Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry Team Up for Modern Rap-Rock/Nu-Metal Collaborative Single “Hive Mind” (Pure Noise Records)

Denzel Curry [front] pictured with Knocked Loose (CREDIT: Jared Leibowitz / SOURCE: Pure Noise Records)

Knocked Loose (sometimes, known as K//L) is a Kentucky-based Hardcore Punk/Metal-core band that has, arguably, gotten as big as an “underground” Punk-adjacent band can get without admittedly “selling out.” Yesterday, Knocked Loose shared their newest song, “Hive Mind,” featuring Denzel Curry on Pure Noise Records, of which news quietly leaked the night before on X/Twitter. As the pre-eminent, contemporary “Heavy” band, the new single sees K//L bringing Denzel Curry—a noted student of Hardcore & Metal, who made waves online with his celebrated cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade” back in 2019—into their world for a rare convergence of stars from Rock & Rap that is more than the sum of its parts. The song arrives with a music video directed by Eric Richter and Knocked Loose vocalist Bryan Garris (and with Curry sporting a bucket hat/SPEED shirt combo!) filmed in the band’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky at the iconic skate spot David Armstrong Extreme Park. Speaking about “Hive Mind,” frontman Bryan Garris shares, “this is something we've talked about doing for a long time. We wondered if we could pull it off and who would be down. In the very beginning, we said for it to work, it would have to be Denzel Curry. Because he “gets” it.” “Hive Mind” is the first new music from Knocked Loose following their highly-praised 2024 album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, which includes GRAMMY Award-nominated track “Suffocate” featuring Poppy. Upon its release, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To was praised by the likes of GQ, Forbes, The Guardian, The FADER, Revolver Magazine, Kerrang! Magazine, The Needle Drop, FLOOD Magazine. and Pitchfork, who stated in their 8.0 review that Knocked Loose has “amplified and concentrated their sound into something so potent that it has its own gravitational pull.”

You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To was produced by Drew Fulk AKA WZRD BLD (BearTooth, Disturbed, Lil’ Peep) and culminated in a culture-defining/rousing performance of “Suffocate” with Poppy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in late 2024. Later this year, Knocked Loose will perform at the Sick New World Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 25, 2026 and Dallas, Texas on October 24, 2026. In-between those festival appearances, they will support Metallica across select dates this summer, all of which can be found right here. Emerging in 2014 with their debut EP, Pop Culture, the Kentucky quintet has been sharpening the blade of their earnest song-writing and skull-melting musicality over the course of the last 10 years. In 2016, Knocked Loose released their debut album, Laugh Tracks, which features the track “Counting Worms” and in 2019, they released their sophomore album, A Different Shade of Blue, which saw the band continue to lean toward heavier and more challenging sonics. Knocked Loose currently consists of vocalist Bryan Garris, guitarists Isaac Hale & Nicko Calderon, bassist Kevin Otten, and drummer Kevin “Pacsun” Kaine. While it Curry’s first time working directly with a Punk/Hardcore band, he has, however, previously worked with a number of live bands and musicians, including BADBADNOTGOOD, F*CKED UP, Bad Brains, Robert Glasper, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Karriem Riggins, and his own backing band, The Cold Blooded Soul Band. It’s truly great to hear an emcee collaborate with a band that’s this heavy as a “mainstream”/major label release in 2026; cliché or not, “Hive Mind” instantly reminds me (for better or worse) of 2000 Rap-Rock compilation Loud Rocks, as well as the similarly-minded 1993 Judgement Night film soundtrack that famously featured collaborations from Teenage Fan Club & De La Soul, Sonic Youth & Cypress Hill, Dinosaur Jr. & Del The Funky Homosapien, and more. Let’s just hope that “Hive Mind” isn’t the last we hear from Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry together! Regardless, Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry’s “Hive Mind” is now available on the streaming service of your choice.