If there was any doubt whether the walls of The Academy could actually flex, Knocked Loose put that to bed last night. Returning to Dublin fresh off supporting Metallica at the Aviva Stadium just days prior, the Kentucky hardcore heavyweights proved that while stadiums are grand, their natural habitat will always be a packed, sweaty club where the barrier feels purely decorative.
Given the rough week the band had leading up to the Irish leg, guitarist Isaac Hale recovering from being struck by a car and frontman Bryan Garris dealing with a recent Bell’s Palsy diagnosi, nobody would have blamed them for a phoned-in performance. Instead, they weaponized that adversity, delivering a masterclass in modern heavy music that left the Dublin crowd bruised, breathless, and begging for more.
From the moment the doors opened, the energy inside The Academy was electric. By the time the house lights dimmed, the room was a pressure cooker, and given it was one of the hottest days of the year, an actual cooker as well.
The first band on stage were the up and coming Cork band Worn Out (an apt name, given that’s what you’ll be when they finish their set) making a lot of noise both on and off the stage. Their sound blended a mixture of early Deftones and raw old school punk, with a sprinkle of chaos over the top. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these guys back soon for their own headline gig. Their frontman wasted no time and dove into the crowd at the start of the first song, which acted like a stone being dropped into a still pond, causing ripples that just kept getting bigger and bigger as the night went on.
Next up were Bucket, and all I can describe them as is a 100ft wall of pure noise, controlled precisely by using a lot of effects pedals and knowing exactly when to let the feedback ring or when to wreak havoc with the end of a song. They are one of those bands who I would say you need to see them to understand what I meant, so if you do get a chance to catch them, expect a level of energy and intensity that is unmatched, along with some genuinely funny comments between songs to lighten the mood.
Knocked Loose doesn’t do gentle transitions; they dropped straight into their set like a concrete block through a windshield.
The crowd response was instantaneous. By this point everyone was so hot and sweaty it just didn’t matter anymore. The Academy’s main floor dissolved into a massive, swirling vortex of pits and multiple crowd surfers launching themselves over the security barrier.
Bryan Garris’s signature, piercing screech sounded as venomous as ever, completely cutting through the wall of down-tuned guitars. His stage presence remains fiercely commanding, controlling the chaos of the pit with simple waves of his hand.
Musically, the band was an absolute machine: Isaac Hale and Nicko Calderon’s guitar tones were devastatingly thick, turning tracks from You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To into literal physical forces in the room. Kevin Otten (bass) and Kevin “Pacsun” Kaine (drums) locked into breakdowns that felt heavy enough to register on a seismograph.
The pacing was relentless. They masterfully blended their newer, more atmospheric, blast-beat-heavy material with older, metallic-hardcore anthems like “Counting Worms” which, predictably, caused the entire venue to bark in unison before the venue’s foundations were tested by the song’s closing breakdown.
What makes a Knocked Loose show special isn’t just the sheer volume or the speed; it’s the community catharsis. From start to finish, The Academy was a chaotic, singular organism fueled by pure adrenaline and brought to boiling point (both figuratively and literally). The band didn’t let their recent physical setbacks slow them down for a single second, and you could see they were still riding on what I can only imagine is a huge high from supporting Metallica just a couple of nights before. It was loud, violent, deeply communal, and arguably one of the best heavy shows Dublin will see all year. An absolute demolition derby of a gig.
Worn Out photos:
Bucket photos:
Knocked Loose photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Blinding Faith
Don’t Reach for Me
Mistakes Like Fractures
Oblivion’s Peak
Belleville
Piece by Piece
Moss Covers All
Take Me Home
Hive Mind
God Knows
Sit & Mourn
Suffocate
Billy No Mates
Counting Worms
Deep in the Willow
Everything Is Quiet Now
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero