Hardcore from Philly and NY, members of Sirkka.

Our take: From what I understand, this demo cassette from Gall-Bladder is kind of a Sirkka side-project, with the US-based members of that band (i.e. everyone except the vocalist Sanja) swapping instruments. The sound is still hardcore punk, but Gall-Bladder ends up sounding quite different from Sirkka. After a somewhat melodic 70s punk-ish sounding intro that reminds me of Puffer’s raw but hooky punk, there’s a long snare roll and then Gall-Bladder launches into the full-bore hardcore, never letting up from there. The sound is desperate and chaotic, reminding me of Discharge without sounding like they’re imitating Discharge. The mix is smashed together with all the instruments coalescing into this monstrous roar, and the chaotic guitar leads especially remind me of Bones. The leads are most Discharge-y element of Gall-Bladder’s sound, but even those go off on their own tangents, like the way the crazy tones on “Applauded Absurdity” make me think of a nuclear warning siren. Gall-Bladder’s music is fast and energetic, but it’s also dark and bent, and while these four songs are undeniably hardcore punk, they’re not without interesting surprises. An excellent demo.