Knotfest x SXSW Showcase Set for March 18 at Elysium, Feat. The Callous Daoboys, Soul Slo, Creeping Death, + More

Knotfest is expanding its emerging artist brand, Pulse of the Maggots, by teaming up with SXSW for an official showcase set for March 18 at Elysium in Austin. This showcase is a powerhouse that spotlights a wide range of artists currently causing thrills in the heavy culture space. 

The lineup, in alphabetical order, is as follows: The Callous Daoboys, Creeping Death, Escuela Grind, Miliatrie Gun, Soul Glo, and VCTMS.

SXSW states that it is “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 shares the enthusiasm, saying, “Excited for the new Pulses for us all.“

Pulse of the Maggots Fest initially began as a digital festival in 2020, shortly after the launch of Knotfest.com as a full heavy culture media hub as a way to bring emerging artist performances to audience across the world during the world shut down. After two more digital festivals, Pulse Fest had its inaugural in-person event with the Pulse Fest UK featuring Sylosis, Orbit Culture, Heriot, Spiritworld, and more.

With this SXSW showcase (as well as other festivals spanning the globe, including currently on-sale festivals in Australia, Japan, and Italy, Knotfest continues its impact as a curator in the heavy genre)

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 (which was also named as our editor-in-chief’s album of the year 2022) 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.