‘Knocked Loose’, ‘Agnostic Front’, ‘Heaven Shall Burn’, and video game soundtrack composer ‘Mick Gordon’ headline a massive second wave of additions to Brutal Assault’s jubilee 30th edition, bringing the total of newly announced acts to 26. They join previously confirmed giants including ‘Children of Bodom’, ‘Mercyful Fate’, ‘The Sisters of Mercy’, ‘Emperor’, ‘Carcass’, ‘Mgła’, ‘Dethklok’, and the exclusive ‘Master’s Hammer’ performance dedicated to their landmark debut album “Ritual.”
Kentucky hardcore sensation ‘Knocked Loose’ are currently tearing through global arenas and festival stages with unprecedented brutality. Their relentless fusion of hardcore punk and intricate metalcore, marked by sudden rhythmic shifts and ‘Bryan Garris’s’ urgent vocals, has redefined modern aggressive music, with their live shows synonymous with total mosh pit chaos, massive breakdowns, and raw energy.
New York hardcore royalty ‘Agnostic Front’ bring decades of pioneering energy to Josefov Fortress, while Germany’s ‘Heaven Shall Burn’ deliver their impenetrable wall of melodic death metal and metalcore backed by a clear social message. One of the most unique highlights of this announcement is ‘Mick Gordon’, creator of the cult aggressive soundtracks for video games including DOOM and Wolfenstein, who will bring his thrilling industrial-electronic live show to the stage.
The 26 new additions showcase a broad spectrum of subgenres. Death metal and deathcore fans receive a heavy hit with Texan brutality from ‘Gorgasm’, technical deathcore from ‘Carnifex’, the uncompromising ‘The Acacia Strain’, progressive output from ‘The Zenith Passage’, and the legendary ‘Six Feet Under’. Italy’s occult death metal and grindcore fusion comes courtesy of ‘Fulci’, while Belgian force ‘Schizophrenia’ brings fierce energy. Joining ‘Agnostic Front’ on the hardcore front are cult act ‘Gorilla Biscuits’, Canada’s ‘Get The Shot’, the more melodic ‘Volumes’, and Taiwanese powerhouses ‘Whispers’.
The darker and more atmospheric side of metal is covered by Nordic avant-garde act ‘Arcturus’, folk-black metal pioneers ‘Vintersorg’, American black metal phenomenon ‘Stormkeep’, and Iceland’s ‘Forsmán’. After two years, the star-studded project ‘A Tribute to Quorthon and Bathory’ (formerly named Blood Fire Death) returns to Josefov. Complex soundscape devotees will appreciate instrumental post-metal veterans ‘Russian Circles’, Danish blackgaze from ‘MØL’, German progressive innovators ‘Unprocessed’, and devastating Swedish thall courtesy of ‘Humanity’s Last Breath’. Heavy, swampy tones and doom riffs will be delivered by stoner-sludge titans ‘Yob’ alongside ‘John Garcia’, the former voice of the iconic ‘Kyuss’.
Festival director and head booker Tomáš Fiala commented on the announcement:
“We are very pleased to expand our already packed lineup with more major names in global metal, as well as artists who are on the verge of becoming household names. The 30th edition holds special symbolic value for both us and the fans, plus, even including the COVID-era Josefoff and Josefstadt editions, we are returning to the fortress for the 20th time. Naturally, we aren’t done announcing bands yet, so I’d recommend not waiting too long to buy tickets.”
With over 66.6% of total ticket capacity already sold less than 10 months before the festival, demand for the jubilee edition is already running high. Tickets and the complete lineup are available at brutalassault.cz.
Find more on ‘Brutal Assault’.
🍺 If you enjoyed this article, consider buying us a beer. It helps keep the whole machine running - the site, the channel, and everything in between.
