PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
With just three months to go until the return of the mighty SONISPHERE festival to KNEBWORTH, a further twleve acts have been added to the star-packed line up.
After their late night trip down memory lane in 2010, million selling power trio Therapy? return to BOHEMIA, this time to perform their 1995 classic “Infernal Love”. Featuring chart topping hits such as “Stories”, “Loose” and “Diane”, “Infernal Love” went crashing into the top ten on its release. Now it comes alive again at SONISPHERE as Andy Cairns and co headline BOHEMIA’s Sunday. Says the man himself:
“Delighted to have been asked back to Sonisphere UK to perform “Infernal Love” in its entirety. Our “Troublegum” show there back in
2010 was a special night indeed and we are very much looking forward to playing our 1995 fan favourite at the UK’s premier rock festival. See you all July 6th on the Bohemia stage!”
It is with immense pride that SONISPHERE welcomes ATARI TEENAGE RIOT to the 2014 line up, for their first UK festival appearance since 2010. True pioneers, Alec Empire and crew have been spreading their message of political radicalism with mindblowing musical hybrids since 1992, blending everything from speed metal, acid and jungle with their techno base. So eclectic is their output, they have toured comfortably alongside Wu-Tang Clan, RATM, NIN, Ministry, Moby and Beck to name but a few, and will no doubt go down a storm amongst the veritable musical banquet on offer at Knebworth this July.
Despite being born in four separate cities in Japan, the members of BO NINGEN met and formed their band in the capital of England. Abandoning any conventional ideas of structure, the London-based four piece are lending a new definition to the word psychedelic, ignoring all the rules and doing things the BO NINGEN way. Given their proud unpredictability, setting expectations for their set in BOHEMIA would be redundant, save to say it is not to be missed.
Thrash-punk juggernaut TRASH TALK have a reputation for putting on highly energetic and wildly chaotic shows, making them a more than welcome addition to this year’s line up. Blending furious hardcore with the speediest of metal, their ceaseless touring across the world, from the US to Europe, Australia and Japan, has made them a formidable live act who never fail to deliver their loud, ugly goods.
Farnham four piece CANTERBURY make their SONISPHERE debut this year. Armed with huge songs and even bigger choruses, this promising young band have graced stages with The Automatic, Enter Shikari, Against Me, Twin Atlantic, You Me At Six and many more. Having released third album “Dark Days” earlier this year via the iconic Hassle Records label, CANTERBURY are on a sure and steady rise to the top.
Despite currently undergoing a headline tour of clubs in the UK, Rock-Pop trio LOSTALONE make songs destined for stadiums, and their increasingly rapid trajectory suggests that it won’t be too long before the prophecy made by the likes of Kerrang!, Classic Rock, NME and Rock Sound to name but a few comes to pass. Make sure you catch their set at BOHEMIA on the Friday and see why LOSTALONE’s live show earnt the full KKKKK mark in this week’s Kerrang! Magazine.
“To be able to say that we’re playing Sonisphere festival is one of the most perfectly beautiful sentences I’ll ever speak.” Enthuses frontman Steven Battelle. “Knebworth being the scene of Freddie Mercury’s last ever performance with Queen is a spiritual home for true rock fans. To join a bill with Metallica, The Prodigy and IRON MAIDEN is a privilege. We intend to construct our own little piece of history.”
Glasgow’s BLEED FROM WITHIN are ready to show the world what a world class metal band sounds like in 2014 and SONISPHERE is delighted to give them the opportunity to do just that. Last year’s “Uprising” is an utterly monstrous piece of work, stuffed to the gills with infectious hooks, killer riffs and moments of atmospheric and dynamic euphoria. Add to that an aggression only the streets of Glasgow can breed and you have the recipe for a gloriously punishing performance at Knebworth.
Hellacopters and Backyard Babies co-founder DREGEN brings his solo project to SONISPHERE this year. Released last September, “Dregen” is the Swedish star’s modern take on an era when decadence and glamour weren’t dirty words, when heels and musicians were generally high and the commercial and the credible could sit side by side. He tells us:
“I’m really excited to play Sonisphere as this will be my first UK festival as a solo-artist! The UK tour I did in December was a lot of fun so I can’t wait to get back to wake the Brits up, Swedish style, on the very last day of the Festival, Sunday July 6th.”
Blending hardcore, metal and UK grime, TRC are one of a kind and a more than welcome addition to the SONISPHERE line up. Notorious for their dangerous live shows and outspoken nature, famous for their imaginative music that perfectly encapsulates the concrete jungle of inner city London that houses them, and with amazing videos that rely on imagination and creativity rather than big budgets, TRC are the real deal. Says frontman Chris Robson:
“Absolutely honoured to be playing Sonisphere. It’s the first time we’re getting a chance to play tracks off of Nation to such a large audience, and they were written for this kind of environment. I am well up for causing some havoc on the day and hopefully winning over some new fans. I’m also up for a bit of Slayer.”
Apocalyptic post punks BEASTMILK have been described in many different ways, from “a gloomier Joy Division, an angrier Echo & The Bunnymen, a medicated Killing Joke” to “a secret recording from a psychedelic mass located stylistically between Roky Erickson, early Misfits and The Devils Blood”, with many other names dropped in between. The one thing everyone DOES seem to agree on is that BEASTMILK are awesome, and with Team Sonisphere concurring, a slot at KNEBWORTH seemed the right thing to do.
“We’re honoured and privileged to be playing Sonisphere with such greats as Metallica. We’re really looking forward to giving the crowd a glimpse back to Metallica’s punk influences, throwing up a dose of our apocalyptic death rock and make some of those head bangers dance”
MALEFICE have being punching, kicking, choking and headbutting their way through the UK metal scene since the release of critically acclaimed debut “Entities” in 2007. Brutal, belligerent, bold and undeniably British, MALEFICE have never been about compromise, doing exactly what they felt was right for them, ignoring trends, fashions, and anything else that takes away from their backbone – the music. A very welcome addition to this year’s line up, brace yourselves as the furious five piece tear you a new one.
“We’re really fucking proud to be playing this year!” says frontman Dale Butler. “With a new record out this year you can guarantee we’ll be showcasing new material so be sure you come and party with us.”
Last up is Brighton four piece GLASS CITY VICE. These unsigned alt-rockers take their influences from bands such as Manchester Orchestra, Brand New and Biffy Clyro. Having made a name for themselves gigging the local scene and releasing a series of EPs, GLASS CITY VICE step up for their first major festival performance at SONISPHERE.
Individual day and weekend tickets, as well as special VIP packages for SONISPHERE 2014 are on sale now at www.sonisphere.co.uk.
LINE UP SO FAR:
Friday
APOLLO STAGE:
THE PRODIGY
LIMP BIZKIT
BAND OF SKULLS
GARY NUMAN
ANTI-FLAG
THE DEFILED
BOHEMIA & OTHER STAGES:
ELECTRIC WIZARD
65DAYSOFSTATIC
ATARI TEENAGE RIOT
DEVIL YOU KNOW
BAM MARGERA’S FUCKFACE UNSTOPPABLE
YASHIN
CARNIFEX
LOSTALONE
CANTERBURY
TRC
BRUTALITY WILL PREVAIL
HOUNDS
LITTLE MATADOR
MALEFICE
GLASS CITY VICE
Saturday
APOLLO STAGE:
IRON MAIDEN
DEFTONES
FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS
ANTHRAX
GHOST
SATURN STAGE:
SLAYER
CARCASS
THE WINERY DOGS
CHAS & DAVE
ALESTORM
BOHEMIA & OTHER STAGES:
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
NEW MODEL ARMY
DOG EAT DOG PLAYING ALL BORO KINGS
SEBASTIAN BACH
WILKO JOHNSON
THE VIRGINMARYS
RECKLESS LOVE
BLITZ KIDS
BLEED FROM WITHIN
STAMPIN GROUND
VOODOO SIX
THE HELL
Sunday
APOLLO STAGE:
METALLICA
ALICE IN CHAINS
MASTODON
AIRBOURNE
DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT
GOJIRA
SATURN STAGE:
DREAM THEATER
DROPKICK MURPHYS
REEL BIG FISH
KARNIVOOL
PROTEST THE HERO
BOHEMIA & OTHER STAGES:
THERAPY? (Performing Infernal Love)
BABYMETAL
THE BRONX
GALLOWS
BO NINGEN
CHIODOS
KERBDOG
TRASH TALK
TRUCKFIGHTERS
SILVERSTEIN
THE CADILLAC THREE
ONLY CRIME
ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE
DREGEN
ITCH
BEASTMILK
KROKODIL
Across the weekend
BLACK SPIDERS BROKEN HANDS COLLIBUS EMP!RE FORT HOPE GLAMOUR OF THE KILL THE HYPE THEORY THE LOUNGE KITTENS MAX RAPTOR THE ONE HUNDRED PALM READER RAGING SPEEDHORN TESSERACT THE SAFETY FIRE
Individual day and weekend tickets for SONISPHERE 2014 are on sale now at www.sonisphere.co.uk. Check the Sonisphere website for further details.
All Campsites open Thursday.
For further information please visit www.sonisphere.co.uk
