Review: “Mistakes Like Fractures” EP by Knocked Loose

Knocked Loose hail from Oldham County California and specialise in the kind of Metallic Hardcore that gets pits started. They’ve toured their 2016 album “Laugh Tracks” to death and become a favourite on the Festival circuit and will be back upon our shores for next month’s Slam Dunk. Sessions with Uber producer extrodinaire and Fit For An Autopsy, END. Guitarist Will Putney were photographed with no word on for what and at least one new song has been aired at the bands live shows. Yesterday’s surprise of a vinyl and stream of a new EP got heads turned…

Out of the gate new song “Mistakes Like Fractures” encapsulates the Knocked Loose trademark sound and could be from “Laugh Tracks” quite easily. Bryan Garris delivers a fine caustic vocal performance while Isaac Hale and Cole Crutchfield produce some eye wateringly good riffs. As you’d expect, Will Putney gives the band that clean and crisp drum sound. It’s an instant piece of class.

“Slings and Arrows is a surprise cover song originally done by The Warriors. Kevin Otten has a a thunderous bass line while Garris shows more vocal range than his usual vicious bark with a surprise gutteral low towards the end. It’s a crunchy, bouncy tune that has been reworked into the Knocked Loose style well. You might consider it safe to take a hardcore punk song and make it heavier but the glove fits and the band make it their own.

“All My Friends” isn’t a new song. It’s a re-recording of one from the bands “Pop Culture” EP from 2014. The original version is a fine tune, as is the whole EP so the need to record seems unnecessary. But Will Putney gives the song an extra edge in the mix. Lyrically about Mental Health, it’s as relevent now as it was 5 years ago.

So what are we left with? A solid 3 tune EP under 8 minutes long that keeps the band on the road for the summer before hopefully returning to the studio for a new full length album. If they can manage to get Will Putney back in the chair and continue this collaboration then it’s going to be breaking faces. Either way on its own merits its hard to fault “Mistakes Like Fractures” even if there is only one new song proper on it [9/10]

“Mistakes Like Fractures” by Knocked Loose is out now via Pure Noise Records and streaming everywhere (!)