REVIEW: Kaonashi – I Want to Go Home [2025]
Artist: Kaonashi
Album: I Want to Go Home
By now, Philly-based emotional mathcore outfit Kaonashi are no strangers to the scene—their unique blend of everything from punchy progressive metal to emotive post-hardcore and metalcore is hard to miss, and even harder to emulate. Rapidly rising as one of heavy music’s most unique and authentic acts, Kaonashi have been putting their collective nose to the grindstone for over a decade now by way of several pivotal EPs and a seminal full-length record in Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year, its just about impossible to say you haven’t heard of them (but if you haven’t, there’s your introduction). Now, nearly ten years from the start of an iconic storyline by way of Jamie B. Moore, Casey Diamond, Morgan Montgomery and The Counselor, Kaonashi are bringing the Lemon House saga to and end with I Want to Go Home, an incredible, introspective, diverse and unmistakable record that truly only Kaonashi could craft. I Want to Go Home is a retrospective of all that Kaonashi has become since Native, drawing from the brazen aggression of The Three Faces of Beauty: A Violent Misinterpretation of Morgan Montgomery, the dancy late-2000s emo synth pop of A Second Chance at Forever: The Brilliant Lies from Casey Diamond and of course, the mischievous and unpredictable progressive metalcore antics of Dear Lemon House. The result is bar-none the band’s finest effort to date, spanning the vast variety of Kaonashi’s styles and influences smoothly and naturally, leaving no stone—emotional or instrumental—unturned.
I suppose I should start the review proper with a disclaimer: I don’t discuss elements of the Lemon House storyline in any reviews, so if you’re looking for spoilers—or to avoid them—you’ve been warned.
Since Native, and certainly its follow-up Ex-Prayers, Kaonashi have been a thoroughly unique band in just about every capacity—this is especially true of their instrumentation. I Want to Go Home sees Kaonashi at their heaviest, but also among their spaciest and most ambient, all in a way that flows perfectly and makes sense. At the heart of the band’s manic musical stylings is percussionist Ryan Paolili and guitarist Alex Hallquist. Whether its the murky, late-2000s breakdowns that define ominous introductory track “Confusion in a Car Crash” and “Elephant in the Room (If You Can Keep a Secret)” or the stuttering, unpredictable swells into highly-danceable cuts like “The Sanguine I: Nevermind, Narcissist” or “The Sanguine III: Auditorium Annihilation.” Or—if you can imagine—the tracks that do it all, namely, “Slower Forms of Suicide.” Here, rip-roaring blast beats and dismal, dissonant chords evoke a densely blackened metallic soundscape, thrown into harsh juxtaposition against bouncy, prog-inclined riffs and raw, metallic hardcore breakdowns that throw the listener into a blender of styles, sounds and influence and smashes the “start” button. “When I Say” is another example of extreme dynamism within Paolili and Hallquist’s instrumentally excellence; a soaring chorus reminiscent of 2000s-2010s post-hardcore shines against raw, emotive verses that blend metalcore in with a bit of the intangible je ne sais quois that defines Kaonashi. In this way, I Want to Go Home serves as the definitive example of Kaonashi’s instrumental skills and stunning capacity for jaw-dropping songwriting. There is no stone left unturned when it comes to taking a remarkable of influences that might—on paper—seem disparate, but in practice work outstandingly well.
When it comes to describing the vocal element of Kaonashi, I usually have to issue another tedious disclaimer mentioning that frontman Peter Rono’s voice is divisive to say the least—and sure, it is, but at this point, if you’re here and reading this, you know it, and you probably get it. Rono’s voice stands as one of the most unique, distinguishable and emotive that heavy music has to offer. Whether its the tortured screams at the end of “Fairmount Park After Dark,” the incredible way he weaves his lyrics, vocals and emotion into jarring dialectic conversations across “Fly on the Wall (A Sidewalk Painted Orange Around Your Feet)” and “Elephant in the Room (If You Can Keep a Secret)” or his ability to span the vast soundscapes Kaonashi creates with their dynamic musicianship, he is a key component to Kaonashi’s success on I Want to Go Home. And—get ready for it—he isn’t alone! Joined by Piantini Toribio of Newcomer and Anthony Green of Saosin and L.S. Dunes fame, Rono once more brings some choice guests to the fold to help fill out the Lemon House saga. This isn’t to say they’re needed, however, as while they add outstanding elements to the record and depth to “Fairmount Park After Dark” and “J.A.I.M.E.” respectively, Kaonashi’s native vocal approach is stunning to say the least. Whether you love or hate Rono’s vocal style, his skill when it comes to emotive screaming, soaring singing and outstanding lyricism can’t be overstated.
It’s tough bidding farewell to Lemon House—after all, it isn’t a stretch to surmise that some younger kids just getting into heavier music may very well have grown alongside some of these characters. But amid the joy, heartache, pain, violence, anger and introspection the story has brought us, it has also given us the discography of one of metalcore’s most dynamic, unique and engaging bands—one that has shown us time after time that they refuse to standardize or shrink themselves or their sound to fit in a box, and I Want to Go Home is outstanding evidence of this. Kaonashi’s storytelling—both through intricate, prog-tinted instrumentation that oscillates manically between aggressive fervor and emotional bluster and vocals, lyrics and themes that…well, do the same thing, frankly. This is especially abundant on the “Fly on the Wall”/”Elephant in the Room” one-two punch that not only sees Kaonashi establishing a brilliant dialectic, but also sees the entirety of the Lemon House saga come to a ruthless and menacing head–through two of the band’s best songs to date. I Want to Go Home is a masterwork from a band that refuses to be anything but themselves—because the best part about being yourself is that you can’t do it wrong.
10/10
For Fans Of: The Callous Daoboys, ‘Sabella, Despised Icon, Coheed and Cambria, Saosin
Connor Welsh
