ALBUM REVIEW: Knocked Loose – ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’

No sense in giving them a grand introduction; you already know who Knocked Loose is, and for good reason. Over the course of the past decade, the Kentucky-based band has been making a massive name for themselves, embarking on gargantuan headlining tours, selling records in retail stores, and even playing Coachella. It’s a phenomenon that not a single soul on this Earth could have predicted; upon listening, the band isn’t exactly something you’d pick in a “who’s most likely to make it big” draft. Their music is an abrasive wall of sound, hitting the ears like a slab of concrete to the face, a far cry from what you might expect from a larger scale band. Yet, they’ve achieved a level of success that most bands in their genre will likely never see even half of.

Let’s cut to the chase. With their brand new 2024 full-length album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, Knocked Loose is proving that their success is not a stroke of dumb luck. They’ve earned their stripes of prosperity both through grit and hard work as well as the sheer level of innovation and excellence that they bring to the table. Knocked Loose truly shines like a diamond among heavy music as a whole; simply put, there just isn’t anyone doing it like them.  

This is easily showcased on album opener Thirst, which opens with the soothing soundscape of chimes in a large, empty room, all before erupting into what can only be described as the depths of hell. The track is the sonic vessel of being bludgeoned to death with a hammer, highlighted by crushing chugs, wailing leads, and a mammoth breakdown finale. Despite being just short of two minutes long, the song feels full, departing into the next whilst leaving nothing left off the table. Piece By Piece is perhaps the most ‘traditional’ Knocked Loose cut on the record, with its serpentine, fist-hurling riffage intertwining with booming chugs. It’s a formulaic track for the band, but that’s not a negative at all; the formula is fantastic, and it’s more than welcome here.

However, where Piece By Piece follows the formula, Suffocate completely flips it on its head and smashes it to pieces, with its hip hop-esque drum sections and reggaeton breakdown. Not to mention, the magnificent Poppy delivers an excellent guest feature here, screaming her goddamn head off across most of the track. Continuing on with what might as well be a track-by-track breakdown, the monumental Don’t Reach For Me is perhaps the best song Knocked Loose has ever written. This one truly feels like it has everything, featuring a bone-crushing chugfest intro, scorched-Earth verses, an apocalyptic, doom-laden chorus, and a world-shattering breakdown climax to round it off. It’s the whole package, showcasing the band’s airtight songwriting capabilities.

Knocked Loose truly are at their very best when they’re abrasively heavy. This is best shown on cuts like the ironically-titled The Calm That Keeps You Awake, with its war drums, anxiety-inducing, chorus-filled leads, and ugly, hellish chugs. During a recent interview, vocalist Bryan Garris mentioned how the band sought to create more structured songs with more impactful moments with You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, and that truly shines through on this song in particular. The track feels like you’ve been drugged and are being lead through a haunted house, all crescendoing into one of the band’s grooviest breakdowns ever.

However, I have yet to even touch on what will likely be the popular cut from the record, that being Slaughterhouse 2, a sequel to Motionless In White’s song of the same name, which featured vocalist Bryan Garris. This gorgeous ballad opens with soft, plucky strings and beautiful singing melodi- okay, did I get you? Yeah, this song is heavy as fucking balls, point blank, end of sentence, period. Okay, on a serious note, you can tell that Slaughterhouse 2 is the song that Knocked Loose had the most fun putting together. The cut sees Garris and Motionless In White vocalist Chris Motionless battling it out in a sonic tug-of-war, all over an instrumental that is filled to the brim with panic chords, fight riffs, and breakdowns. The track is an absolute blast, featuring one of the most viciously-heavy choruses on the record, as well as a towering, mountainous end breakdown section that will leave you speechless (only because it rips out your goddamn throat). To summarize, Slaughterhouse 2 is everything you were hoping it would be when you first read through the album’s tracklist.

However, that isn’t to say that the album is all gas pedal; the band switches things up now and again, keeping the experience diverse and full of twists and turns. Not to worry, you won’t find any clean-sung choruses here, but you will find a refreshing amount of variety when Knocked Loose finds themselves pushing the boundaries of what you might expect from them.

Take Me Home is the audio equivalent of glimpsing the gnashing teeth of an oncoming storm on the horizon, expressing a level of uneasiness that almost makes it feel straight up uncomfortable to listen to. The layered, siren-like guitar leads build an ominous atmosphere, all building towards an end section that will leave you feeling like you need to see a doctor for a Prozac prescription.

The album’s closing song Sit & Mourn also sees Knocked Loose treading into unfamiliar territory, with its desolate, bleak ambient leads intertwining perfectly with demonic, stomach-churning rhythm guitars. The song doesn’t even have vocals for the first minute and a half or so, nor on the vast majority of its back half; the band knew when to go hard, as well as when to draw back, letting the meticulously constructed instrumental do the talking. I’ve never particularly cared for Knocked Loose’s closing tracks, however, this one made quite an impression on me, being one of the best album closers I’ve heard in quite some time.

When it comes to analyzing You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, there are three factors in particular that make this a perfect, 10/10 album. Firstly, the vocal work on this album is absolutely top notch, with all three vocalists delivering nothing short of primal perfection across the entirely of the record. Next, the album’s production should be commended, being one of the most notable mixes I’ve heard in years—shit, that snare drum alone deserves a Grammy. Lastly, and most importantly, the songwriting on this album is completely perfect. It’s a dynamic, impactful, and masterful experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome; it knows when to push forward, when to pull back, and when to knock you off your feet. It’s all killer no filler, wasting not a single second of its half hour run time.

To put it bluntly, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To is not only the best Knocked Loose album, but it’s one of the best albums to come out of the metalcore scene in years. Knocked Loose has mastered their craft with this one, creating what truly feels like their magnum opus. The band constantly places new expectations upon their heads with all of their monumental achievements, and they only continue to not only meet those expectations, but absolutely obliterate them. Honestly, I don’t know what else to say here—this record fucking knocked my socks off.

For fans of: Jesus Piece, Kublai Khan TX, Spite

‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ by Knocked Loose is out now on Pure Noise Records.

Words by Hunter Hewgley