G.L.O.S.S.: "Give Violence a Chance"
Nonviolence is one of the more socially valorized tactics of resistance. But when you’re part of a group that’s squarely on the receiving end of systemic violence, violent resistance can be not only justifiable, but necessary. At least that’s what Franz Fanon famously theorized in his essay on decolonization, observing that what we think of as peace actually requires many forms of normalized violence to maintain the status quo. In G.L.O.S.S.’s hands, that thesis is condensed into a two-minute hardcore track, or, more precisely, into one vital scream: “When peace is just another word for death, it’s our turn to give violence a chance.”
On G.L.O.S.S.’s 2015 demo, the Olympia punks harnessed the aggression faced daily by trans people and turned it back against society. In the deadliest year on record for trans women, G.L.O.S.S. fought back with liberating rage and merciless lyrics that sliced open patriarchy and toxic masculinity. On “Give Violence a Chance,” a new track released on Not Normal Tapes’ Not Normal Presents… Hardcore compilation alongside heavy hitters such as Pure Disgust and In School, G.L.O.S.S. broadens the scope of their fight, this time firing back at police. “Killer cops are crooked soldiers,” growls frontwoman Sadie Switchblade over chugging guitar and unrelenting blast beats, tearing into malicious “peacekeepers” that serve the elite and call it justice. Contextualized as such, Sadie’s wordless scream at the crest of the song is a thrilling battle cry: one loaded with exasperation, desperation, and potential energy.
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