Words – Rickgrimm.music
Photos – Photo.amai
I descended the winding pathway into Flemington Racecourse nice and early, blessed by clear skies and cool breezes. This year has seen an unfortunate decline in Australia’s heavy music festival scene, so Knotfest felt like it was nurturing the dying flame of heavy metal. Thankfully, the punters turned up in force to provide the kindling necessary to reinvigorate our shared love of all things heavy. As the gates peeled open, we were greeted by a great selection of food trucks, merch booths, and other assorted alternative fashion and culture stalls.
Before the bands started, I was fortunate enough to check out the Slipknot museum, which housed the jumpsuits and masks of eras past. As a guitarist myself, my favorite display was the interactive exhibit where you could play Jim and Mick’s guitars through a Neural DSP Quad Cortex using their stage patches. It revealed a level of detail about their tone secrets that any curious enthusiast would appreciate. Now, onto the bands.
Sunami kicked off the day with some mighty tones and a high-energy performance. The songwriting on display was solid and set the stage for the more “core”-oriented lineup. For those wise enough to arrive early, they left a mark on the mosh-centric crowd, with many people trailing in throughout their set.
Vended caused a bit of tension for me. The shadow of their patriarchs looms large over them, and their sound reflects that influence. Their performance was tight and their stagecraft polished, but it lacked the soul, inspiration, and exploratory vision that made their predecessors so captivating. It felt like watching a flawless execution of someone else’s blueprint.
That said, there was a glimmer of hope during *Am I the Only One*, where the group flirted with something wholly original. I hope this is the seed of a great act growing into its own. These guys have all the necessary ingredients to be great—they’re polished, skilled, and take their art seriously—but they won’t be taken seriously by opinionated assholes like me until they forge a legacy of their own and step out of Slipknot’s long shadow.
By now, I was getting hungry, so I checked out the food stalls. Melbourne’s food culture had wonderfully leaked into the festival grounds, with a myriad of choice aromas wafting around. I grabbed some loaded fries while my mates enjoyed banh mi and high-quality burgers. The bar was well-stocked and well-staffed, so wait times for food and drink were minimal.
That said, the organizers could have made more effort to provide shade. Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world, and while there was plenty of freely available sunscreen, there were no shade sails, umbrellas, or many trees. It wasn’t terrible, but a little more intentionality in this aspect could elevate the experience.
Miss May I are incredibly tight, with vocal performances by Levi Benton and Ryan Neff both on point. I loved the heavier elements of their sound and was pleased to see some more riff-focused music, as well as the emergence of some truly metal guitar leads.
Health was one of the highlights for me. The on-stage trio brought something fresh, catering their set to the more metal/industrial vibe of their catalogue. Jake Duzsik’s vocals felt textural, almost occupying a sonic space similar to a synth pad for some songs. I’m also a big appreciator of John Famiglietti’s efforts to play bass or keys in whichever capacity the song called for. With synth sounds increasingly relegated to backing tracks, it’s always a treat to see someone play them for real. It makes the performance feel more organic.
The closing song, *DSM-V*, was probably my favorite, with the live instruments on a festival stage introducing a layer of griminess that the recording can’t quite replicate. If the question is, “What if I was scared and horny at the same time?” the answer is HEALTH.
In Hearts Wake made a solid effort to create memorable moments for the audience. In particular, there was a moment where they had the audience sit down until the breakdown kicked in, then start jumping—a classic move. From where I was standing on the opposing stage, it looked like the earth had just vomited a sea of people into the air. The crowd got some proper hang time.
They also had a bloke dressed as a character from *Dune* crowd-surfing on what looked like a yoga mat, which was a lot of fun to watch. Their strong messages of environmental conservation were definitely received and appreciated—it’s always good to see artists use their platform for the greater good.
The real highlight moment of the set was when Polaris’s Jamie Hails pulled up to guest for a song, and boy, did he steal the show as he rampaged across the stage. There were a few things that the Byron Bay boys did that I felt didn’t land for me, like the inclusion of backup dancers or playing film clips of themselves performing on the backdrop (we don’t need a video of you performing—you’re literally performing in front of us). To me, these came across as explorations of ways to make their set unique, and despite my lack of appreciation for the execution, I highly praise their willingness to take risks.
Hatebreed was honestly 80% of my excitement for the day. Motherfucken’ Hatebreed. Jamey Jasta commanded the audience with the relaxed ease of the pit pioneer that he is. “People who aren’t moving need a little mouthless motivation” has got to be one of the best pit calls that have ever caressed my ears. No other band has mastered the art of violent encouragement and positivity like Hatebreed.
Hearing over a thousand voices in close proximity scream at the absolute top of their lungs, “I have respect, honour, and dedication for my family and friends!” and then proceed to kick the living shit out of each other in the pit was a thing of primal beauty that made me well up with pride in the community. You could tell pretty clearly that Hatebreed is on everyone’s workout playlists too, because nearly everyone in the pit was jacked, and they were using those muscles to fling each other as close to the sun as possible. One bloke had a lifeguard t-shirt that said “mosh guard,” and we’re all lucky he was on duty.
The mosh was elite, and their call-and-response game was unmatched. Hatebreed proved why they’re the kings of hardcore, delivering a set that was equal parts brutal and uplifting.
Enter Shikari were… not metal enough for my taste. I obviously joined in for the obligatory *clap clap clap* during Sorry You’re Not a Winner, but outside of that, their performance didn’t live up to their recordings. They felt a lot softer live, and I’m not sure if it was the mix or just being surrounded by some proper mosh instigators. Zero riffs were detected.
Within Temptation came to save the day with some actual riffs. Sharon den Adel’s vocals were hypnotic as she cast spells from the aether over an entranced audience. The contrast between the band’s chunky grooves and Sharon’s bewitching vocals was a joy to mellow out in.
But the Australian sun clearly wasn’t a fan because it burned her up live on stage—by the end of the set, her skin was bright red. Aussie sun doesn’t fuck around, man. Someone backstage should have told her to slip, slop, slap.
When Polaris hit the stage, it felt like an indicator that the big boys had come out to play. A massive streamer blasted across the crowd announcing the first beat of their set, and the energy didn’t dwindle for their entire performance. Jamie Hails lifted the bar in terms of performance and showmanship, whipping up excitement from fans with ease. Prepping newcomers to sing along to *The Remedy* before the song made the chorus hit harder when it rolled around.
Rick Schneider let out some of the most tech riffs of the day. The standout song for me was Dissipate, with its rapid-fire rhythm-lead entry and synced flames—absolutely ruthless. The extra investment into a multi-leveled stage added to the visual dynamics of their performance, making it one of the most memorable sets of the day.
Babymetal, Now, when it comes to live shows, I definitely think there’s something to be said for the push-and-pull dynamics of choreographed movement versus improvised flow. Every band has a different mix of both. Babymetal’s mix is 100% choreographed, and they look like they’ve rehearsed it till rhabdo. Everything they did was curated. There was a dance for every song and an animated display for every dance. Even between songs, they had curated visuals to keep the audience engaged.
For a band called Babymetal, they’re way fucken heavier than they have any right to be. On a bill of tight bands, Babymetal were easily the tightest. Each instrumentalist also had a short solo to show off their chops, and those unnamed heroes definitely know what they’re doing. Suzuka showed off her stage charisma by wordlessly gesturing for the crowd to part, signaling everyone’s favorite dental bill inciter—the wall of death. As the crowds collided, the band launched into a shred-tier solo and blasted flame jets. Fucken sick.
A Day to Remember opened with the iconic *The Downfall of Us All*, starting the chant in the mic, and the crowd got into it right away. A big blast of confetti kicked off the set, and the party was on.
As twilight descended, ADTR brought the communal atmosphere that had been developing all day to a head. They covered a variety of moods and intensities. Paranoia was my favorite track they played, with a great light show and fire that elevated the mood of the song. The ballad was well-received, and the confetti explosion during the crescendo was bittersweet. Toilet rolls being flung across the field added a touch of absurdity, with the singer catching one and lobbing it back into the audience. Overall, a great set for fans of classic metalcore.
Now, for what we’ve all been waiting for. Slipknot, here at last. The set opened with (sic) into People = Shit, and within the first few moments, we experienced the only major tech issue of the evening—the sound cut out for a few seconds. But like the experienced pros they are, Slipknot plowed through. Unfortunately, Clown was missing due to a family emergency, which Corey addressed on stage.
They did have Eloy Casagrande, who is an absolute assassin on the kit. That dude will double-kick your balls clean off your body if you let him. Their whole set was well-executed and full of intensity. The people of Melbourne were given an extra surprise with the live debut of Gematria. Every lyric to every song was ardently chorused by the massive crowd. Unsainted was fucking awesome, and a massive stop mid-song demonstrated their command over the crowd.
While vibing out (and maybe a little inebriated), I ended up giving a bloke next to me a shoulder ride for a bit to help him get a better view of the stage, and we became fast friends (shout out Matt if you read this)—proof that Slipknot’s music brings people together in the most unexpected ways.
Knotfest Melbourne 2025 was a day of chaos, catharsis, and fire. From the fresh sounds of Health to the seasoned brutality of Slipknot, every band brought something unique to the table. I was pleased to see a few more Australian bands on the bill, and while some sets shone brighter than others, the overall experience was a testament to the power of heavy music.
Thanks to the Knotfest crew for having us, and massive thanks goes out to Dallas Does PR.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
