Knoll – As Spoken (Review)

This is the third album from US grindcore band Knoll.

Following on from 2022’s blistering Metempiric comes As Spoken, its 41-minute follow up. On their new record Knoll have continued to push their punishing sound forward, embracing the nihilistic darkness more than ever.

As Spoken‘s devastating attack is a hideous strain of venomous blackened deathgrind, shot through with clawed dissonance, cold merciless noise, formidable doom, and harsh sludge viciousness. Knoll’s music is smothered in claustrophobic and oppressive atmosphere. The music is brutally malignant, delivering untamed sonic violence, while never losing its menacing, sinister air.

On average, the song lengths have been expanded on As Spoken, although Knoll have always had longer, more involved tracks. As Spoken simply moves the needle further forward, allowing the band to experiment with mood and intricacy in greater depth, all the while still revelling in the caustic deathgrind carnage that’s their bread and butter.

Get past the album’s savagery, (if you can), and you’ll discover a very well-crafted collection of tracks. Knoll’s songwriting skills have improved, making for new material that’s more engaging, more textured and layered, and more satisfying overall. Despite how malefic their past work undoubtedly is, As Spoken finds Knoll descending another level of Hell, and they sound all the better for it.

As Spoken is a ferociously intense album, played in a deliciously horrific hybrid style that Knoll are close to perfecting. Bleak and unforgiving, As Spoken is an essential listen for connoisseurs of harsh underground extremity.