Soup. A good one is an undeniable melding of different, simple flavors that become more than the sum of their parts. Whether it’s a gazpacho, pho, or regular old chicken noodle, taking everyday ingredients and combining them masterfully will result in a fucking wondrous experience.

Breathing Through The Wound is some absolutely, “are you fucking kidding me?”, delicious soup.

The UK ensemble of Splitknuckle have crafted together a cohesive album of various influences; hardcore, metal, crossover, thrash, beatdown, and more. In one moment I feel the controlled chaos of Behind The Sun (criminally underrated NJ band) and in the next I’m smacked in the fucking face with Years Spent Cold (criminally underrated beatdown NJ band). And then – what’s this? “Gethsemane”, a Twitching Tongues-esque delivery of heavy instrumentals with clean vocals that is sure to be a dark horse for everyone’s favorite track on Breathing Through The Wound? Like the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg on a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen.

Lyrically, there seem to be three distinct topics of interest for the SKC outfit. Personal messages of disdain, distrust, and distance, commentary on the social unrest across the world, and “this our crew, fuck you” type jams (chef’s kiss) – “Essex Kingz” is the perfect example with the added bonus of double time spitting ala E-Town Concrete.

One song that lyrically sticks with me is, “Stay Keeping Count” (technically the album closer before an outstanding cover of “The Sickness” originally written by fellow countrymen, Special Move). Reading along, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Tommy Rogers on “Alaska” and his lament of not being able to find the correct words to write a poignant, meaningful song. Joey Drake echoes those sentiments initially and as the song progresses, he calls out some of his own influences in Raekwon, Snoop, Sheek Louch, Knuckledust, Special Move, and more. The song continues with love given to contemporaries, their record labels, and the scene. It’s that hXc shit.

Musically, Splitknuckle is absolutely adept at crafting songs. With so many influences and styles, it could be easy for songs to go off the rails with moments of inconsistency or just fuck-off wankery. That does not happen here on Breathing Through The Wound. Individual song and overall album composition is at a premium with a flow that adds to the listening experience. Like Fabolous in the early 2000’s, Splitknuckle knows how to let the music breathe throughout. Song intros and outros, as on “We Share Blood (Not Love)”, are expertly executed and provide the listener with respite before another violent knife plunge.

If your reading comprehension skills are adequate, you can glean that I fucking loved this album. It is sure to remain in rotation for the entire year and I anticipate Breathing Through The Wound ending up somewhere on my Album Of The Years list for 2024. Kudos to Splitknuckle for this motherfucking masterpiece and big ups to Daze for releasing yet another fucking banger.

• Fav song: “Essex Kingz”

FFO: Using the word “cunt” freely, hardcore, metal, crossover, fish and chips, crews, breakdowns, two steps, hate, albums that start with songs called “Fuck Your Whole Life”.

Follow this fucking link to listen and while you’re there, fucking buy something from the band:

https://dazestyle.bandcamp.com/album/breathing-through-the-wound

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