AlbumsJune 12, 20235,237 views

Geld Currency // Castration


Currency // Castration
1. Currency 2. Chained to a Gat 3. Cut You Down 4. Clock Keeps Crawling 5. Fog of War 6. The Fix Is In 7. Across A Broad Plain 8. Hanging From a Rope 9. Gas of Corruption 10. Success 11. Secret Prison 12. Castration
2023 Relapse Records
Our score 8

6/12/2023

The hardcore scene in Australia has seen a sharp rise in attention on US shores in the past few years, most recently with heavyweights Speed being one of the most talked about bands in the scene, easily selling out damn near their entire recent run of US shows—not to mention one of the US scene’s biggest labels Triple B Records releasing the blistering 2020 EP Animalistic from Primitive Blast to much fanfare. From huge more mainstream bands like Parkway Drive to, at this point near-legendary powerviolence warriors Extortion, the scope of sonic assaults from down under is surely not lacking in variation or approach. Enter the raw and noise-heavy world of Geld, who turned enough heads in 2020 with their excellent second LP Beyond The Floor that they gained the attention of Relapse Records, an extreme label that’s about as diverse in their choices of bands to sign as you can get. Currency // Castration, their new LP and first for Relapse, is a continuation of the raw punk madness showcased on their previous records but boosted by a bigger and louder production than their previous efforts.

There are plenty of influences at play here, from the raw driving punk fury of classic bands Discharge and GISM to the blistering powerviolence doled out by the aforementioned Extortion and Infest. Adding to the chaos and intensity is a slight lean towards the more psychedelic aspects of noise rock. Much like their previous record, Currency/Castration may have a barrier for entry as far as immediately clicking upon the first listen, but also rewards with every additional run-through, revealing Geld as a band that clearly knows how to churn out some absolutely killer hardcore songs that end up being pretty damn catchy despite being drenched and reverb and maintaining a near constant intensity.

Ultimately, this is a raw hardcore punk record through and through, and while that may leave little in the way of sonic variation at the end of the day, it works to the band’s benefit. It allows them to focus on their strengths: killer guitarwork, punishing vocals and a driving rhythm section sure to have you stomping holes in the ground wherever and whenever you throw this record on. With so many bands going for whatever they can to grab immediate attention, it’s frankly refreshing to hear a hardcore record this sonically dense, one that might not immediately blow your mind but will certainly leave you intrigued enough to come back to it again, and once it sticks with you, you’re sure to be fully entrenched in its chaotic nature as I have been, with every additional listen feeling more rewarding than the last.

It's easy to see how Geld and their third LP are a great fit for Relapse’s always-expanding and varied roster. While certainly, they’re a punk band in the rawest sense of that word, they’ve got the songwriting chops and out-there psychedelic leanings to set them apart from the majority of their peers. While certainly, this isn’t going to be a hit for any and every hardcore or extreme music fan, those who do take the time to dive into this record and take it in are sure to be rewarded with one of 2023’s most blistering and interesting punk records.

Bottom Line: Currency // Castration might have a slight initial barrier of entry for fans of hardcore and punk music, but in coming back to it I found it yielding additional rewards every time, and once it did click I wasn’t able to get enough of it. For those looking for something a bit adjacent to the current crop of hardcore/punk bands, you’d be hard-pressed to do yourself a better favor than checking this one out.


11 comments

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anonymous 6/13/2023 9:26:30 AM

Fail

anonymous 6/13/2023 10:02:14 AM

Zulu with a score of 9 >>>

anonymous 6/13/2023 11:14:45 AM

The same tired ass Zulu joke over and over>>>>>posting anything even remotely worthwhile

Inkongudunk 6/14/2023 11:14:19 AM

Bad review

anonymous 6/14/2023 9:52:35 PM

What is the barrier to entry? At least from the two tracks posted, this is very straightforward (hardcore punk.

anonymous 6/14/2023 9:57:45 PM

Oh I see it's the frenetic noodling lead guitar on some of the other tracks. Too muddy production for this density IMO, but I can get into this.

Conduit 6/15/2023 10:55:28 PM

Geld is the perfect band name as it sounds like everyone in the band has had their balls cut off.

Conduit 6/15/2023 10:56:41 PM

Album is cool and the vocalists other band Erupt released a rad 7" last year that everyone should listen to.

anonymous 6/16/2023 5:21:24 AM

"Conduit 6 hours ago Album is cool and the vocalists other band Erupt released a rad 7" last year that everyone should listen to." Wow, something posted in here that's actually useful information and not dogshit? Epic. I will indeed check that record out, thanks for the heads up.

anonymous 6/16/2023 10:15:38 AM

" Geld is the perfect band name as it sounds like everyone in the band has had their balls cut off." That's why Eliot gave it an 8 and not a 4

anonymous 6/17/2023 2:09:30 PM

Vocals aren't my cuppa tea.