Knocked Loose - “Mistakes like Fractures”
A raucous drum fill starts out the first Knocked Loose song to be released since 2016. The Kentucky band are back with an unapologetic sledgehammer of a song that incorporates all the best elements of punk, metalcore and hardcore. Known for their raw fury, the band are direct as ever in their new song, “Mistakes like Fractures,” proving that they haven’t skipped a beat—or two-step.
One of the things I love most about Knocked Loose is their tendency to cut the B.S. and get straight to the chase. The fast-paced intro sets the song’s tone with a fervent, traditional punk beat that follows the circle-pit worthy “riffage” displayed by guitarists, Isaac Hale and Cole Crutchfield. The relentless instrumentation is met with the harsh, treble-like vocals of Bryan Garris, who sings about the difficulty of letting go. Lyrics such as, “Mistakes like fractures— Hiding underneath the skin—Mistakes like fractures—Buried under all my sin,” relay Garris’ proclaimed struggle to let go of his past and move forward—a message I am sure many can relate to. His exclamations for “atonement” and “crying out to God” are tethered to the steadfast use of the thicker, lower end of the guitar strings—a style typically seen, and relied on, in the hardcore genre.
The song finally reaches its crescendo around the 2:40 mark with a slow, downtempo beat that hauntingly builds up, leaving the listener to feel an enormous sense of dread and excitement for the drop to come. Everything this song is meant to be, is unleashed at the very end of the song with Garris screaming, “God fell silent—When I cried out,” on top of screeching, pinched harmonics. With Garris’ last cry, every single inch of pent up anger, guilt and frustration is let loose (pardon the pun) at the end of this headbanger.
The band’s ability to relay the anxiety and urgency of forgetting one’s past and guilt, through both lyrics and musicality, allows the song to hit on many levels of emotion. One second you may find yourself lost in the past...and the next, you may be gearing up to start a mosh pit. Regardless of your emotional journey throughout the song, there is no doubt that by the time you reach the end, you will agree that the song does indeed solidify Knocked Loose’s status as a no- nonsense, band ready to bring the heavy to the masses.