Fuck, I'm really slow at posting shit lately. I'm sorry! So yeah, Knotfest was the day after my trip (which I will post more about in the coming days). As they say, there's no rest for the wicked!
It was by far, the best run festival that has ever come to Australia! Bad Omens was the first band I saw after picking up some merch as soon as I arrived. Holy shit, these guys are going to be massive! They played for 30 minutes, and it was nowhere near enough! Noah's voice was shot, but he managed to put on a vocal performance of Metal God proportions! The setlist was great, and each member put on an epic performance.
The next band I was keen to see was Spiritbox. Here's another band that if they manage to stick together, will headline these festivals someday! Courtney is an absolute monster on the vocals! And the stage presence that she and her band mates possess is nothing short of spectacular! Fuck they are heavy, so so heavy.
Next up was an old Pop Punk/Emo band that I love. Story of the year! These guys were the odd band out! Everything else was metalcore/thrash/melodeath. Anyway, they were full of energy and were one of the highlights of the day! They did all those classics from back in the early naughties and even the new stuff was pretty cool. It was great to see a more light-hearted band while the sun was at it's warmest.
Then we started to get into the meaty stuff! In Flames were next. It's gotta be said Chris Broderick (ex-Megadeth) has given In Flames a new lease of life. The new stuff sounds huge live, and he adds a nice punch to the older songs. They played the song Lunar Strain, which was fucking š„š„š„.
Next up, Amon Amarth! I had to sit down for them, as the sun was searing and I needed water. The sound was so good that it didn't even matter where I was standing/sitting. As always, they delivered a set that the thunder Gods would approve of!
To say Trivium have been on fire lately, would be an understatement. Their last few albums have been filled to the brim with magnificent tunes that rival some of their earlier works! Again, another band where a new member has given them that extra power. Their newest drummer is a fucking beast and he takes their older music to new heights! One of the best bands of the day, the crowd were mental for them!
Now, I've never been a fan of Megadeth. They were the only band of the Big 4 that I had yet to see, but after Knotfest. . . that all changed. Dave's vocals sound incredible live, and their thrash onslaught is eaten up by the crowd! Incredible.
Now, we have been standing in searing heat, and have witnessed some epic performances over the last 8 hours, but the crowd has reached Fever pitch. It's time for the two headline acts.
Parkway Drive. Now the only other time I had seen these guys was when people were just starting to hear about them. I think it was in a tent at a festival called Big Day Out, way back in like 2007 or 2008. Fast forward to this moment 15 years later, and the boys from Byron Bay are now global metal superstars! They open with their tradional eerie opening, before launching into Glitch, from the new CD! They go onto play a few older songs (Carrion, from Horizons being one of them), before hitting the heaviest song from Darker Still, Soul Bleach! They go so hard, that Winston actually blows his voice out during this song! They have a meeting on-stage and decide to play on, until Winston can't sing anymore. So they just keep going with an onslaught of heavy tunes. Usually they play Darker Still, but on this night, with Winston's voice not quite right for clean vocals, they go with a ripping rendition of Bottom Feeder. Crushed, and Wild Eyes close out a World beating set! If it wasn't Slipknot headlining, they would have stole the show. The crowd on both stages were getting right into it. Parkway Drive have come a long way from playing in a tent! That's for sure!
The anticipation levels were now sky high. It was almost time for the headline act, the band for whom a lot of us got into heavy metal for. The band whose name is all around the venue, the band who made this festival possible. Slipknot! And wow, once the curtain went down, the surges from the crowd were insane. I've been in so many moshpits, but this one was by far the most intense! Slipknot started with Disasterpiece, and did not slow down! Wait and Bleed, All out Life, Sulfur, and Before I forget to get this shit pumping! They had to stop during The Heretic Anthem, as a man had climbed one of the sound towers! But after he got down, the onslaught continued! The band in absolute fine form, Corey sounding massive, and the whole band keeping the energy up for the whole hour and 30 minutes. What a set, what an incredible end to an incredible day!
So that was the first ever Knotfest in Australia! A day that I will never forget! Here are some photo's. I don't take many, as I like to enjoy the bands as much as possible.
