REVIEW: Knocked Loose Continue To Push Boundaries On ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’

Oldham county hardcore legends Knocked Loose have returned with their third full-length record, ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’. This marks their first release since the ‘Upon Loss’ singles from last year, and their first record since 2019’s ‘A Different Shade of Blue’. This record dives into more of what this band excels at and continues to push the envelope of hardcore and metalcore, and bringing the heat with angry riffs and creative instrumentals for the genre. 

The record opens with some clanging in an empty room, before coming in hot with the heavy on “Thirst”. It’s a very appropriate opening track that sets the trail ablaze to what this record is. It’s short, but sweet and the drums delivered by drummer Kevin Kaine (aka Pacsun) really shine off the bat. That snare feels so specific to this band and it really shows off how raw these songs are. And shoutout to the triple vocals delivered by vocalist Bryan Garris, and guitarists Issac Hale and Nicko Calderon. They’ve really found the lineup to continue reaching their full potential as a band, and they’re exploring every possible angle of what this band should sound like. The breakdown at the end is almost earth-shattering, for an opening track especially. This one’s sure to set the stage on fire live. The energy doesn’t stop as we follow up with a killer opening riff on “Piece by Piece”. The riffs throughout this song really capitalize the fact that this record starts off with an absolute bang with these two songs. The second half of this track, leading into the breakdown gives some real “All My Friends” vibes. That should show fans this band is here to stay true to their roots, while still growing as a band. It transitions very seamlessly into the next track and one of their best songs to date, with “Suffocate”. This track feels like it sparked something fierce when it was dropped as a single, and it shines even brighter on the record. This feels like the perfect length of a Knocked Loose song, and everything you’d ever want and more from them. Not to mention, Poppy‘s feature on this goes absolutely insane. Her integration into this song feels so natural and fitting for this kind of music, plus her vocals and Bryan‘s go surprisingly well together. The reggaeton breakdown, followed by a slower breakdown with their dual vocals to end the track is exactly why this song is sure to be a fan favorite amongst their catalog going forward. And it’s a sure bet it’ll be an insane live song to include in their sets going forward.

It once again smoothly transitions into the next track and second single from the record, with “Don’t Reach for Me”. This is a great example of just how angry this band can be and express it in a song. It’s aggressive and somehow manages to still throw in that experimental section in the middle of the track, and it still fits perfectly. Shoutout to one of the hardest lines I’ve heard all year too, with “a fitting end for an absolute fucking clown”. It’s a line that would feel off on paper, but absolutely kills on the actual song. The bass stands out nicely here as well, delivered by bassist Kevin Otten. The breakdown goes insane once again, probably one of their best and that says something after three albums. I appreciate the songs that give us a riff right before it drops too, almost like a warning. The consistency is kept up with the transitions because we go right into the next track fast with “Moss Covers All”. Like the opening track, it’s a short one but it doesn’t waste a single second of 46 seconds we spend with it. It’s a fitting precursor as well to the next track with the haunting guitar delivered at the end of this one and beginning of “Take Me Home”. The vocals fit the vibe so well with the spoken word feeling so subtle, leading back into the screams. Bryan screaming the title of the track, while getting cut off feels like an inspired choice to really add to the environment of this track. The sample at the end really gives this one some identity too, similar to their sample at the end of 2016’s “Deadringer”. We’ve reached the long-awaited track of “Slaughterhouse 2”, and it’s as heavy as we hoped it would be. It’s a track that feels like a direct sequel to Motionless in White‘s 2022 track “Slaughterhouse”, which Bryan was featured on. This one’s an easy highlight as I would’ve predicted before jumping into this record. The amount of callback lyrics to the first one is very apparent here and you can tell these two bands have fun with each other. Chris Motionless fits just as well as Bryan did on the first one, and them trading lines back and forth is always a wonderful thing. The riff played throughout the chorus feels like a highlight for me when it comes to guitar work. Bryan revealed on the Downbeat Podcast recently that the “eye for an eye” vocal track is the same exact one from the first one, delivered by producer Drew Fulk. And that’s pretty fucking sick, as well as this one starting and ending with the same lyrics as the first one. 

We’re onto the last leg of this record, starting off with another favorite from this record for me with “The Calm That Keeps You Awake”. The song starts off with some real Korn vibes instrumentally, before going fully mental again. Nicko‘s vocals here, as well as Issac‘s really stand out great here. I love the vibe on this one, it just feels like a bit of a different vibe for them in spots here and still crazy heavy. A growl going into the breakdown is pretty hard too honestly. It transitions pretty nicely once again into the penultimate song and first single from the record, with “Blinding Faith”. This one’s another example of a straightforward kick-ass Knocked Loose song, and everything feels on display here. The riffs are once again a standout, and it shows this band are experts how to make heavy music creative and also demolishing. The changes in tempo throughout the track really play with your expectations of where it’ll go, and that’s exactly where this band should be at in 2024. The fact that this was the first song of theirs to feature Bryan’s pig squeal that he sometimes does live is insane and it’s incorporated here in the best possible way. And the fact it’s followed by an even slower breakdown is absolutely wild. We’re transitioned once more into the final track of the record, with “Sit and Mourn”. The vibes at the start of this song instrumentally are great, and it shows this band is great at painting a picture and vibe with music the way they do. This track overall feels like the most melodic they’ve ever been, both in instrumentals and slightly in background vocals during the chorus. And it’s a sound they pull off incredibly well, as this feels like a fitting final track to the record. The outro as a whole feels so well done in general, it gives me the same vibes that last year’s “Everything Is Quiet Now” did and it’s just all chills. 

All in all, ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ feels like a massive step forward for the genre and for heavy music in general. Knocked Loose are at the forefront of it right now and breaking boundaries left and right for this kind of music to be represented in the mainstream. I wouldn’t be surprised if this record connects with fans and acts as a gateway into heavy music for new listeners. This band is here to stay and are only going to grow bigger and keep the genre alive and thriving. 

Check out the video for “Suffocate (feat. Poppy)” below.