Sonisphere 2014 is proud to announce the first wave of bands who will be joining headliners The Prodigy, Iron Maiden and Metallica at Knebworth House on the weekend of 4th – 6th July, 2014.
Australian rockers Airbourne have amassed a legion of fans over their decade-long existence, with a high-octane live show featuring lead singer and guitarist Joel O’Keefe’s outrageous showmanship. Songs such as ‘Stand Up For Rock N’ Roll’, ‘Runnin’ Wild’, ‘Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast’, and recent single ‘Live It Up’ from Roadrunner Records-released third album ‘Black Dog Barking’, showcase a band that wears its hard-rock heritage proudly on its sleeve channeling the spirit of Thin Lizzy, Def Leppard, Judas Priest and AC/DC into a thrillingly updated version of good time rock & roll.
Seminal American rock group Alice In Chains were the first of the ‘90s Seattle bands to find a global audience, and their influence on the world of rock and metal is indisputable, with over 25 million albums sold during the course of their career. After a decade-long hiatus they returned in 2009 with the astonishing album ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’ and in 2013 their latest album ‘The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here’ was released to huge critical and commercial acclaim around the world and saw them play a major UK tour, including their biggest-ever headline show at Alexandra Palace in London, to rave reviews. Sonisphere 2014 will be their only UK festival appearance.
Infamous Swedish doom-rockers Ghost are one of the most talked-about bands of recent years, their ghoulish stage presence – led by Papa Emeritus – ensuring their stage shows are ever-memorable affairs. But it is their hauntingly atmospheric, but always melodic, music that has won them a devoted audience and with the release of their second album ‘Infestissumam’ and its follow-up covers EP, ‘If You Have Ghost’, that audience has grown ever-larger still. Ghost’s performance at Sonisphere 2014 will be their only UK festival appearance this year and is sure to be a must-see event.
French progressive-metallers Gojira will also play their sole UK festival of 2014 at Sonisphere. Having toured with the likes of Trivium, Lamb Of God, Machine Head and Metallica over the years, Gojira are a formidable live act, combining brutal death metal with enormous technical skills to create their own unique sound, most recently on their 2012 album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’, released on Roadrunner Records.
Perth-based Australian five-piece Karnivool are at the forefront of modern prog-rock, creating elaborate melodic soundscapes and delivering devastating live shows. Their Sonisphere performance is another UK exclusive for 2014 and will see them performing songs from last year’s critically acclaimed third album, ‘Asymmetry’.
The mighty Mastodon return to Sonisphere, following their 2011 performance, as yet another exclusive addition to the 2014 bill. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000 Mastodon have released five studio albums to date, culminating with 2011’s ‘The Hunter’ which was voted album of the year by Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Rock Sound, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Thrash Hits and saw them play a sold-out show at Brixton Academy. Their performance at Sonisphere will be the first chance for British fans to see them play tracks from their forthcoming sixth album, due out in the spring.
Thrash-metal gods Slayer need no introduction as they bring their ferociously demonic live show back to Sonisphere, following their 2011 performance as part of the Big 4 line-up alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. With their 11th studio album due for release in 2014, Slayer will be delivering their brand of skull-crushing heaviness louder and heavier than ever before.
Many more bands, including two special guests, will be announced shortly.
As previously announced The Prodigy, Iron Maiden and Metallica headline Sonisphere 2014, in an historic bill guaranteed to make Knebworth’s 40th Anniversary one of the most memorable events ever staged in the grounds, especially as it is the first time ever that Iron Maiden and Metallica have appeared together on the same bill in the UK.
Sonisphere 2014 marks the return to Britain of the Sonisphere Festival, which for the past five years has been the biggest pan-European festival, playing to audiences of over 1.5 Million fans.
Early Bird Weekend tickets for Sonisphere 2014 are on sale now priced at £170 (limited availability). The highly popular deposit scheme will also be running from now until April, meaning fans will be able to reserve their tickets for an initial payment of just £50. Check the Sonisphere website for further details.
All Campsites open Thursday.
