All photos, including header, by Takashi Konuma (@takashi_konuma)

Three cities.
Three nights.
Three unique shows.
Experimental metalcore project KNOSIS will keep you on your toes.

Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid) gives us the lowdown on KNOSIS’s latest One-Man Tour in Japan.

We promised a breakdown, so here is part 2.

RAD Nagoya 24th of July 2024

There is a different vibe walking into the RAD live house in Nagoya. The crowd is tight and the relaxed looseness that I found in the Osaka crowd is not as evident. The fans pretty much keep to themselves, sticking to more their little pockets of friendship groups rather than chatting with those they don’t know. For a crowd before a show, it almost feels too quiet. As a young man still in his work suit runs in though, the level of urgency starts to rise.

Once again the lights dim. The set list was a little different tonight, with the band firing the crowd up with their cover of Machine Head’s ‘Ten Ton Hammer’ before giving the new song ‘Fuhai’ its debut performance in Nagoya. Whatever worries I had about the Nagoya crowd not living up to the Osaka energy was quickly dissolved as the jam-packed venue started to get feral. The stage diving and crowd surfing started early, which gives you an idea of just how well the new song is being received.

When KNOSIS play Nagoya, a little magic happens. Whether it is from the crowd energy or the fact both times I’ve witnessed them here it has been day two of a three day run, but something about the bands energy also feels more unhinged.

The experimentation with the vocals and sounds was different from the previous show. There is a certain level of ferocity that the Nagoya audience tends to unlock from Ryo Kinoshita. I will also take the time here to say that watching Ryo perform over the years, this version of him feels different. Guitar in hand and wild smile across his face, it is a far cry from the almost demonic version we’ve seen possess the stage for the last decade.

Does this make his performance any less energetic and impressive? Absolutely not, in fact, it takes the energy to new heights. Instead of being fuelled by what seemed like anger, pain and aggression, his current energy feels like he is being propelled by excitement, happiness and glorious insanity. The energy of somebody who is truly free to reign down as much chaos as he wishes, rather than one looking as if he is battling the cage that he was confined in.

One thing to note, KNOSIS have always included covers in their sets and on this current run, aside from the Machine Head cover, this run they are playing a cover from 90’s Japanese hardcore/thrash band Nunchaku. The song, ‘3 コードで悪いか’ is a throwback to Ryo’s university days, where him and now KNOSIS drummer Moroishi ‘Moro’ Kazma used to play in a band and cover it. The old heads in the audience cheer as they become familiar with the song and again, the pit opens, inspired by the old school riffs. The punters in Nagoya spin kick and windmill like it is their day job, bringing a violent joy into the room.

Smashing through the rave section and the softer section of the set again, the perseverance of the band is noted. The hot weather of the day tends to take a toll, and while RAD has a particularly decent air-conditioning set up, the heat from all the active bodies makes this sixth-floor venue a humid mess. By the time they finish with ‘厄災-Yakusai’, the house lights come up quickly, in what felt like a desperate move on the bands part to avoid having to indulge a rowdy crowd the same way with their Fire Boys cover. Whether that was deliberate or not, the Nagoya fans respected the exhaustion of the beloved band- especially as the frontman lay on the stage after pouring his all into the 14-song set.

Much like the night before too, straight after their show, a merch sale/meet & greet happened and while this time I did not stick around to watch the end, I am almost certain that it went well into the night.

Because after that show, who wouldn’t want to take a moment to say thank you to the man who was able to bring everybody together like this?

KNOSIS will also be embarking on a regional tour in September, check the flyer below for dates.

Second round of applications are now open, head here for any updates, or alternatively, the bands social media channels. Nagoya is close to sold out, so get in quick.