Brooklyn’s GLDN is releasing “Vessel” on February 6th, marking a hard reboot for the industrial metal project founded by Nicholas Golden. Following the raw, punk-influenced grit of the First Blood EP, GLDN has stripped away the organic chaos to reveal a colder, more clinical architecture. Where previous releases relied on lo-fi distortion and visceral aggression, “Vessel” introduces a sound that is precise, high-fidelity, and mechanically separated. Golden says, “With ‘Vessel,’ the approach changed completely. We stopped trying to capture a live explosion of emotion and started designing a weapon. It’s no longer about just making noise; it’s about control, precision, and impact.” Lyrically, the track serves as an indictment of the “Trauma Economy,” the modern phenomenon where personal suffering is mined, packaged, and sold as content for algorithmic engagement. The new single features a reinforced live lineup: Kevin Marambio on multi-instrumentalist duties, Pedro Parente on drums, and Nicole Huang on bass, locking in a rhythm section that bridges the gap between 90s industrial (Nine Inch Nails, Ministry) and modern metal (Code Orange, 3TEETH).
The core of the song lies in the industrial guitars that sound more like inharmonic machine noises than what you would think of as a melodic riff. It’s a big, fat sound stomping relentlessly like a ceaseless discharge of fire from a broken machine struggling to hold on to what “life” it has. The intensity of the cacophony of sound only increases as the vocals unravel into an inhuman shriek, accompanying the song’s narrative as it unfolds, ending in pure horror.
GLDN has earned a reputation for uncompromising live performances, including the final headline set at the legendary Saint Vitus Bar before its closure. ReGen Magazine has called the project “the new wave of Brooklyn industrial metal,” while Aural Aggression described the sound as “unswervingly brutal and harsh.” For a band undergoing a complete visual and sonic overhaul, “Vessel” shows they’re serious about the upgrade.
