Gylt: In 1,000 Agonies, I Exist

"My familiarity with Fyodor begins and ends with a high school reading of Crime and Punishment some 20 years ago, but this 11-minute onslaught of thorny, emotionally raw music provides all of the context necessary to understand those nearly 150-year-old words. The prevailing sentiment of In 1,000 Agonies, I Exist is not "celebratory," per se, but its pummeling desperation offers more than fleeting escape."

"Gylt's previous releases, all compiled on last June's I Will Commit a Holy Crime: Tandem, had the lean, driving hallmarks of classic SoCal hardcore. 1,000 Agonies maintains those essential qualities of pissed-off attitudes and economical composition while also fleshing out Gylt's idiosyncrasies into something starting to resemble a signature sound. Despite a heavier reliance on spartan d-beat templates, the band's early material often spiraled into brief moments of noodly abstraction."

"Working primarily in a 90-seconds-or-less format, Gylt maximize their impact by barreling through one volatile movement after another-who can say if anything actually constitutes a verse or chorus. The EP peaks in its middle with two songs, "Pentiment" and "Wrought/Rot," which both begin with fast-paced fakeouts that serve as pulse-quickeners and confirm that, no matter what comes next, Gylt are still a hardcore band."

Gylt's EP In 1,000 Agonies, I Exist runs about eleven minutes and channels thorny, emotionally raw hardcore energy that feels pummeling rather than celebratory. The band preserves lean, driving SoCal hardcore hallmarks while developing idiosyncratic touches into a signature sound. The material favors spartan d-beat templates and short, mostly sub–90-second tracks that barrel through volatile movements without conventional verse-chorus structure. Two centerpiece tracks, "Pentiment" and "Wrought/Rot," start with fast fakeouts before shifting into slower, sludge-adjacent tempos. Wild guitar spasms previously muddied breakneck passages, but a sludgier, more adventurous approach sharpens impact and highlights controlled aggression.

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