A giant LED cross looms overstage. The sounds of rustling leaves whisper through the speakers. As Oldham County’s finest take stage without a word, Bryan Garris eyeballs the crowd. then lets out a guttural scream that launches Knocked Loose into a blinding and deafening assault of Blind Faith. Make no mistake: you have never seen Knocked Loose like this before.
Don’t Reach For Me kicks off brutality in the pit, but evidently Bryan isn’t satisfied satisfaction. “Manchester, are you awake?” he goads. “I don’t think you are!” As the ferocious chug of Mistakes Like Fractures and distended groove of Bellview inspire fresh energy in the flagging crowd, it’s clear the Kentucky crew came for total annihilation. It’s a mission for which they’ve roped in a few friends.
Speed’s Jem Siow hops onstage to stomp through Deadringer, joining Bryan and guitarist Isaac Gale in roaring, ‘Don’t touch me motherfucker!’ as the hammer comes down. Not vicious enough? How about Deafheaven’s George Clarke appearing for a sparring exchange of gutturals and screams with Bryan during God Knows’ heretical thrash? Kadeem France of Loathe two-steps and screams through Billy No Mates, while Suffocate is bolstered by Pest Control’s Leah Massey.
Not that the Kentucky sluggers need the assistance. The 50-second relentless death crawl of Moss Covers All is pure creeping menace that has pits forming all the way to the kebab vans. And the punishing one-two of Willow and Everything Is Quiet Now wrings every last drop of sweat and probably blood from the crowd to close Outbreak.
Knocked Loose are grabbing their moment with two bloody fists, that much is clear. But what their guest star littered set also drives home is that Outbreak is quickly growing into the Olympics of hardcore, a global gathering of the best in punk, metal and rap to prove their grit. Reputations are made. New alliances with fans formed. Put simply, this is the kind of clashing of alternative worlds that you just won’t find anywhere else. Until Outbreak 2026, that is. (NR)