Oldham hardcore quintet Knocked Loose have surprise dropped a brand new six-track EP titled A Tear in the Fabric of Life. Alongside the sudden release, the group shared a 21-minute animated short film, written by vocalist Bryan Garris and directed/animated Magnus Jonsson. You can view the short film below.
A Tear in the Fabric of Life, produced by long-time Knocked Loose producer Will Putney, expands on the narratives hinted at on 2019’s hit record, A Different Shade of Blue, the group’s sophomore full-length that helped cement them as one of heavy music’s most prominent acts.
With quarantine upending their extensive touring schedule — “we’ve kind of been consistently on the road since 2014,” says Garris — the group found themselves in early 2020 sequestered near their hometown of Louisville, in Oldham County, Kentucky. By June, they were hunkered down in a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, focused on writing a concept album. By the end of September they had finished recording A Tear in the Fabric of Life.
In speaking on the EP’s story and themes, Garris revealed “It’s a story about extreme grief and the levels a person is willing to go through to get rid of it. The story follows a main character through a traumatic car crash late one night in the woods that leaves his partner deceased, and from there you spiral with him into the depression and guilt that comes with being the cause of something so detrimental.
“This is the first time we really dove in and tried to create something sonically that evokes a different range of emotions and over all something that introduces tension and anxiety with a massive pay off. The story is told not only through words but through the music as well, which proved to be our biggest challenge in writing. Lyrically this story ended up being much more personal than we initially intended.
“We started with the idea to tell a fictional story but throughout the process, I found ways to incorporate real feelings of loss and mourning, as well as anger and self doubt. I’ve always been a very personal writer and this was originally a step away from that, into something more artistic. But in the end, it was just as therapeutic as writing a regular Knocked Loose record, and I think you’ll be able to hear that.”
In addition, director and animator Magnus Jonsson tells, “I always want to create something that complements the music, works within its structures and hopefully enriches the experience for the audience. With a longer format around 21 minutes, covering 6 tracks, I knew this dark ghost story was a very interesting challenge to explore in animation. I took the story presented in the songs and anchored that into a visual world.
“I wanted to create an intense nightmare, focusing on the emotional states of Bryan’s main character. I created visuals that bring the audience deeper into this story of a spiraling descent into horror and destructive madness — Taking a minimalistic and sometimes even abstract approach to many parts of the image making, creating unease and an eerie atmosphere.”
A Tear in the Fabric of Life is available digitally at 8pm tonight via Pure Noise Records, and you can stream/purchase the EP, as well as find tickets for the group’s upcoming UK co-headlining tour with Terror here. Vinyl is currently available for pre-order, and can be found here, set for a December 17th release date. Further, you can view the EP’s official artwork and track listing below. For all things Knocked Loose, metal and music in general, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.
TRACKLIST:
1. Where Light Divides the Holler
2. God Knows
3. Forced to Stay
4. Contorted in the Faille
5. Return to Passion
6. Permanent