Knotfest a festival curated by Slipknot , will come to Brazil for the first time on December 18th. Taking place at the Anhembi Sambadrome, the event will feature big names in national and international rock. Buy your ticket here!
Judas Priest, Bring Me The Horizon, Pantera, Sepultura, and Trivium are some of the big names that will be on the event's lineup, which also includes some lesser-known acts. Here, we list each of these bands and tell you a little about them so you can go to the event prepared!
At the end of this article you'll find a complete playlist with the festival's attractions ( also available on Deezer ).
Slipknot
Headlining and responsible for the entire event, Slipknot was formed in Iowa in 1995, a time when nu metal was emerging onto the world stage. The band remains one of the strongest names in the subgenre and has become a mainstream .
With a large number of members, the group is also known for its masks, which are changed with each new phase , and its pyrotechnic and powerful shows. Between 1998 and 2010, the band featured Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, James Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Paul Gray, and Joey Jordison, who were responsible for recording four studio albums during that period.
Following the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010 and the departure of drummer Joey Jordison in 2013 , Alessandro Venturella (bass) and Jay Weinberg (drums) were chosen as replacements. In 2019, after a lawsuit filed by Chris Fehn against the band , the percussionist left, being replaced by Michael Pfaff.
Judas Priest
Judas Priest will come to Brazil for Knockoutfest with their 50th anniversary tour, which also includes cities in the United States and Europe.
Currently, in addition to being on tour, Judas Priest is preparing the successor to Firepower (2019). According to guitarist Richie Faulkner , the group has recorded drums, guitar, and bass for the new album.
“I think the main thing we have to do now is the vocals. So, we have the US tour coming up, so Rob [ Halford , vocals] has to protect and use his voice sparingly. Then, maybe after that. I mean, we have [dates] in the US and we have South America, which takes us until December. So maybe in the New Year we can start working on the vocals,” he said.
Bring Me The Horizon
Hailing from Sheffield, England, Bring Me The Horizon has been active since 2004. Oli Sykes , Lee Malia, Matt Kean, Matt Nicholls, and Jordan Fish flirt between metalcore and deathcore , drawing inspiration from a less aggressive rock sound, even venturing into pop and hip hop, as seen on their latest album, Amo (2019).
BMTH has six studio albums in its discography and is currently recording a new work that promises to bring back Oli Sykes' guttural vocals. The band also has a history of recognized awards such as two Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards, and more.
Panther
The announced return of Pantera to the stage has generated intense debate among metal fans. While some are happy to see members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown again, others point out that the "reunion" makes no sense without the band's founding brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul – both deceased.
Recently, Pantera announced 6 tour dates for December 2022 – including Knotfest Brazil , which takes place in the city of São Paulo. Replacing Abbott brothers will be Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante , from Anthrax .
Mr. Bungle
Formed in 1985 as an experimental rock band, Mr. Bungle has explored various genres throughout its career, which went on hiatus in 2000 and only returned 19 years later. Heavy metal, jazz, ska, and disco are some of the styles that have been part of the group's repertoire.
The band has released four studio albums, the latest being The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo , in 2020. In addition, the group has toured the world with shows packed with hits and heavyweight names like Mike Patton , Scott Ian, and Dave Lombardo, who are currently in the band.
Grave
The most well-known name in the lineup, at least among Brazilian metal fans, Sepultura will be present at the event to promote the album Quadra , released shortly before the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The group, formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, brought to the world a traditional thrash and heavy metal sound with elements of tribal and traditional Brazilian music. After hard work, Sepultura conquered the world with the albums Arise and Chaos AD.
Motionless in White
Representing metalcore and gothic metal , Motionless in White will also be present at the event. The group was formed in 2005 in Pennsylvania and has since released five albums, the latest being Disguise , from 2019.
With gothic makeup and horror-themed lyrics, the group also experiments with nu metal and metalcore , always with strong elements, whether in their lyrical compositions or in their riffs and vocals.
Trivium
Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Trivium was formed in 1999 by vocalist Matt Heafy and remains active to this day. The musician is accompanied by Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto , and Alex Bent.
With millions of copies sold and a Grammy nomination in 2019, the group has established itself in the world of heavy metal and metalcore with songs that balance the heaviness and melodic craftsmanship of the genre.
The band currently has nine studio albums released and is preparing the release of their tenth album, In The Court of the Dragon , which will be released on October 8th of this year.
Sold
The newest band in the lineup comes with some heavyweight members. Formed by the sons of Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clawn” Crahan of Slipknot , the group made their festival debut at Knotfest Iowa in September of this year and will also be part of the Brazilian edition.
Griffin Taylor follows in his father's footsteps on vocals, with an intense stage presence very similar to Corey's mannerisms, while Simon Crahan leads on drums, similar to his percussionist father. The band is completed by Cole Espeland and Connor Grodzicki on guitar and Jeramiah Pugh on bass.
Eight
The band, led by Henrique Fogaça (vocals), will perform at the festival after announcing the addition of drummer Bruno Santin ( Endrah , Lockdown ) to join Ciero (guitar) and Tchelo Martins (bass).
Oitão released their latest single in August 2021. Titled “Covid 19/Abismo” , the track was produced by Oitão together with Thiago Bianchi , from the band Noturnall .
Jimmy & Rats
Jimmy London reunited Rats , a Rio de Janeiro rock group with Irish, folk, and country roots, to launch a new project called Jimmy & Rats. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Jimmy & Rats released their first album with the new lineup, Só Há Um Caminho a Seguir (There's Only One Way to Go).
Jimmy & Rats will be performing this album at Knotfest. The band, since its formation in 2018, has consisted of Fernando Oliveira (banjo and mandolin), Kito Vilela (guitar and vocals), Gajo Loko (accordion and tin whistle), Bruno Pavio (bass), and Pedro Faucom (drums).
Project46
Representing Brazilian heavy metal alongside Sepultura, Project46 will open the festival. Formed in 2008 in São Paulo, the group features Jean Patton, Vini Castellari , Caio MacBeserra, Baffo Neto, and Betto Cardoso , all accustomed to large stages. The band has previously performed at Monsters of Rock in 2013, Rock in Rio in 2015, and Maximus Festival in 2016.
To date, the group has released one EP and three studio albums, the latest being TR3S , from 2017. Project46, whose name was inspired by members #4 and #6 of Slipknot, features a metalcore with elements of death metal , nu metal and other heavier subgenres.
