LIVE REVIEW: Knocked Loose @ The Mill, Birmingham

As modern hardcore continues to go from strength to strength, KNOCKED LOOSE have managed to force themselves to the front of the movement within the space of four years. While their debut album Laugh Tracks was a cannon shot across the bow of alternative music, sophomore record A Different Shade Of Blue proved the band didn’t run out of steam after the first hurdle, quite the contrary in fact: the momentum behind the band has never felt so vibrant. Known for their ultra violent yet prolific live shows, a sold out night at Birmingham’s The Mill was a perfect snapshot for the shape of hardcore to come.

Sydney’s JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED do a good job of starting off a night of certain chaos with enthusiasm. Their low end southern-esque death metal doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; but it hits with a punch nonetheless. The likes of Please Don’t Leave Me carries a pace with it that increases your heartbeat instantaneously, and the straight up force of It Will Always Be My Fault almost puts you on your back. It’s still early days for this Aussie five piece, but all the signs are there to suggest a solid career in death metal awaits them.

Rating: 7/10

RENOUNCED are an almost completely different package altogether, but no less cut throat. If there’s a part of your soul that still aches for Hollow Crown-era ARCHITECTS then this quintet are certain to capture your heart. Their set is littered with a brand of metalcore that seems somewhat forgotten, wincing guitar tones are propped up by two step riffs and skin shedding breakdowns – this is POISON THE WELL meets MISERY SIGNALS. And while the Londoners on paper might have been a potential roll of the dice selection for the tour – they more than earn their place tonight.

Rating: 8/10 

To call MALEVOLENCE an underground band feels somewhat counterproductive at this point. Their whole mantra suits the small, intense venue setting, but at the same time their stock continues to rise at such a pace that you can’t foresee them being a support band on bills of this ilk for much longer. Their performance tonight is indicative of the maturity process the band has been on, their PANTERA and SLAYER love child sound is almost unbearably punchy, and as you’d expect: it’s complete carnage in the pit.

It’s a scary thought that the band are only two records into their tenure, as Serpent’s Chokehold is already treated as a classic and thus creates a crowd surf frenzy. Newer efforts like Severed Ties and Wasted Breath are given the same adoration from the near blood soaked punters though – it’s almost like MALEVOLENCE are a band that can do no wrong. And as the band bring out KNOCKED LOOSE vocalist Bryan Garris for his guest spot on new song Keep Your Distance you begin to realise: MALEVOLENCE have outgrown their stereotypical violent moniker, they’re now just a great metal band period.

Rating: 9/10 

The fact that KNOCKED LOOSE have already released two records that will be looked back at as landmark moments in the history of hardcore is of course noteworthy. But even more impressive than that is the band’s ability to take their rustic, crooked toothed blueprint to the stage and still make themselves look like superstars. There are little stage effects or frills as the Louisville rattlers approach the stage, but simple blue lighting almost feels like fireworks the second they burst into Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory.

Front man Bryan Garris arguably sounds even more embittered live than he does on record. His high pitched, punishing vocals leave a mark on your skin as does the meat grinder breakdowns of the almost cruel one-two of Oblivion’s Peak and Forget Your Name. The band rage through a 14 song set in a little over 50 minutes, there is literally not a second of let up. There’s no drawn out communication with the crowd, no explanations of who they are or what they’re looking to accomplish (outside of a heartwarming dedication to the LGBTQ community), you already know their story; you know why they’re here.

There’s crowd killing, old school push pits, and security pulling people over the barrier seemingly every 10 seconds: your nearest fight club is quieter. Everything is rounded off with a hospitalising sheen as the band drop into their final two attacks of Billy No Mates and Counting Worms – it’s unadulterated carnage. As the dust settles and you’re able to sit back and take a deep breath though, you understand KNOCKED LOOSE have every chance of being a generation defining band that you’ll be able to use the “I was there when…” verbiage to describe them in future years to come. You may not have caught METALLICA in 86, or SLIPKNOT in 99 – but you did catch KNOCKED LOOSE in 2019.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the action in Birmingham from Yasmine Summan here: