During his decade singing for Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake, Ryo Kinoshita was a hyperactive force – a man with enough charisma he could trigger moshpits during a soundcheck.
But offstage, at the height of his fame, he was struggling with a mental health condition called adaptive (or adjustment) disorder – an intense emotional or behavioural reaction to a stressful event.
In 2022, he quit the band, referencing his condition in a statement: “Sometimes everything becomes pitch black and you can’t move like a corpse,” he wrote.
“There were many times when I couldn’t stop crying before a live show.”
In Crystal Lake, I had to be a tough guy and behave a certain way, but not anymore. I’m free.
Ryo Kinoshita
Today, he tells Hammer that he was “going to give up my musical career and open a taco shop”.
But a phone call from long-time friend Yosh Morita (of Survive Said The Prophet) changed everything.
“He told me I had to keep writing music, and that I was a treasure of the scene. He dragged me out of it.”
With his friend’s support, Ryo put together the band that eventually became Knosis. It might share some similarities with Crystal Lake, but there’s one crucial difference: “I’m not trying to be a tough guy or someone else,” he beams.
“In Crystal Lake, it was like I was bound by a kind of silent understanding of being a metal singer… I had to be a tough guy and behave a certain way, but not anymore. I’m free.”
Debut album Genknosis is an exhilarating combination of metalcore and hyper-aggressive techno, punk, and industrial. Despite the darkness, the overall message is a positive one.
“The lyrical themes can be dark, but it’s about overcoming the negativity. I want everyone to feel motivated and live a better life,” Ryo says. “When I was in Crystal Lake, I was always asking, ‘Why don’t I have this?’ Now I don’t take anything for granted. I’m living a dream.”
Genknosis is out now via Sharptone.
IN SHORT
SOUNDS LIKE: Over-caffeinated metalcore gatecrashing an illegal rave
FOR FANS OF: The Ghost Inside, Atari Teenage Riot, Crystal Lake
LISTEN TO: Yakusai
