‘Drink this eat that, to heal your broken soul’.
After what has turned out to be an horrendous few months for our friends Year Of The Knife, for them to unite and release this twenty minute spectacular is a feat only reserved for the elite. Those who push through strife, those whose determination is boundless and whose courage is something to behold, today I bring you ‘No Love Lost’ an album that is short in length but built like brick outhouse in stature, deft and agile, quickstepping into your souls.
The horrific accident that they suffered and survived shows human strength and mind over matter to pull through the toughest of circumstances.
Madi Watkins shuffles across from bass to take the mic and we see those deep growls, and guttural noises in action, animated and assertive in her stance and approach.
With shuddering breakdowns running through, the band completed by drummer and guitarist Andrew and Aaron Kisielewski, and Madi’s husband, Brandon also on guitar, you get a lean, sylphlike production, there is no room for frivolity here, just no nonsense hardcore, like a raging bull hardened by its environs. The single ‘Wish’ features Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg and ‘Last Laugh’ features Dylan Walker of Full Of Hell, both adding their own style of raw power and fortitude to the proceedings.
Revenge is on the cards with ‘Return The Agony’ we’ve all felt it at some point, some act on it and some sit back and wait for karma to do its thing. I love the lyric ‘you can hide, you can try to, better hope I never find you’ cut-throat and incisive, poised ready to attack, music to sharpen your talons to.
The final crushing number is the title track and with words like this ‘there’s only so much one body can take’ this hard as nails little production closes, leaving you with plenty to think about. For me, if YOTK can recover and come back with this, then our abilities and our competences definitely need challenging.
We all get to the stage in life when it’s time to count the cost, measure what you have achieved, commiserate what has strayed and in between all of that you’ll find you have accepted the cards you have been dealt and there is no love lost.
Azra Pathan
Year Of The Knife – No Love Lost out now