Earlier than the primary lyric even touches the observe, KNARD makes use of uncooked, speaker-straining abrasion in Autonomy to intestine the gloss from fashionable alt electronica. There’s no warning, no easing in, only a full-throttle sonic incursion that would have fallen from the again catalogue of early Prodigy. Then, like a ghost punching by way of static, the vocal melody swoops in with evocative precision, sweeping the mechanical chaos into one thing surprisingly affecting.
With the identical melodic draw as acts like Zeromancer and Celldweller, KNARD distils the angst of our overstimulated digital minds into one thing much more lucid. Then, simply if you suppose the mud has settled, a barrage of chugged nu-metal licks slams by way of the combo with all of the power of a head-on collision. The surprising Contaminated Mushroom-esque association twists actuality once more, particularly when the turntables screech in and nod unflinchingly in direction of Slipknot’s sonic carnage.
It’s a launch from an artist who clearly isn’t eager about enjoying the industrial recreation. Since ditching formulaic electronica and aligning extra with the uncooked expressions typically present in activism and underground scenes, KNARD, identified offstage as Damien Aleister McCoy, has used music to excavate psychological wreckage and mold it into catharsis. With a efficiency historical past that features MAGFest, Massive Dub, and Dreamscape Competition, KNARD has been constructing a rep for unleashing this type of visceral aural riot to crowds who need their partitions rattled and minds realigned.
Autonomy is now accessible on all main streaming platforms, together with Spotify.
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Assessment by Amelia Vandergast