Review | Koyo – Would You Miss It?

Label: Pure Noise Records

Koyo, the Long Island rockers, have revealed their debut full-length album. Fusing punk, hardcore, and emo, the band hit the ground running when they hit the music scene in 2020, formed of members from other bands such as Typecaste, Hangman, and Rain of Salvation.

‘Would You Miss It?‘ puts their trademark stamp on the genre at the forefront, kicking things off with opener’ 51st State.‘ A drum-heavy, fast-paced track that melds some of the best parts of the genres into an addictive song.

Lead by heavy guitars and an anthemic chorus, the following track, ‘You’re On The List (Minus One)‘, feels like a stronger version of their previous releases. The track was the album’s first single release and, if this one draws you in, then the following track is the one that keeps you listening.

‘Life’s a Pill‘ offers a more introspective look at some heavier themes. Written about a family member of Joey Chiaramonte’s who died of a drug overdose, it’s as soft as any song by a hardcore emo band can be. Similar to Bring Me The Horizon’s track ‘Drown‘, there’s a sense of catharsis to the song that makes it both heart-breaking and compelling.

The band increase the pace with the next few tracks: ‘Anthem‘ is a quick-fire track that leans into more the more metal sounds while ‘Flatline Afternoon‘, featuring Vien.fm’s Anthony DiDio, lures you in with a typical American rock sound before falling into a deeper, emo track that puts DiDio’s vocalists at the forefront.

Daryl Palumbo (frontman of the bands Glassjaw, Head Automatica and Color Film) and Vinnie Caruana (vocalist of The Movielife and lead singer-songwriter of I Am the Avalanche) also feature elsewhere on ‘Message Like a Bomb‘ and ‘What’s Left To Say‘ respectively.

Putting the state of New York firmly on the map, Koyo prove that they don’t compete, they associate. Coupling with other talented musicians is what makes the band, and subsequently this album, work so well.

Not restricted by genre or by similar bands, ‘Would You Miss It?‘ doesn’t pigeonhole itself but rather expands and takes on a new form completely.

There is no doubt that the quintet know what they’re doing. Chopping up and tearing apart the well-known parts of the different genres and meshing them together to create a stunning debut album. Let’s hope their sophomore album isn’t far behind.