Artist: Knuckle Up!
Album: Motivation From Misery
Genre: Hardcore
Label: Mediaskare

The hardcore scene is fantastic, it’s absolutely fascinating, I’ve never met a more tight knit group up people. They might not be the most accessible bunch, and they really don’t mind getting into a fight, but for the most part, they’re very nice people. And unfalteringly loyal, even to people they’ve never met before. In Boston, I had the opportunity to meet my share of old school hardcore guys, and I loved em, they were all nothing but nice to me, it’s like I was instantly family, for no real reason at all. It was probably thanks to my Converge tattoo, that usually sparked the conversation, but they always stuck around, and were just stoked to have a chance to talk about hardcore with a new friend. One time I talked to a dude from FSU for hours about the Boston hardcore scene, he had mostly wooden fake teeth, and was even still, missing a few others, but he was without a doubt, one of the nicest guys I’ve ever had the pleasure to talk to. He also backed me up in a fight I got into later that night, which was pretty cool of him, too. And of course, this isn’t exclusive to just Boston, all over the country, hardcore scenes are redefining what it means to be dedicated to music; from the way their live their lives, to the company they keep, to the music they make. Knuckle Up, out of New Jersey is the perfect embodiment of this hardcore lifestyle, they’re more than just a hardcore band, they’re the whole package. With their newest release, Motivation From Misery they have created a good old hardcore album full of songs to throw down to.

However, they might be just too much of the whole package; being too into the hardcore lifestyle, and not focusing enough on hardcore music itself. They present themselves more as a venue for a gathering of hardcore kids, a reason to have a show, than an actual deeply involved display of music. And so I’m sure their live shows are mind-blowing, but that isn’t what I’m reviewing; I’m reviewing Motivation From Misery. Of course, on the whole, it’s not an unlistenable album, it really keeps with standard hardcore ethics, and is actually a very quick listen, with 10 songs, only one of which breaking two and a half minutes in length – and only does so by three seconds – it’s kind of hard to get tired of an album that’s so short. But on the other hand, it’s not an incredibly dynamically interesting album, the entire thing basically serves as a mosh call. Songs like their single, “White Lighter” and the title track are enjoyable enough, but I can’t help but picture myself seeing Knuckle Up live while they’re playing it, wishing I was there. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’m just not convinced an album should leave me longing to see them live, in order to really do the songs justice. The album kicks off with “Lillypads”, a song whose intro could work perfectly as the beginning of a set. And the rest of the album follows suit, it works almost better as a set list than an album. It certainly is nice to have a good live show, but the music should be able to stand alone just as well.

I may never find myself at a party, talking to a guy twice my age about Knuckle Up, the same way I talked to the man with wooden teeth about Converge, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something to contribute to the hardcore scene. The whole tough guy hardcore scene just isn’t going to appeal to everybody, and honestly, it doesn’t really appeal to me either. I like hardcore, but for different reasons, I appreciate the respect I get from these type of guys, and I believe that most hardcore guys are genuinely nice people, but the whole tough guy front gets old after awhile. And so does Knuckle Up, at least in a recorded format, anyway. Next time they’re in town, I’d love to check them out, I’m sure I’d have a blast. But once again, with this review, I’m not concerned with that, I’m speaking in regards to the album itself, and in that sense, it left me wanting more. I felt like the album wasn’t complete unless I was seeing them live. So as a marketing tool for their tours, it was a success, but as an album? Not quite.

SCORE: 6/10
Review written by: Michael Hogan

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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