Since the release of their 2014 EP, Pop Culture, and their 2016 full-length debut, Laugh Tracks, Kentucky beatdown crew Knocked Loose have been garnering huge praise amongst hardcore fans. After making a lasting impression on people over the course of several tours with veterans Every Time I Die, it's fitting that Knocked Loose were able to sell out the Velvet Underground in Toronto on their first headlining tour.
Knocked Loose brought along a slew of powerhouse hardcore bands with them on this tour, including Terror, Jesus Piece and opening act Year of the Knife. Despite it being Year of the Knife's first time visiting Canada, the crowd welcomed them with open arms, inducing a small but passionate pit as people started to file in. The Delaware band ripped through breakdown after breakdown in a non-stop onslaught to kick the night off, but it was clear the crowd were saving their energy for the rest of the lineup.
Next to take the stage were Philadelphia heavyweights Jesus Piece. The band kept the momentum going with their guttural vocals, blast beats and downtrodden breakdowns. Vocalist Aaron Heard savagely stalked the stage as his bandmates furiously banged their heads. Aside from a technical failure with the microphone toward the end of their set, Jesus Piece put on an impressive show to warm the crowd up.
As the room finally filled out, hardcore vets Terror took to the stage ready to summon crowd surfers and unleash a flurry of mosh pits. Starting off with a heavy-hitting "Keep Your Mouth Shut," the Los Angeles crew had the room swelling with energy right from the beginning. In a matter of seconds, bodies began flying from the stage at a rapid pace as vocalist Scott Vogel commanded the crowd. Once Terror ripped into fan favourite "Live By The Code," the band were almost invisible, masked by the never-ending sea of stage divers.
It would be easy to confuse a Terror show with a motivational speech, since Vogel takes time between each song to provide fans with words of encouragement. The charismatic vocalist stressed throughout their set for everyone to look out for each other while simultaneously sending the crowd into a rage-filled mess of bodies. The band were one with the crowd, offering the microphone to fans to scream the words to songs like "Stick Tight" or closing song "Keepers of the Faith."
Following the extreme workout Terror provided, the moment everyone was waiting for came when Knocked Loose took the stage. The band opened with a violent new track from a presumably upcoming sophomore record, whipping the crowd back into a frenzy. As another added surprise, the band brought out Counterparts vocalist Brendan Murphy to perform his spot on "Billy No Mates."
There's no doubt at all that Knocked Loose have created a dedicated fan base, even if it is early in their career. From the opening notes of fan favourites "Counting Worms" and "Deadringer," everyone in attendance was screaming the words along with vocalist Bryan Garris. Garris dedicated closing song "All My Friends" as a last call for all of the moshers in attendance, forcing the crowd to open a massive ring one final time before leaving the stage. While the band's set was a little shorter than a typical headlining act, they've proven themselves as one of the next big things in hardcore and are destined to lead the pack of newcomers.
Knocked Loose brought along a slew of powerhouse hardcore bands with them on this tour, including Terror, Jesus Piece and opening act Year of the Knife. Despite it being Year of the Knife's first time visiting Canada, the crowd welcomed them with open arms, inducing a small but passionate pit as people started to file in. The Delaware band ripped through breakdown after breakdown in a non-stop onslaught to kick the night off, but it was clear the crowd were saving their energy for the rest of the lineup.
Next to take the stage were Philadelphia heavyweights Jesus Piece. The band kept the momentum going with their guttural vocals, blast beats and downtrodden breakdowns. Vocalist Aaron Heard savagely stalked the stage as his bandmates furiously banged their heads. Aside from a technical failure with the microphone toward the end of their set, Jesus Piece put on an impressive show to warm the crowd up.
As the room finally filled out, hardcore vets Terror took to the stage ready to summon crowd surfers and unleash a flurry of mosh pits. Starting off with a heavy-hitting "Keep Your Mouth Shut," the Los Angeles crew had the room swelling with energy right from the beginning. In a matter of seconds, bodies began flying from the stage at a rapid pace as vocalist Scott Vogel commanded the crowd. Once Terror ripped into fan favourite "Live By The Code," the band were almost invisible, masked by the never-ending sea of stage divers.
It would be easy to confuse a Terror show with a motivational speech, since Vogel takes time between each song to provide fans with words of encouragement. The charismatic vocalist stressed throughout their set for everyone to look out for each other while simultaneously sending the crowd into a rage-filled mess of bodies. The band were one with the crowd, offering the microphone to fans to scream the words to songs like "Stick Tight" or closing song "Keepers of the Faith."
Following the extreme workout Terror provided, the moment everyone was waiting for came when Knocked Loose took the stage. The band opened with a violent new track from a presumably upcoming sophomore record, whipping the crowd back into a frenzy. As another added surprise, the band brought out Counterparts vocalist Brendan Murphy to perform his spot on "Billy No Mates."
There's no doubt at all that Knocked Loose have created a dedicated fan base, even if it is early in their career. From the opening notes of fan favourites "Counting Worms" and "Deadringer," everyone in attendance was screaming the words along with vocalist Bryan Garris. Garris dedicated closing song "All My Friends" as a last call for all of the moshers in attendance, forcing the crowd to open a massive ring one final time before leaving the stage. While the band's set was a little shorter than a typical headlining act, they've proven themselves as one of the next big things in hardcore and are destined to lead the pack of newcomers.
