Knife have done what many bands refuse to do: grow. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still heaps of Motörhead and Venom worship; plenty of gang chants and blackened vocals; oodles of speed metal chugging, heavy metal galloping, and thrash riffing; almost everything endearing about their debut still applies here and the changes are relatively minor, but they’re impactful. And taken together, they result in an album that’s more rewarding than I expected. It’s also why I chose to forge ahead with the review, despite my unforgivable tardiness. You see, in my early days of AMG lurking, I most appreciated the writers who willingly returned every few years to review the latest release from the same group. After all, who better to dole out an informed score than the unlucky scribe who’d committed themselves to documenting a single band’s successes and failures? It was with this lofty goal (and the fear of Steel) that I continued my Heaven into Dust review.
So what changes have Knife made? What hath two years wrought? On Heaven into Dust, we meet a band who’ve chosen to keep the olde metal chuggery while amping up the technicality. And they’re able to do that without succumbing to that most dastardly of all musical sins: bloat. Album opener “Hawks of Hades” bounces between different speeds and tones, taking its foot off the gas in all the right places without losing momentum. “Night Vision” follows up with an Iron Maiden bass gallop that’s capped off by a buzzy solo. Two songs in, and it’s already clear Knife made a concerted effort to hone their musicianship and songwriting chops, lending more dynamism than was present on their debut. “With Torches They March” introduces us to the slower side of Knife and further proof of the band’s willingness to expand their sound. Indeed, Knife happily jump from blackened speed to hard rock to heavy metal to hardcore punk seamlessly, lending even some of the less engaging tracks their own character. This approach is perhaps most apparent on closing tune “No Gods in the Dark,” which kicks off with plenty of rollicking speed metal and a shouted chorus before delving into an unexpected interlude, featuring double bass over some choice four-string plucking and a slower, more melodic riff.
Yet for all of these strengths, Knife unearthed an unexpected weakness. When they embraced musical growth, they also happened to sacrifice just a touch of that immediacy that so gripped me on their first album. This is hardly a deal breaker, and I dare not fault a band for evolving into a better version of themselves. But there’s a middle ground that could have been reached here; one that displayed their technical prowess and growing dynamism while still holding onto enough of that raw, brash quality that addled my child-like brain. Picky? Perhaps. But the point stands because I’m also convinced Knife have everything they need to find that balance.
As late as this review is, I stand by the necessity to get it done and’ posted. Did my explanation read like one of those overlong, self-indulgent intros to a recipe you find online? Definitely. But Knife delivered a platter that deserves your attention (regardless of the date), and I’m glad I can continue following them on their journey. So when you give Heaven into Dust a whirl, feel free to curse me for not cluing you in sooner to such a blasphemous good time.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: (Stream) | Format Reviewed: (Stream)
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: knifemetal.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/k.n.i.f.e.official
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2023
