Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Hard rock syndicate Gabriel and the Apocalypse are fresh out of the studio with their new single “Get Dragged” and its companion music video, and if you came expecting a lot of rock n’ roll heat, you won’t be walking away disappointed. The band’s sound is uncomplicated and very intense from top to bottom, but melodicism is always at the center of even their most vicious of attacks in “Get Dragged.” The riff serves as the cornerstone of the moody melody here, a searing lead vocal peppering it with just enough spice to form a slick harmony. The percussion is unstoppably precise in rhythm but messy in tonality, creating the sort of primal rock emotion that I haven’t heard a lot of in some time now. Gabriel and the Apocalypse are a perfect match for a rock audience that has been missing a new generation of heroes for too long, and this might be their signature battle cry.
Right off the top, this act has so much physicality to their sound that it’s hard to believe they aren’t using some sort of assistance behind the board. When the drums crash into the melody, they’re fiery and crushing, while the vocal is left unguarded by the surrounding riff. Even when the lyrics are palatable and make sense to us, they feel as though they’ve been designed to play into the rhythm of the music instead of conveying a specific narrative to us through linguistics. It’s raw power, and unlike their indulgent predecessors, Gabriel and the Apocalypse don’t have to rely on a lot of bells and whistles to sound this way.
OFFICIAL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMt5BcFybA
The chemistry between these two players feels unforced in every way, and in the music video for “Get Dragged,” we get a good look at how much of a flow they can get into when the energy is right. The song features a stupendous interplay between the three instrumental elements here, and though the video isn’t taken from an actual live performance, it has the feel of an authentic look into their artistry more than it does the stereotypical music video. You can’t fake a strong connection, and while these musicians have been at this for a minute now, they’re showing more prowess together than some of their more experienced peers would.
I hadn’t heard of Gabriel and the Apocalypse before getting a copy of “Get Dragged” this November, but I can see why fans of true rockers would be getting curious about their sound. We can’t judge the depth of their songwriting techniques with a track as simplistic as this one is, but I think there’s more than enough here to assume that they care more about tonality and sonic muscularity than they do fitting in with the elite crowds in rock today. That’s exactly the kind of attitude that we need for of in this genre right now, and with any luck, Gabriel and the Apocalypse’s style and approach might influence some of their less-than-provocative contemporaries in the future.
Savannah Renfro
