The growing festival specialises in a wide variety of eclectic artists and performers but only recently began to take on a small number of metal artists over the last few years.
Following it the footsteps of Red Enemy (2016), Cork Hardcore brutes BAILER (2018) and last years Bloodstock Ireland Metal 2 The Masses Winners, This Place Hell (2018) will be the formidable DEAD LABEL who, having just boosted their line up to a four-piece and Dundalk, Alternative Melodic metal beasts, WORDS THAT BURN.
This will mark the debut Irish Festival appearance for both bands who have already collectively conquered an impressive list of UK and European events, such as Download Festival, Exit Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Metal Days, Hammer Fest and many more…
There are not many self-financed unsigned, bands that can claim to have performed in North America, Japan, UK and mainland Europe, shared stages and tours with Machine Head, Fear Factory, Gojira, DevilDriver, performed at Download Festival UK, Bloodstock Open Air (twice), Hammerfest and Metal Days.
Ireland’s contemporary, groove-metal titans, Dead Label have done just that! With a work ethic that’s driven with levels of determination only few could understand, the Kildare-based four-piece have rattled the international metal scene for the last decade thanks to their infectiously heavy brand of modern metal.
With a sound that has evolved into a unique cross-pollination of thrash and death elements, topped with glorious hardcore undertones here and there, Dead Label have grown outside of their local scene as international artists, thanks to their 2015 debut album ‘Throne of Bones’.
2017’s single/video release ‘Pure Chaos’ has racked up an impressive 110K (and counting) views, attracting huge media and label interest, as well as the track being featured on the overmount for Metal Hammer’s March 2018 issue, and also used exclusively for Bloodstock Open Air’s 2018 TV promotion campaign.
With the follow-up to 2015’s LP very much underway, Dead Label have been demoing new tracks since March 2018 and are currently in the process of putting the final touches to their yet to titled new studio album.
The bands growing popularity continues to bleed into the mindset and playlists of heavy music fans around the globe, thanks to the recent release of their new video/single ‘False Messiah’ which features new guitarist Mick Hynes.
For more information on Dead Label, please click here.
© Down The Barrel Photography 2018
Hailing from Dundalk, Ireland, Words That Burn have been fusing elements of melodic metal, and alternative rock that comes loaded with crushing riffs and soaring choruses since 2010.
Their debut EP, ‘Praey’ (June 2013), introduced them as one of Ireland’s most intense alt-metal bands. Late 2014, saw Words That Burn sign an international record, distribution and publishing deal with Wormholedeath / Aural Records / Warner Chappell Holland (BV), before heading off to Tuscany, Italy to record their full-length debut studio album ‘Regret is for the Dead’.
Taking musical & sonic influence from bands such as Deftones, Bring me the Horizon, Slipknot, Northlane, Killswitch Engage, Architects and Parkway Drive, Words That Burn compiled an album of hook-laden tracks which saw the album chart at Number 1 in the Irish Metal, Irish Rock and Irish Mainstream iTunes download charts.
Between 2016 & 2018, Words That Burn haven been on the road quote extensively with a plethora of shows the length and breadth of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, followed by the video release of ‘Mirror Perfect Mannequin’, which led to a slew of European dates in Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Poland and the Czech Republic, including a mainstage performance at the Exit Festival in Serbia alongside Destruction, Discharge and Black Dahlia Murder.
May 2018, saw the first offering from the sophomore album “When We’re Forgotten”, go straight to number 1 in the Irish metal & rock iTunes charts, supported by 2 further tours of Europe including shows at Revolution festival in Romania and Aggressive Festival in the Czech Republic.
The band are currently writing their follow up to “Regret…” which will be a heavier, more explosive experience than the first record.
Check out the latest single ‘When We’re Forgotten‘ below;
For more information on Words That Burn, please visit this link.
Knockanstockan Festival will be taking place from the 19th-21st July 2019 in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. For tickets and more information, please click this link.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2019
