Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week the top spot goes to “Deep in the Willow” by Knocked Loose.
Hardcore has come a long way over the past few years. From its origins as a relatively rote descriptor for the more extreme side of punk rock, hardcore can now be found in Taco Bell commercials as bands expand the genre’s sonic boundaries into the realms of pop and alt-rock. It’s gotten to the point where it’s reasonable to ask, “Is this even hardcore anymore?”
Knocked Loose are among the crop of bands that have brought mainstream attention to the hardcore scene by playing with a loose definition of the genre, incorporating metalcore and death metal. Perhaps that’s why frontman Bryan Garris made a point to emphasize that the band’s new double single is a heater.
“‘Deep in the Willow’ and ‘Everything Is Quiet Now’ are a reminder that we are heavy, intense, and extreme,” he said.
There seems to be some venomous sarcasm behind Garris’ remarks, as if he’s directly addressing anyone who has questioned whether Knocked Loose are — quote-unquote — heavy, intense, and extreme. His comments are superfluous considering the uncompromisingly harsh nature of both tracks. Either would have been a worthy pick for our SOTW, but we chose the A-side “Deep in the Willow” for its front-to-back claustrophobic assault of dissonant panic chords, beatdown drumming, and unhinged vocals.
Honorable Mentions:
Alice Cooper – “I’m Alice”
At long last, Alice Cooper has recorded his own theme song. “I’m Alice” is a completely over-the-top celebration of Alice Cooper the band, the man, and the character — as it should be. Appropriately, the shock-rock legend was backed by his trusty touring lineup for the song and newly announced studio album Road. Hearing virtuosic axe-wielder Nita Strauss shredding all over an Alice Cooper studio cut is particularly satisfying.
Mutoid Man – “Siren Song”
Following an excellent lead single, Mutoid Man are back with another solid track from their forthcoming album Mutants. “Siren Song” is a compact rocker that gives the band’s supergroup lineup (Cave In guitarist/vocalist Steven Brodsky, Converge drummer Ben Koller, and High on Fire bassist Jeff Matz) ample time to pop off some instrumental fireworks. It’s a shreddy little tune and should satiate fans of each member’s respective full-time project as well as the target stoner-metal audience.
Starbenders – “We’re Not OK”
Starbenders are an Atlanta-based band sporting a throwback glam look, but their latest single “We’re Not OK” is far from being an anachronistic retread. The song’s hyper-catchy vocal hook and dreamy atmospherics are beguiling and distinctly modern, recalling the likes of True Widow and Autolux — kinda heavy, kinda pop, and kinda hard to pin down genre-wise.