUILLOTINE”, we immediately knew it would be how the record opened, it really set the tone for how we wanted the rest of the songs to sound.
“REBORN” is about redemption. I like that track a lot because Calvin has his own vocal part which doesn’t happen too often.
“SYNDICATE” is the cliché hardcore song about being backstabbed by an old friend you wish you never met.
“BABYLON” is a song about the band. No matter what’s going on in any of our lives, we’ll always have GASKET. It really is the rubber between us and reality.
“ACOLYTE” is an anthem of self-loathing I wrote while trying to get through a hard time in my life. It was something to remind me that as hopeless as things can feel, it’s up to me to live the life I want, and not suffer.
“PENANCE”
And lastly, “PENANCE” follows “SYNDICATE” as another cliche backstabber track. The record as a whole is about frustration and feeling alone more than anything else.
Catch GASKET live this summer on a series of headline dates:
7/4: Greenville, SC
7/5: Atlanta, GA
7/6: Athens, GA
7/7: Gainesville, FL
7/8: Orlando, FL
7/9: Miami, FL
7/10: Tampa, FL
7/11: TBD, NC
7/12: BABYLON Release Show (Baltimore, MD)
7/13: Philadelphia, PA
7/14: NYC, NY
7/16: Manchester, NH
7/17: Boston, MA
7/18: Salem, MA
7/19: Providence, RI
