KNUT - Untitled EP
Hydrahead (2001)
Between 2000's Bastardizer (released in '98 overseas) and Knut's soon-to-be-released follow up, Challenger, we have this 4-song appetizer EP. Knut plays a very hard and heavy version of hardcore. And they have the punishing, slightly-mathy sound that people have come to expect from bands on the Hydrahead label. Tricky tempo changes and metal-esque chugging riffs lay the foundation for this Swiss band's sound. The vocalist wreaks much havoc on the microphone, while a slight distortion effect on his tortured gut-blasts makes the band sound even more earth shattering. Rarely does Knut get into a flow, since they're too busy worrying about sounding chaotic and keeping the listener guessing. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it's the one thing that makes the band interesting to listen to. It's a mid-paced, choppy feel that'll have your head swirling rather than bobbing. Coalesce and Converge quickly come to mind as comparisons, but Knut isn't as focused as Coalesce and they aren't as fast and buck wild as Converge. It's a somewhat duller, slower, middle ground.
With slight variations, all four songs sound about the same, and none of them are particularly memorable. The nearly-six-minute-long "You Deserve Me" is the standout, as it allows the band's power and anger to be fully fleshed out.
(6.5) Reviewed by Joe
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