The emerging artists brand expands with its first-ever official showcase in Austin, TX this month.
Destination – Austin, TX.
Knotfest, under the Pulse of the Maggots banner is doubling down on their commitment to highlighting emerging artists with the announcement of their inaugural SXSW showcase.
Set for March 18th at Elysium just outside of downtown Austin, the official SXSW showcase will feature a roster of powerhouse performances from some of the most buzzworthy artists in the space of heavy culture.
The lineup, in alphabetical order, is as follows: The Callous Daoboys, Creeping Death, Escuela Grind, Miliatrie Gun, Soul Glo, and VCTMS.
The Pulse of the Maggots as performance series first began as a digital, streaming festival in 2020, augmenting the launch of Knotfest.com. Continuing to pool a global aggregate of artists, Pulse saw two festivals in the digital space before making the leap to its inaugural in-person event with the Pulse Fest UK. The bedlam in Birmingham featured performances from Sylosis, Orbit Culture, Heriot, Spiritworld, and more, celebrating the diversity heavy music, art and culture.
SXSW spoke about aligning with Knotfest to better frame the significance and full spectrum of punk, metal and hardcore. The organization shared they are, “thrilled to partner with KNOTFEST for their first-ever official showcase. As a festival that’s focused on highlighting new and upcoming artists in the heavy scene, KNOTFEST and Pulse of the Maggots are a perfect fit and are helping us expand more into the growing metal and hardcore scenes. We are excited for everyone to see what is in store for the night.”
clown of Slipknot echoed the same enthusiasm for the future of the scene, sharing, “Excited for the new Pulses for us all.”
Access to the official SXSW x KNOTFEST x PULSE OF THE MAGGOTS Showcase will be for SXSW badge holders with an allotment of tickets available at the door, depending on venue capacity.
ABOUT THE PULSE OF MAGGOTS x SXSW SHOWCASE LINEUP:
THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS
Earning comparative nods to mathcore lineage like Botch and Converge, the sextet package a cacophony of organized chaos in a performance on 2022’s Celebrity Therapist that is purely volatile.
CREEPING DEATH
Practitioners of Texas heft, Creeping Death have taken up the torch for the modern era of death metal. The band’s Edge of Existence EP was hailed for it classic and contemporary take on the genre such that their forthcoming 2023 release is among the most anticipated of the year.
ESCUELA GRIND
The New England grindcore unit proved relentless on their 2022 full length, Memory Theater. Paying homage to their predecessors like Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, and early Carcass, the technical prowess in tandem with the sheer brutality of the band make them among extreme music’s most promising prospects.
MILITARIE GUN
Dynamic songwriters well beyond their years, L.A.’s Militarie Gun have a knack for crafting tunes that stick. Their All Roads Lead to the Gun ushered in a new era of post-hardcore brilliance that leaned heavily on memorable hooks, punchy guitars and a ’90s angst executed with grit and guts.
SOUL GLO
The Philly hardcore standouts scored a massive win in 2022 with the release of their universally acclaimed, Diaspora Problems. Praised for their biting social commentary and frenzied execution, they are among the most exciting, emerging names in the landscape of contemporary hardcore.
VCTMS
The Chicago aggressors and DIY riders spent most of 2022 touring in support of their Vol. IV: Numb the Ache LP. Ending the year with the reveal of the single, “The Dearly Beloved,” the band’s layered assault and musical bombast makes for an impressive show of force.
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