Gloin
All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry)
MOTHLAND
After forming nearly a decade ago, Toronto’s Gloin have slowly begun crafting an intriguing mix of post-punk, noise-rock, and industrial sounds, all defined by dancey rhythms and euphonious disharmony topped off with dual vocalists John Watson and Vic Byers’ cathartic yelling. On their second album, Gloin tap into the fury of their post-punk forebears—All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry) feels polished and angry in all the right ways, marking a big step up from their 2022 debut, We Found This. It’s a harmonized existential crisis packaged alongside distorted metal and vicious rhythms, which together drive the senses into a frenzy.
All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry) is an apt album title, too, getting at the emotional crux of heavy music. Underneath that façade of fury are deeper emotions—the feelings of corroding material conditions being set to sound as the band not only explores their own psychology, but also seem to take aim at those who misinterpret their frustrations. The result often lands somewhere between Sonic Youth and Death in June, with Byers and Watson taking turns singing lead in a move that feels both egalitarian and particularly Canadian—especially when they sing in French.
All your anger kicks off with “20 Bucks,” an industrial number reminiscent of NIN’s “Head Like a Hole” with a punkier feel. Gloin’s opening statement is apt: Whether it’s $20 or a thousand, desperation makes any quantity of money feel like a fortune that never lasts nearly long enough. The lyrical repetition of the song’s title plays on a never-ending cycle to mirror the Sisyphean task of merely trying to get by. From there, “Buckets of Blood” and “Missed Call” drain that momentum for a stretch before “controlfreak69” reengages the opener’s infectious energy with its vicious, mesmerizing rhythm. On the single, a screaming Watson demands control, but can't seem to get it. It’s optimistic yet nihilistic; the end is near, but he won’t go down without a fight.
Later, on “The Treatment,” we get Byers and Watson sharing vocal duties. Compared to the languid Sonic Youth, which this song in particular seems an homage to, Gloin comes out more aggressive as they expel soliloquies about the monster within. It’s intense and noisy, much like the rest of the record up through closer “Good Boy,” a pounding song with lyrics that could be the internal monologue of a people-pleaser. A robust follow-up to the band’s debut, All your anger is for those who like post-punk with an aggressive bite and hardcore undertones, who opt in for a bit of psychological insight to their emotions. It’s fast, furious, and in-your-face.
