7/10
There are records that document a moment, and then there are records that become the moment itself. GLIDDEEE’s debut EP 'KINETIC FLAW' belongs squarely to the latter category as it delivers a volatile, thrilling collision of noise, rhythm, politics, and personal fracture that feels like a living transmission from inside a band under fire.
From the opening seconds of 'NEPOTISM AT HEART', it’s clear this is not music built for comfort. The first track detonates without warning, guitar shrieks tearing through silence like broken sirens, announcing a project driven by friction rather than finesse. It’s punk in spirit, but sculpted with an ear for texture and contrast. What follows is an exhilarating sequence of songs that constantly shift shape, refusing to settle into a single identity for long.
One of the EP’s early centrepieces 'INHALER' plunges headfirst into suffocating atmospheres, built around an unsettling mechanical pulse that mimics breath under strain. The track lurches between suffocating density and sudden clarity, its guitars slicing through the mix while bass and percussion pound like warning signals. It’s here that GLIDDEEE’s true power emerges as they unveil their ability to weaponise dynamics, turning silence and chaos into equal partners.
By the time closing track 'TEMPORARY' arrives, the EP turns inward. The tempo relaxes, melodies stretch, and questions linger in the air long after the final chord dissolves. It’s a breath taken between collapses.
But what makes 'KINETIC FLAW' extraordinary is how deeply it absorbs its environment without ever sounding trapped by it. The production balances grit and clarity with remarkable confidence, allowing distortion, rhythm, and voice to clash and converge organically. The band’s chemistry feels earned, and the rhythmic backbone adds both menace and flexibility to their evolving sound.
This EP captures a group mid-metamorphosis, forging identity from instability and turning unrest into a creative engine. If this is only the beginning of GLIDDEEE’s next phase, then the future promises to be loud, fearless, and impossible to ignore.
