If ever there was a way to get fans excited for your biggest UK show to date, Knocked Loose announcing a surprise gig taking place three days beforehand was one way to do it! 500 lucky souls got to pack out a sweaty Underworld to join the Kentucky hardcore kings for “A Special Evening of Violence” with no barrier and stage dives galore, however tonight it’s time for a sold-out 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy to get a piece of that action.
This evening’s show marks the official start of the band’s touring for 2025, coming off a momentous year that saw them put out acclaimed third album ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ to plaudits from across the music industry, scare mainstream America with their visceral performance on Jimmy Kimmel, and receive their first Grammy nomination. The tour package they’re taking out with them on this run of UK and EU shows is a mix of exciting names from across hardcore’s subgenres, both old and new.
“This may be the biggest stage we’ve ever played” exclaims Pest Control vocalist Leah Massey-Hay midway through their set. You wouldn’t have thought that was the case with how at home the Leeds quintet look and sound on said stage, as the openers rip through their back catalogue of headbang-inducing crossover thrash bangers. It’s a performance which cements their reputation as one of UK Hardcore’s rising stars.
Following them, Harm’s Way waste no time turning Brixton Academy into a cacophony of noise, with vocalist James Pligge a hulking presence as he stalks across the stage, clenched fists pumping, as the band’s chugging riffs reverberate around the room. The Chicago crew are the closest thing to no-nonsense hardcore on the bill, however the droning menace of slower-tempo ‘Temptation’ showcases their more industrial side, ending their crushing set on the crowd-pleasing ‘Infestation’ that sees Pligge bust out his infamous “Running Man” two-step.
The cheer that goes up as Basement’s backdrop is raised tells you the regard that the Ipswich post-hardcore group are held in. Tonight is their first performance in the English capital in over six years and the reaction they receive is one of cathartic release from those in attendance, who sing every word of ‘Whole’ back at vocalist Andrew Fisher with gusto. While they are the most melodic of tonight’s four acts, that doesn’t take away from the sea of movement on the floor, with bodies bouncing across the room. The biggest singalong is saved for closer ‘Covet’, as the crowd belt out the opening vocal hook in one united voice in celebration of one of the UK scene’s fan favourites.
As the lights go out – save for those on the iconic crucifix from the ‘You Won’t Go…’ album cover at the back of the stage – the eerie intro of ‘Thirst’ sets the tone before Knocked Loose unleash the full force of their fury onto the capacity crowd. The sheer explosion of sound from the stage as Bryan Garris’ vocals pierce the air underlines the heft behind their newest material, while ‘Deep In The Willow’ sees his call of “From the bottom to the top, say my fucking name” met by the deafening response of “KNOCKED LOOSE MOTHER FUCKER”.
The frontman of Oldham County’s finest darts about the stage throughout proceedings, leading the way in directing the sea of chaos that erupts on the floor as multiple pits open up from back to front. The tsunami of crowdsurfers that claw their way towards the barrier during ‘Don’t Reach For Me’ looks more like a zombie horde, with guitarist Isaac Hale also delighting in riling the crowd into a frenzy throughout the night.
Live staples including ‘Mistakes Like Fractures’ and ‘Deadringer’ are met with glee, but this evening is truly about the Kentucky outfit showing off their newest album, with all but one of its tracks getting an outing. The feeling when you press play on the record that you’ve been transported into the soundtrack for a haunting slasher-film translates to the live environment, from the sub-one-minute assault of ‘Moss Covers All’ to the flashing red strobes that accompany the unsettling build of guitar and drum fills during ‘Take Me Home’.
While everyone gets a respite as the band head offstage to take a breather following ‘Everything Is Quiet Now’, it’s a short one at that, as impending riffs signal the start of ‘Blinding Faith’ and with it a ferocious final run of song. Garris drags out his guttural pig squeal during said track for an impressive length of time, whilst it wouldn’t be Knocked Loose show without the entire room belting out “Arf Arf” at the top of their lungs for the iconic ‘Counting Worms’. Loathe’s Kadeem France turns up for a quick guest spot during a blistering final verse of ‘Billy No Mates’ whilst Grammy-nominated ‘Suffocate’ sends the crowd into an all-out frenzy.
Before closing the night on ‘Sit & Mourn’, Garris comments that, “this is day one of our touring for the year, and you have set the bar high for the rest of this year”. In truth though, the same can be said about Knocked Loose themselves after this evening’s display of excellence. The Kentucky crew’s meteoric rise has significantly raised the bar their peers in hardcore & metalcore should aspire to, showing them all what can be achieved without the need to compromise on the heaviness of their sound – if anything doubling down on that aspect. The end result is an early contender for gig of the year, whetting the appetite for those with tickets to Outbreak Festival this summer when they return to decimate these shores once again.
WORDS: BRAD STRATTON
PHOTO: JARED LEIBOWITZ