Knocked Loose Brings Barks And Chaos To Houston

Last week, White Oak Music Hall hosted yet another sold-out jam packed show featuring metal-core gurus Knocked Loose. Joining alongside them was Show Me The Body, Loathe, and Speed. As someone who’s seen Knocked Loose a handful of times, I already knew what craziness and chaos was in store for the night ahead. I mean… let’s be real…this show was sold out for a reason. The dimly lit room was filled with metal heads in band shirts, thick eyeliner, and even…. camo shorts? The atmosphere crackled with electrifying energy as fans waited for the festivities to begin with adrenaline pumping through their veins for their chance to get to moshing.

As the venue buzzed with chatter of eager fans, the stage went dark and joining us was opening band Speed. Speed is an Australian hardcore punk band with a whole lot of riffs, intense screams, and mosh ready tunes. They played songs including “Bug Bite”, “Shut It Down”, “We See You”, and “Not That Nice” – setting the bar high and filling the crowd with their first dose of energy. After their set, it was time for UK originated band Loathe to set the stage. Loathe was formed in 2014 and now mainly known for their Deftones-like vibe with their unique blend of emotional depth and somewhat industrial fused sounds. Playing popular songs including “Dance On My Skin”, “Screaming”, “Is It Really You?”, and more, the band members really gave this set their all, and fed off the energy that the crowd was giving them.

Loathe definitely continues to push their own boundaries, throwing out these somewhat haunting yet romantic sounds filled with all different layers of emotions… I am definitely glad I was able to hear them play live. These dudes are only going to continue to grow and with the pace they are at now, they will be huge in no-time.

Next up we had NY based “Post Hardcore” and “Punk Rap” band Show Me The Body. Another band I’ve never listened to before (don’t ask me how cause i truly have no idea) and was curious of how they were going to compare to the two bands before them and the obvious Knocked Loose after them. See, that’s the type of observer I am.. I like to determine if the lineup was in the right order or not LOL. Does anyone else do that? Anyways, The lights again went dark with bright blue back lights and fog, and here walked out the dudes in Show Me The Body. This must be where all the camo attire came from as they walked on stage rocking their own camo shirts and pants. It all made sense now and either way, I thought it was quite charming. “Loose Talk”, “Madonna Rocket”, and “Body War” were among the songs chosen for their set that night and honestly, I was a tad disappointed in the crowd during their time on stage. The mood kind of shifted, and I’m not sure if it’s because they were a little bit of a somewhat “mellower” band compared to the others? Who knows… But Show Me The Body did put on a great performance, i do feel as if they maybe should have come on earlier in the night… but it is what it is.

After Show Me The Body’s more “ chill” set, it was finally time for what 89% of us attendees were waiting for… Kick Ass MF’ing KNOCKED LOOSE! And yes, that’s really the only way I know how to say their name. As mentioned before, Ive been able to see these geniuses live four times now and each time I swear they were even better than the time before that. This is just one of those bands that continue to just absolutely blow my mind, rather it’s with their new releases, new live performances, or just whatever shenanigans they present to us. For those who don’t know, Knocked Loose is a hardcore punk band stemmed from good ol’ Kentucky USA and known for their unrelenting aggression and chaotic energy. Since their formation in 2013, these dudes have established one hell of a name for themselves and became a true force in the modern metal-core scene. Continuing to release sick tracks after sick tracks, their fan-base is consistently on the rise, and rightfully so, as they stand their ground and make their mark in this world. The stage was set with their usual greenery along with their new and huge hanging cross showcased right in the middle of the back stage looking just like it did in their newest album cover ‘Blinding Faith’. Speaking of, the first song presented to us as they joined the stage was “Blinding Faith” and you could tell they were thrilled to be playing it live for us as their opening track.

Continuing with “Mistakes Like Fractures”, “God Knows”, and “Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory”, it was almost like a door just opened of wild cattle, as the room filled with mosh pits after mosh pits, crowd surfers after crowd surfers, and your other typical craziness that was expected to come at a Knocked Loose show. It was almost as if everyone was waiting for these chaos doors to open, so they could finally release all of that built up energy. This is exactly what to expect at a show with these dudes… nothing less. “Where Light Divides The Holler”, “Suffocate”, and everyone’s favorite for obvious reasons “Counting Worms” rang through the ears of the crowd and best believe, every single person in that room let out that iconic “arf arf”. Knocked Loose as always, knows exactly how to get everyone on their feet, hands in the air, and headbanging like a MF. I swear I haven’t head-banged that hard in a hot minute. My head and neck was sore for at least 3 days after that show… Totally worth it though. Ending the night with more rounds of breakdowns along to “Deep In The Willow” and “Everything Is Quiet Now”, They really gave us Houston folks the time of our lives.

Knocked Loose continues to deliver legendary live performances while chewing us up and spitting us out and leaving us fans completely exhilarated and breathless. It was a night destined for chaos, barks, and one hell of a time- and that’s exactly what took place.