Knosis

Knosis are a Japanese experimental metal project formed in 2022 by former Crystal Lake vocalist Ryo Kinoshita and Yosh Morita, frontman of Survive Said The Prophet. Although Kinoshita is the project’s public face, the two share songwriting and production duties, working through Morita’s production collective, The Hideout Studios. Their collaboration dates back to 2020, when they began writing music together during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially as a personal outlet for Kinoshita. Following his departure from Crystal Lake in September 2022, those recordings developed into Knosis, with a flexible live line-up rather than a permanent conventional band.

Knosis made their recording debut in 2023 with ‘SEISAI’, followed by the three-track EP ‘The Shattering’ in March and ‘THE ETERNAL DOOM’ that November. Their music combines the crushing breakdowns and guttural vocals of metalcore and deathcore with industrial noise, hardcore punk, nu-metal, and electronic dance music. Kinoshita draws heavily on video games, particularly Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series, for lyrical imagery and song titles. The project’s name and recurring serpent imagery also reference religious concepts of knowledge and self-discovery, interests Kinoshita has discussed extensively in interviews.

In September 2024, Knosis signed with American label SharpTone Records and released ‘FUHAI’, featuring Yukina of HANABIE. Their debut full-length album, ‘GENKNOSIS’, followed on 1st August 2025, combining reworked material from their earlier EPs with newer tracks including ‘SHINMON’, ‘DOKUNUMA’, and ‘ANGETSU’. Across its ten tracks, Kinoshita confronts personal struggles and the pressures of his previous career, while moving between punishing metal arrangements, electronic experimentation, and unexpected melodic passages. Knosis have also collaborated with metal YouTuber Nik Nocturnal, covering Creepy Nuts’ ‘Otonoke’ in 2024 and releasing the nu-metal single ‘All Wrong’ with streamer and musician MoistCr1TiKaL in 2025.

Knosis began touring internationally in 2023, supporting Stray From The Path across Europe and the UK, and have since performed throughout Japan, Australia, and Europe. Their live shows bring Kinoshita together with musicians from Japan’s hardcore and metal scenes, translating the studio recordings into an aggressive, crowd-focused performance. In May 2026, they joined Paledusk’s first European and UK headline tour, including a sold-out London performance at The Dome. The standalone single ‘Kushizashi’ arrived in July 2026, their first new music since ‘GENKNOSIS’, as the project continued an extensive schedule of Japanese headline shows and festival appearances.