Knocked Loose, 'You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To'

Knocked Loose, ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ – Review

2024-05-10

Knocked Loose, ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ – album review – Author Brad Ledbetter, Photo via Jared Leibowitz

Over the last few years, you’d have to be living under a rock to not notice the success of Kentucky metalcore band Knocked Loose. From the memes and TikTok posts of singer Bryan Garris’ “Arf, Arf” breakdown callout in “Counting Worms” to their unlikely stints on festivals such as Bonnaroo and Coachella, it seems this band has somehow found their way into the mainstream while still being as brutal and unrelenting as possible.

Knocked Loose, ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ – Album Review

Their latest release, “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To,” is no different. Right out of the gate, opening track “Thirst” establishes the mood with its rapid drumming and powerful screams, demonstrating the band’s ability to combine hostility with a strong sense of immediacy. Their growth as musicians and songwriters on this album is what makes it stand apart from their previous releases.

Garris’ high-pitched screams, which could easily undo any alpha-macho associations to roaring and riffing, convey a sense of desperation and panic that is both unsettling and captivating. With introspective lyrical theme, this album deals with topics such as being disillusioned with spirituality, societal decay and existential dread, all the way sonically beating you in the face the entire time. While the brutality you come to expect from Knocked Loose is ever present, the album’s emotional impact is something not to be taken for granted by any means. This is music that not only seeks to confront but also to cathartically release the pent-up frustrations and fears that define the human condition.

Compared to their previous work, “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” feels like a natural progression for Knocked Loose. It’s heavier, both in sound and subject matter, yet it still has the raw Knocked Loose sound that made people love them on “Laugh Tracks” and “A Different Shade of Blue.” The album distinguishes itself from the broader metalcore scene through its refusal to compromise on intensity for the sake of accessibility. It’s a bold statement in a genre that often leans towards formulaic songwriting and sounds, and it’s better for doing so.

“You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” is an insanely good record that continues to get better the more you listen to it. There’s a reason this band has been suddenly thrown into the mainstream over the two years. With this album, Knocked Loose has already made sure that they will be in mine and many other’s “Album of the Year” contentions come December.

Essential songs on “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” include “Suffocate (featuring Poppy), The Calm That Keeps You Awake,” “Blinding Faith” and “Piece By Piece.”