Hardcore upstarts Year Of The Knife have released new song ‘Manipulation Artist.’ The song, which originally premiered on Revolver Magazine, is taken off the bands upcoming debut full-length, Internal Incarceration, out 7th August via Pure Noise Records. The Delaware-based band excels at crafting unrelentingly heavy, metal-influenced hardcore with deeply human and socially- conscious lyrics, and Internal Incarceration takes these strengths to new heights. Recorded by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Code Orange, Nails), the album sounds as raw and visceral as the subjects of its songs, which often find vocalist Tyler Mullen working through the challenges of loss, grief, and addiction with compassion to match the furor of the music.
‘Manipulation Artist‘ is a taunt cut of aggression and metallic riffs that culminates in one of Internal Incarceration‘s most vicious breakdowns. Speaking about the song the band said ‘This song is about questioning your own sanity while you are trapped in a cycle of abuse from a manipulative, toxic partner. One day of happiness overshadows the pain until it starts all over again.’
While Year Of The Knife’s lineup includes actual familial connections—the band is made up of Mullen alongside twin brothers Aaron and Andrew Kisielewski on guitar and drums, and husband and wife Brandon and Madison Watkins on guitar and bass—their approach to the band is rooted in the idea of chosen family. Year Of The Knife are motivated by an attempt to maintain control over their circumstances in the face of life’s many hardships, including the loss of family and friends to addiction. Madison explains, “Almost every straight edge person I know has been touched by loss. Those experiences can make you feel alone, but they’re something a lot of people within hardcore have gone through and can relate to. People that gravitate towards this music often have this darkness in their lives, but hardcore can be a beacon where they can find community and relief. It can be a really incredible outlet for getting that negativity out and finding people who understand you.” Internal Incarceration directly confronts that darkness, redirects it into music and lyrics, and provides the band with one of their most powerful traits: their ability to channel pain and aggression into something cleansing and connecting.
Internal Incarceration track list:
1. This Time
3. Stay Away
4. Manipulation Artist
5. Final Tears
6. Internal Incarceration
7. Premonitions of You
8. Though The Eyes
9. Sick Statistic
10. Eviction
11. Nothing To Nobody
12. Get It Out
13. DDM