Review: Knotfest, Melbourne – Metal Mayhem Under The Sun

Knotfest Melbourne 2025 was a full throttle ear shattering sunburn inducing masterclass in heavy music. With a lineup stacked heavier than a doom metal breakdown the festival delivered from start to finish.

Slaughter to Prevail wasted zero time in ripping the crowd apart with their savage set. Fast heavy and utterly relentless. Alex Terrible looked like he was ready to eat the mic and the pit responded accordingly. Pure carnage.

Polaris followed keeping the energy soaring with a tight crushing performance that had the Aussie crowd roaring for their hometown heroes. Flawless musicianship, thundering riffs and enough energy to make the moshers question their cardio fitness.

Then came Babymetal who basically transported the festival into an alternate reality. Picture a futuristic Japanese battle arena infused with hyperactive kawaii infused riffs and synchronised choreography all while a tidal wave of metalheads headbanged in utter confusion and joy. It was weird, It was brilliant, It was Babymetal.

As the sun started its slow descent A Day to Remember took the stage and cranked the singalongs to max volume. If It Means A Lot to You had the entire festival belting their hearts out, probably the softest moment in Knotfest history but one that hit hard.

And then the GOATS took over. Slipknot. Pure chaos. No prisoners. Hit after hit after hit. Circle pits swallowing people whole. The band proved yet again why they are the undisputed kings of mayhem.

The setup was slick, the weather was maybe too good for everyone sweating buckets in black but the vibes were unmatched. A day of absolute carnage in the best way possible. Knotfest Melbourne consider yourself annihilated.

@rhysjcarman Knotfest a short film! Phone died before slipknot came on 🫣@Aus Music Scene @knotfest ♬ original sound - Rhys n that

Knotfest Australia 2025

Dates & Venues:
Friday 28 February 2025 – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Sunday 2 March 2025 – Brisbane Showground, Brisbane
Saturday 8 March 2025 – Centennial Park, Sydney

Lineup:
Slipknot, A Day To Remember, BABYMETAL, Slaughter To Prevail, Polaris, Within Temptation, Enter Shikari, Hatebreed, In Hearts Wake, HEALTH, Miss May I, Vended, Sunami

Tickets On-Sale Now: Knotfest Australia

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