As far as hardcore goes, Knocked Loose is my personal favourite by a mile. Having blown me away while simultaneously breaking me with A Tear in the Fabric of Life, and impressing me still with A Different Shade of Blue, they were the only hardcore band that I would be excited for with new releases. Not going to lie, I was hoping for a new album cycle by now, and this release probably pushed back the likelihood of a new Knocked Loose album to earliest end-2023, but realistically sometime in 2024 (assuming that since they said they've been writing music, that it's not far from done).
A twin single release format is not something I really expected from Knocked Loose, and it's not a common format to begin with, but I love that there were thematic reasons, and it really is more like a two-parter that's designed to be one cohesive listening experience anyways. I think it's great that despite the prevalent album standard, Knocked Loose is comfortable releasing songs in the formats that fit the music the best, never diluting the sentiment to hit a certain runtime.
Deep in the Willow is the more relentless of the two, hovering in deeply heavy territory for a good majority of the song. Bryan's iconic screams are laid upon a barrage of fast-paced drumming and their usual low and dissonant riff style, before switching over to slower and more dragged out guitarwork. Isaac gets to drop his lows on very strong impact moments on the track, which contrasts nicely with Bryan's vocals and makes it hit that much harder. The verse before the breakdown is absolutely unrelenting, and there is just a short calm before Bryan takes it home with the newest iconic callout of their discography: Knocked Loose, motherfucker (nice). It's followed up with one of the fastest and busiest breakdowns they've ever had, with double kicks and constant switch ups, even throwing in a pick scrape. The constant kick ending is ominous and I love the way it brings the listener to the next song, like a heartbeat too fast.
Everything is Quiet Now is my favourite of the two, simply because of how much more potent it is. It has slight Veil Of Maya vibes given the mild use of odd time signatures and switch ups mixed with dissonance and chugs, yet remains very hardcore. I love the call-and-return vocals between Bryan and Isaac, and hearing more of Isaac's lows is always a plus. The first breakdown uses a surprising amount of pick scrapes, but it feels fresh. The minimalist chugging of the section right after is super clean and hits so damn hard, and the 9/8 section is surprisingly groovy. The intermission before the breakdown is simultaneously calmer yet darker, with the war drums, bell spamming, layered vocals, background whispers and screams. With a callback to an older song, a mention of the collective title and the song title itself, they piece together a dismally poetic callout to lead into their most visceral and primal breakdown yet. A Simple chug pattern laid upon the gnarly guitar tone of their new sound, and a minimal yet brilliant four-on-the-floor drum pattern that absolutely accentuates the intensity of their rage tenfold. Especially with that sneaky cymbal hit right before the first snare, and the fact that the snare sound is so explosive already, it makes the final breakdown feel like a slow-mo warzone. It only gets darker when the starkly constrasting clean and echoey ambient lead steps in alongside the ongoing breakdown, bringing a haunting atmosphere to the end of the song, reminiscent of how thall mixes cleans and chugs.
The Upon Loss Singles are some of the best hardcore songs of the year so far, no doubt for its visceral and undeniable heaviness. Knocked Loose continues to evolve down the path started by A Different Shade of Blue and A Tear in the Fabric of Life, bringing a dark narrative and atmospherically heavy experience to the hardcore medium, one that they continue to expand on on different topics. Where A Different Shade of Blue touched upon very despondent themes of inner turmoil and A Tear in the Fabric of Life dealt with the unbearable experience of grief and loss, Upon Loss sees a cynical persona preach a defeatist hatred against their own personification of death, grief and loss. It feels like a natural progression of their somewhat anthologic narrative of heavy emotion and violent catharsis, but it cannot be overstated how poignant they are as musicians and writers despite the aggressive nature of their music. It's even more commendable how seriously they take their art, getting hands-on with a cinematic experience to go along with the auditory one.
With any luck, maybe we will see a full-length LP before the year ends, but if not, I'm happy to say that the Upon Loss Singles has done plenty to ease the long wait for more Knocked Loose music. Not that I had any doubts, but its great to know that A Tear in the Fabric of Life was not simply a one-time fluke, and the Oldham County boys absolutely know what they are doing. Knocked Loose, motherfucker.
Rating: 4/5