On June 7, 2024, Knocked Loose played at The Ritz in Raleigh for their tour promoting their new album, “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To.” The metalcore band hailing from Kentucky has properly solidified itself over the past half-decade within the hardcore hall of fame. With their brutal riffs, poetically miserable writing and satisfying band synergy that beckons stadium-spanning mosh pits, Knocked Loose is truly a force to be reckoned with.
On this 31-city tour, the band is supported by Speed, Show Me the Body and Loathe. These three bands also played quite an amazing show, and just seeing the openers made me feel satisfied. All three bring a really heavy sound by themselves and offer a great taste for any kind of Knocked Loose fan.
Loathe
When I first heard about this tour, Loathe was the band that made me want to buy tickets. The Liverpool-based band uses their shoegaze and metalcore hybrid sound to produce dense, immersive soundscapes that simply go hard. Songs like “Broken Vision Rhythm,” “Gored” and “Dance On My Skin” created some of the most movement I have ever seen at a concert. The way the vocalist Kadeem France’s infernally deep screams resonated through the room was truly harrowing.
One of the things I loved most about Loathe’s set is that despite the extreme quality of their live performance, it didn’t overshadow their studio recordings of the same songs. Instead, their astounding performance only enhanced them, with the song “Screaming,” for example. With the entire crowd jumping up and down to this incredibly tight chorus, I truly felt the doom that this song was trying to convey.
The last thing that I loved about Loathe’s set is that they made time for their slower and more melodic material. Two of their biggest hits, “Two-Way Mirror” and “Is It Really You?” were played during this set, and were some of the most popular at the show. Despite not being circle-pit bangers, they still attracted the audience with their emotional and instrumental weight.
Speed
Speed was an unexpected gem on my part. The hardcore band from Sydney, Australia knocked my socks off with their relentlessly massive sound. I would describe Speed’s set as overstimulating in the best way possible. Almost all of the members had parts in the vocals at some point or another during the set, all of them with incredibly piercing shrieks.
Speed’s high-intensity guitar riffs and drums had everyone up and moving, with circle pits and crowd surfing appearing everywhere. All of this while Speed sings about love and compassion in the lyrics of their songs, like in “Real Life Love.” I would also like to point out how much of an alternative sound they have.
Not only is the entire band a part of the vocals, but they also use instruments like the flute during “THE FIRST TEST.” When the crowd saw this, everyone went bananas. I think that the flute sound worked surprisingly well, and I would like to see more bands use these sorts of alternative instruments in hardcore in the future.
Show Me the Body
Show Me the Body was a really surprising act to see. Starting in the pitch black, we are introduced to the sounds of a banjo. Slowly, the lights turn on, and the banjo is plugged into an amp. I have heard of an electric banjo before, but to be honest, it sounds great. That combined with the harsh electronics to fill the mix in the background brought a great atmosphere to the set.
Songs like “Madonna Rocket” were performed with so much angst from the vocalist Julian Pratt that it sounded like he was screaming while gasping for air. His unique vocals combine with the sludgy drums and banjo incredibly to make an experimental yet succinct sound that I enjoyed hearing.
Knocked Loose
The main Knocked Loose act might’ve been the most intense and fulfilling experience I’ve had thus far with music. It felt like what was being played through the guitars and drums and what was being screamed by vocalist Bryan Garris was more than just sound. I felt like I, as well as everyone else in the show, were a part of the music.
From the moment the show started with “Blinding Faith,” Knocked Loose’s latest lead single, the floor was mayhem. The adrenaline, sweat, heat and motion of all the people moshing made it feel like I was stuck in a rip current. Bryan Garris said in an interview with Nik Nocturnal that this was the exact goal:
“Let’s just make them scared and feel like they’re trapped.”
– Bryan Garris, in an interview with Nik Nocturnal
One of the most standout tracks was “Where Light Divides the Holler.” The riffs in the song permeated through my bones and it felt like I was living the music. Bryan’s terrified vocals and the crushing drums made the experience feel so vivid. It just felt like I connected with the song on a whole new level, and that goes for all of the songs on this setlist.
From start to finish, Knocked Loose provided an excellent set, playing songs from all three of their studio albums, songs from their “A Tear in the Fabric of Life” EP and closing the set with both of the Upon Loss Singles, which are some of my favorite songs by them. By the end of the show, I was smiling from ear to ear, although I was drenched in sweat everywhere.
On a final note, I would like to mention how kind the crowd and venue were at the shows. The Ritz made sure to keep a steady stream of water available for everyone, which was really helpful. The crowd was also so kind and would stop everything to help someone off the ground or break off fights. It made me feel very happy that the Raleigh hardcore community is a really welcoming place for everyone.