A mini-review of that new Knocked Loose EP because why not?

10 April 2019 | 2:16 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Let's get down to brass-tacks about that new Knocked Loose EP, shall we?

Let's talk about that new Knocked Loose EP, 'Mistakes Like Fractures'.



Offering some dirty, riffy, thrash-metal goodness and a brisk rhythmic pace, the titular 'Mistakes Like Fractures' is a quick and heavy new breath from Knocked Loose. It's probably one of the best songs they've dropped yet; a cut above most (but not all) of the songs off 2016's LP, 'Laugh Tracks' no less.

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When anyone talks about this Kentucky act, they more often than not critique Bryan Garris' vocals. Yeah, barking in your songs is kinda lame, but Bryan has such a volatile, rage-fuelled scream. There's real drive and passion to his voice, as well as real technique, and that's a big part of the sheer urgency that Knocked's music possesses. Which is precisely the case here! There's also some gruff backing vocals from guitarist Isaac Hale too, that lends a heavier vibe to matters as well. So too does the track's tectonic breakdown that touches down from 2:52 onward, leading you straight down the mental rabbit hole - shit's hectic, man.

With a music video that basically shows the creation of a member from the Blue Man Group, this is a song about how regrets and past mistakes can wear away on us just beneath the surface; like fractures upon bones slowly and quietly breaking away on the inside. For all of the tough-guy jokes that can (and will) be made about hardcore bands like this, Knocked Loose have more emotional depth than most. And I don't think that should be over-looked when discussing this lot.

Everyone loves a good cover and Knocked Loose are no different, it seems. Here, they offer just that with their fresh take on a classic tune by The Warriors: 'Slings and Arrows'. The opening track off of The Warriors' debut LP, 'War Is Hell', this fitting and honourable rendition from Knocked Loose injects new life and energy into a solid throwback hardcore cut. It doesn't change anything drastic about the original, but it didn't really need to in order to be as fun and as effective as it currently is.

Bryan's vocals are actually near-perfect to gel with the sound of The Warriors too, legitimately sounding like that band's own vocalist, Marshall Licthenwaldt, in both timbre and phrasing. In fact, if you were looking for what seems like a real point of influence and inspiration for these guys, The Warriors seem to fit that description very well.

With this cover, at least all of the olds in the hardcore scene can rejoice and appreciate real recognising real; the new school paying tribute to the old-school and all that good shit. Is their a Sick Of It All or even a Snapcase cover to be had in KL's future? Let's hope so because this one fuckin' rips!

One of Knocked Loose's fan-fave tracks from their 2014 release, 'Pop Culture' - 'All My Friends' - now gets a re-recording and a fresh coat of sonic paint. The track now boasts a much better production job overall and sounds tighter than ever before. However, it's also shorter than the original and it doesn't contain the track's final hard-hitting breakdown either. There's also certain kind of anger and rawness to that OG version, and that's not really present on this re-recording. The updated polish seems to have removed that aspect to it, sadly.

Still, I do wish that a lot more hardcore bands would re-record their older material, not just as a way to keep newer fans aware of their roots and what not, but to give old songs some new legs too; songs that helped to pave the way for the foundation of the band's future. As it turns out, most of that's happened with this redux of 'All My Friends'. Even though you can't really beat the original.



And there you have it; 'Mistakes Like Fractures' isn't a bad EP at all. Expect more from Knocked Loose later in 2019!