Review: “On A Knife’s Edge” by State Of You

“Like many people, I’ve struggled with negative emotions for as long as I can remember – I put it down to my late ADHD diagnosis. When you are in a bad state of mind, it’s very hard to not feel like you are cursed in some way – that no decision you are forced to take will have a positive outcome. I’m a strong believer that you can’t run from your emotions – you have to sit in them even if it feels like torture in order to move on.” ~ Steve Sitkowski, vocals

Back in 2022, a group of seasoned musicians known for there work in much-loved underground bands including Polar, Tessa Jones, Hildamay, Seasonal and Outcry Collective returned to the grindstone and formed State Of You. Inspired by a mutual desire to write some straight up songs to expel personal demons as well as wanting to provoke discussion about the issues of this World, whittled down from some forty song ideas to just six cuts for a self titled debut EP. Inspired by such artists as Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats and Beartooth the record was well received and opened the door to a collection of headlining shows and a tour with Young Guns. Once again produced, mixed and mastered by Oz Craggs (Feed The Rhino, Polar, Palm Reader) at Hidden Track Studios, “On A Knife’s Edge” is their second chapter…

When your vocalist is front and centre, as the focal point of any project, changing things vocally either stylistically or with a new individual of the human persuasion always feels like a brave move for any band. But somewhere along the line State Of You have made the decision to take a risk and while it’s not a dramatic leap of faith, while retaining the abrasive exclamations that made the self titled debut EP so enticing with “On A Knife’s Edge” Steve Sitkowski embraces a more melodic style overall. Fortunately its one that pays off handsomely because with this collection at least, the new style feels like a better fit. Nick Jones pounding drums and Rick Keenan’s bombastic bass usher in the urgent “Cut The Rope“, a slab of Hardcore Punk that dives into the pressures of modern day life, feeling like a fresh take on the concept that Continents brought up with “Life Of Misery“. A gravelly opening verse makes way for a sung chorus, before a spoken word each element all work incredibly well together, the sing-a-long ability of the chorus giving it than anthemic quality. The guitars are satisfying crunchy and there is a real grit and integrity here that you don’t always get from the lesser lights of heaven. Saying goodbye to anyone who embraces the Rockstar lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, isn’t always the easiest thing if you want to stay in the game but “To The Core” brings home the metaphorical bacon. Sitkowski roaring lyrics like “no one parties like this anymore, I feel so good I put my fist through the door!” over the top of Andy Williams style riffs is like a match made in heaven and the melodic moment in the middle is a nice touch.

There is an element of Feed The Rhino styling that comes into play with “Under The Wire” particularly around the chorus, which is by no means a bad thing as State Of You show that they can do the chunky side of Alternative Metal just as well as their Hardcore Punk anthems. A bold statement piece of a track and an obvious first single, it’s abrasive enough to keep the fans of the first record happy while at the same time channelling a new energy. Is it the start of an evolution, only time will tell but there is enough here to suggest it could be. Striving for society-pressured perfection in a world of designer drugs “Double Barrelled” is a shotgun blast of the bands trademark energy. Layering up the a harsh vocal with a clean one during the chorus to give you the best of both worlds works incredibly well, the slick transitions between moments designed to get the audience to move or sing along live a measure of their collective experience. It may be a title that makes you think power ballad but “Two Of A Kind” is the tale of a broken relationship that really hits home as the poison chalice overflows. Seeing oblivion on the horizon, Sitkowski tells it exactly how he sees it while leaving the story open enough that you can make it your own. The riffs on this one actually bring the sound of early Therapy? to mind, especially when the screaming starts, the raw nature of the emotive vocal performance telling you this one means more. As if the mention of a cocaine fuelled life style earlier in the record wasn’t enough, a tale of a fluid relationship with alcohol in “Which Way The Water Flows” ends the collection on bombastic high with a raucous collection of abrasive riffs. An almost ambient moment of melody in the final throes is nice if unexpected touch that gives everything a polished sheen. Whether they’ve done it on purpose or not, this feels like a crack at getting on the cover of Kerrang! Magazine [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Cut The Rope
2. To The Core
3. Under The Wire
4. Double Barrelled
5. Two Of A Kind
6. Which Way The Water Flows

“On A Knife’s Edge” by State Of You is out 24th January 2025 via Silent Cult Recordings