Knotfest

Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW 25/03/23

After 11 years since inception, Knotfest has stormed Australia’s major eastern cities, leaving a wake of heavy metal destruction and metal fans screaming for more. The international festival was spawned in 2012 by American Heavy Metal band Slipknot, delivering to the world a multi-sensory music experience like no other. Selling out shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over three consecutive days, Australian ‘maggots’ and metal heads have finally received a taste of the renowned Heavy metal music tour- Knotfest is not for the faint hearted.

Centennial Park Sydney opened the gates to a concourse of foot soldiers on March 25th for the second installment of Knotfest Australia in 2023. Taking charge of the HEAVY roster, English hardcore band Malevolence hyped with an opening set including tracks such as ‘Self Supremacy’ and ‘Steel Waters Run Deep.’ Front man Alex Taylor commanded the early crowd with boundless energy, spinning circles with a single command.

A massive crowd followed when American powerhouse Nu-metal band Bad Omens made the stage, despite the vocal issues which occurred at the start of the Australian Tour. The band rolled through their set with ‘Concrete Jungle’ and ‘Artificial Suicide,’ finally fulfilling their down under performance to a warm welcome.

Australian metalcore band, Void of Vision backed up from their recent European tour and Friday Knotfest Melbourne hometown performance in Sydney with a ferocious and heavy sound. Lead singer Jack Bergin brought an aggressive masterclass of stage performance amongst his international peers with a ‘7 track setlist included ‘Into the Dark,’ ‘Vampyr’”and ‘Hell Hell Hell.

It was back-to-back Australian metalcore, fellow patriots Alpha Wolf dominating with ‘60cm of Steel’ and ‘Bleed 4 You.’ American Hardcore Knocked Loose boasted an energetic deliverance in spite of evident vocal strain from Bryan Garris following from Melbourne’s Knotfest Festival. Fans were relentless in knocking bodies in heavy agreement throughout the 30-minute set.

The only female front woman to adorn the stage was Courtney LaPlante of the Canadian Heavy post metal core band Spiritbox, with a teeming energy and unsuspecting presence. LaPlante’s transition of melodic hardcore vocals complimented her husband, guitarist Mike Stringers screaming guitar through ‘Circle with Me,’ ‘Yellowjacket’ and ‘Holy Roller.’

Story of the Year came punching onto the stage, causing a post punk crowd frenzy through a pumping and ruthless set including ‘The Antidote, ‘War’ and ‘In the Shadows.’ Dan Marsala proved himself as the hook man, inciting the crowd from fence to fence. Hailing from St Louis Missouri and off the back of their new album ‘Tear Me to Pieces’, Story of the Year ‘didn’t come here to fuck spiders.’

Swedish Heavyweights In Flames ruptured the stage with ex-Megadeth Guitarist Chris Broderick at the helm. The line-up of songs included , ‘Behind Space,’ ‘Only for the Weak,’ and ‘I am Above’ and also a release from their new album ‘Foregone, ‘State of slow decay.’

National Associates Amon Amarth threw up a show synonymous with their Swedish Metal sound, with two Viking Warriors flanking each side of the stage. Showcasing their need-worthy Amon Amarth merch, and with showman Johan Hegg at the reigns, Amon Amarth epitomize a blend of clean heavy sound and story telling, with anthems like ‘Guardians of Asgaard,’ ‘Shield War’ and ‘Raise your Horns.’ The heavens were literally opened by the melodic death metal as the rain started to fall upon the Sydney event.

Australia’s own Northlane played to their hometown crowd a set of 10 songs, including ‘Echo Chamber,’ ‘Carbonised’ and ‘Clockwork’. Their music is an innovative amalgamation of progressive and industrial metalcore and were welcomed onto the Knotfest stage by fellow local punters, in spite of the sheeting rain.

American Trivium are no strangers to an Australian tour and produced a crowd which embodied their following. The 45-minute set opened with parodical bangers in the moment such as ‘Rain,’ ‘Strife,’ and ‘Down from the Sky.’

The entire festival waited eagerly for Heavy Metal Veterans Megadeth to adorn the stage after 40 years dominating the Metal Music Business. Arriving to an army of attendees and unloading a set including ‘Peace Sells,’ ‘Tornado of Souls,’ ‘Holy Wars,’ and ‘Symphony of Destruction.’ Dave Mustaine spoke of his battle with cancer during the creation of their last album, tugging at heart strings with easy acceptance by the mass assemblage of heavy metal patrons.

Parkway Drive were a highly anticipated headliner for Knotfest and made mention to the honour of playing a festival of this calibre in their home country. They dispatched a 13-track onslaught onto Sydney, inclusive of ‘Prey,’ ‘Soul Bleach,’ and ‘Dedicated.’ The only band to encompass violin accompaniment which was haunting and emotion invoking. After a saturation of rain, the fire cannons warmed the crowd for the performance Australia had been waiting for.

Festival curators Slipknot are an institution, in their own right. Line-ups throughout the day for merchandise and the Slipknot Museum were a testament to an amass following. Never has an Australian Festival been privy to an expanse of devotees in capacitance of a single act. The Slipknot Banner finally dropped on the Sydney stage to reveal the 9-piece act to a barrage of ‘maggots’ and masses. Slaughtering the stage with a raucous of sound and sights and pure heavy metal sensory overload, the 13-track set and additional encore was the stuff metal fans froth for, made up of ‘Before I Forget,’ ‘Wait and Bleed’ ‘Dead Memories and ‘Psychosocial.’ Front man Corey Taylor paused the set to ensure the safety of fans who struggled in the behemothic mosh pit.

Knotfest have produced a counter-culture music experience unlike any other we have seen Down-under. The Slipknot Museum of masks and other memorabilia from their 25-year career produced line ups for devotees the chance to be up close and personal and to interact with the display of instruments. Three merchandise stands formed immense attraction for metal heads to grab a piece of the tour as keep sakes and conversation starters. The array of other merchandise outlets for those forgetting their sunglasses and other essentials and the popular Wrestle-Mania tent also proved drawcards, adding a point of difference to the average live music event. Notable to mention disability access to both the Ultimate Viewing Platform and the Disability Platform by event organisers and crowd participants who allowed for and assisted in all event accessibility

Destroy All Lines, TEG and Finely Tuned have proven to be an unstoppable force in live event production and Knotfest has set a new precedent. The Heavy Metal scene is both alive and well in Australia and if this was Knotfest, I think we are all on the edge of our seats for what will come next..

MFA would like to thank Janine from Dallas Does PR as well as organizers Destroy All Lines, TEG Live & Finely Tuned for having us along, Slipknot for their vision and for bringing what is arguably the best metal festival in the world to Australia and Caelin from the Slipknot Museum for her time and generosity in looking after us inside the perfectly curated exhibition.

Photography by MISH

Author Pieta Clarke

KNOTFEST