Heavy rock riffs and lush drumlines, high-energy rock and roll songwriting with pop-punk vocals that sound refreshingly genuine in the modern music climate. The Known Afflicted deliver an anthemic earworm of escapism, with the euphoric distortion and passion of RUN.
Slick riffs rise and resolve as a kind of call and response alongside short, snappy verse lines. The Known Afflicted take on a listing approach to storytelling at first, then inject longer-form statements for the pre-chorus, before exploding into life for the huge crescendo of RUN’s hook.
It’s a timeless set-up, and the band more than deliver the soul and precision combined to carry the sentiments and confidence of RUN through with dynamic and power.
Featuring an almost prog-rock middle-8 and a subsequently fearless guitar solo surrounded by space, the arrangement of RUN is just as engaging as the songwriting and performance, and the music proves essential in that process, particularly as we enter the chaos and immensity of the track’s final quarter.
An impressive debut, to say the least – a perfect balance of melody and weight, and a level of possibility that’s inspiring, energising, and addictive to let rain down around you.
RUN is a track from the 2026 album Perspective, and the project is brilliantly eclectic in everything from the creative drum patterns to the stories, genre fusions, and delivery.
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