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| Art by G.L.O.S.S. Courtesy of G.L.O.S.S. Bandcamp.(2) |
Over the last week I’ve been repeatedly listening to 7 minutes of some of the most exciting hardcore punk likely to be released this year. Trans Day of Revenge is the 5 track 7 minute second release by American Trans punk band G.L.O.S.S. Their first release in January 2015 was titled Demo and came out only four or five months after they had started playing together(1). G.L.O.S.S. is made up of Corey Evans on drums, Julaya Antolin on bass, Sadie Smith on vocals, Tannrr Hainsworth on guitar and Jake Bison also on guitar. That their musicianship was honed from experience in other previous bands (1) is apparent in the quality of their original release but Trans Day Of Revenge takes it up another level. The 5 tracks range in length from the 1.00 ‘Out From The Desk’ to the epic 1.54 ‘Give Violence a Chance’ which means the 'Repeat' button on your player is going to take a hammering!
It’s important to understand this band and release as an expression of Trans Resistance in a hostile culture, and judging by the comments on their Bandcamp page people have found hope, encouragement, empowerment and comfort in these tracks (2). Importantly the 5 tracks link up different resistance struggles in American/Western society, Black Lives Matter, Anti-fascism, coping with sexual abuse, LGBTI struggles. G.L.O.S.S. realise and articulate the inter-connectivity of oppression, joining the dots in a racist, sexist, heteronormative society. This band say more in 7 minutes than most manage in 7 albums!
Trans Day Of Revenge starts with the aforementioned ‘Give Violence a Chance’ which judging by the chorus is a song of solidarity with another oppressed section of American culture. ‘
‘Fuck the peace keeping, Fuck the calm
The investigation is a fucking con
The truth is known beneath the gun
Black lives don’t matter in the eyes of the law.’ (2)
Track 4 deals with the complex pain of life after suffering sexual abuse as a child.
‘Childhood shame/internal blame
Incest bore a complex pain
We live and die/Against the grain
For ourselves we live
With pride’. (2)
Last track up is my favourite, if you can keep from moving to this you probably need to check your pulse! Title track ‘Trans Day Of Revenge’ is about strength and resistance in the daily struggle of being a Trans person in a Transphobic world.
Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit are important, articulate, ferocious, encouraging . If you doubted that punk could still be a vehicle for the voice of the oppressed, the marginalised, if you doubted it could still be a rallying call and a point of resistance and hope then listen to Trans Day Of Revenge and doubt no more!
Bibliography.
- Joshi, L. (2015) The Redemptive Femme Fury of G.L.O.S.S. http://archive.seattleweekly.com/home/958148-129/girls-just-wanna-live-outside-societys
- http://girlslivingoutsidesocietysshit.bandcamp.com/album/trans-day-of-revenge
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