KNOCKED LOOSE release 'A Tear in the Fabric of Life' EP + animated short-film

Garris and co. challenge themselves and craft their most blood-curling effort yet.

Photograph by Perri Leigh

Fresh off of a cross-country tour with Gatecreeper, Kharma, and Magnitude (which we covered HERE), Kentucky's Knocked Loose surprise release A Tear In The Fabric Of Life via Pure Noise Records, the likes of which comes accompanied by a short film courtesy of Magnus Jonsson. Though the EP's lettering had been shared leading up to this past Friday's release, information was quite vague and the safe assumption was that of new music. Surely enough, A Tear In The Fabric Of Life delivers 6 heavy-hitters with some of the filthiest breakdowns known throughout the young hardcore's band discography. It's a thrilling listen that instills energy to anyone keen for a glimpse.

Garris comments on the EP:

“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.”

Director and animator Magnus Jonsson adds:

“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.”

---

Experience the EP and the accompanying film below and pre-order your copy HERE.

Cover Art by Ridge Rhine