_{Review By Cerrin Hendricks (@panicpreacher)}

Japanese modern metalcore supergroup KNOSIS, brainchild of former CRYSTAL LAKE vocalist Ryo Kinoshita alongside songwriter Yosh Morita of SURVIVE SAID THE PROPHET, have come out swinging with their debut full length album GENKNOSIS, a daring creative piece that blurs genre lines.

Following up on their 2023 record ETERNAL DOOM, the band builds on their established heavy and melodic sound with many, many twists and turns.

Intro track ‘GENKNOSIS‘ seems to set the stage for a more standard heavier affair, with tense and dissonant guitar lines building up to chaos, but the final lines of it are more telling than anything else:

“Know, that you know nothing about me.”

‘SHINMON‘ starts off in the same vein as the intro. The groove at the start of the song lures one into a false sense of familiarity, breaking into a faster and more chaotic deathcore inspired piece before diverting completely into operatic synthesized vocals backed by a lead line straight out of a science fiction series. The song brings it all back together for the ending breakdown, which is definitely going to be the cause of many broken living room items. Overall the song is a taster of the vocal chops this album brings forth, with Ryo handling all of the impressively layered parts in the studio.

In keeping with the theme of twists, ‘FUHAI’ offers an intense intro leading into a hip-hop inspired groove. The song keeps things eclectic with an awesome feature from Yukina, frontwoman of HANABIE., who delivers fast paced lines which end in a vocal duel between herself and Ryo, a highlight of the record. The track offers bursts of intense heaviness both digital and analog between the main groove which form into a sonic rollercoaster that keeps you entertained from start to finish.

‘YAKUSAI’ brings us back to more familiar melodic metalcore territory, with a moody chorus that provides a great contrast to the almost KNOCKED LOOSE style riffage and breakdowns between the melodies. The ending breakdown devolves into a digital hellscape, with Ryo diving straight into death metal territory. A focused and tight track that begs for multiple listens.

Changing up the pace, ‘SEISAI‘ starts off with an intense shift in tempo, before throwing another twist in the form of more epic synthesised vocals, with a chorus that washes over you against the harsh, almost industrial sound of the tracks heavier moments.

‘KURUIBI’ has one of the smoothest choruses on the record, with a big nod towards DEFTONES and other nu metal acts of the 2000s. The writing on this track is KNOSIS at full-throttle, with a perfect balance of heavy, melodic, catchiness and technicality. The track shows a depth of writing that I hope to see in future releases.

After such a wild ride, a palette cleanser is needed and ‘IMIONI’ delivers just that in the form of hip-hop inspired track that almost goes so far as to sound like noise-hop industry giants like CLPPNG and DEATH GRIPS. This then goes into one of the best chants on the whole record, clearly designed to inspire chaos in a live setting. The breakdown at the end of this track is nothing short of jaw-dropping, with the band dropping things and adding a wall of noise that seals the deal on this track standing out on the record.

‘DOKUNAMA’ brings some much needed melody back into the record, and sets us up for a very strong final quarter of the record. The melodies on this song are amazing, with clear nods to alternative rock groups such as JIMMY EAT WORLD in the pop sensibilities. The track still delivers heaviness, but it’s at its strongest when leaning into alt rock. There is no wonder that this song was released as a single to hype the album. A bold melodic move for a metalcore album and one that pays off immensely.

This melodic approach continues with ‘TANEBI’, a post-hardcore track with intense emotions framed by an uplifting melody. Anthemic and with an emphasis on feeling as opposed to technicality, this song feels like a celebration of all of the band’s collective influences.

Ending off the album on a surprisingly strong and somber note, ‘ANGETSU’ might be the best track of the entire album. The production, the progression and the lyrics all unite to bring across a slow burning track that gets better with every listen.

This album was a wild ride. A masterclass in making an eclectic album that doesn’t lose its focus and intent along the way and yet another testament to the current Japanese scene. There is no doubt that this release is going to make some major waves across multiple genres. It gets better with each listen and will keep climbing your rankings the more you listen to it.

9/10

_{GENKNOSIS is out August 1st through Sharptone Records.
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