Album review: Knumears – Directions

The somewhat under-represented skramz scene has been blossoming for some time now, throwing back to the screamo sounds of the ’90s and early 2000s. With this has come the inevitability that a fantastic new band would, eventually, explode out into the wider world of heavy music. Knumears could be that band.

Armed with a plethora of hoarse shrieks and frantic guitar lines, and joined by legendary producer Jack Shirley – most notable for producing Deafheaven’s acclaimed Sunbather – the trio mould the melting pot of influences they’ve taken into an earnest, heartwrenching LP that feels as raw as a good debut should, but with the writing ability of a band far beyond their years.

There's a real mastery of keeping their music teetering on the edge of tearing itself apart at the seams, while still holding it together from beginning to end. As My Name and Breaking Ground flow into each other, the tumultuous chaos ebbs and flows into clearer points of melancholy, while never giving quite enough room for the listener to relax. The album seethes and roils within itself, to the point that Fade Away can barely contain the anguished cries within, and even finale The North, with its simpler, sadder finish, is bursting at its bindings.

Taking the atmospheric mastery of Deafheaven and fusing it with the raw, abrasive screams and chaotic rhythms of screamo could well have made for too much, and too dense a sound. Instead, Directions feels focussed and fully formed. Even from the simplicity of the aptly-named Introduction, the weight of emotion entrenched within the music feels deeply palpable and connects instantly.

Directions is a statement of intent from a band displaying huge ability and potential. Chaos and technique are fused expertly across an emotionally devastating album that feels nothing like a debut, but rather a profound return to form from seasoned veterans back to their best.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Portrayal Of Guilt, Birds In Row, Deafheaven

Directions is released on April 3 via Run For Cover